Innocent Fast Food Restaurant
A study by academics from the University of California and Northwestern University claimed
that "the causal link between the consumption of restaurant foods and obesity is minimal at best."
It argued that a tax on high-calorie food,
as proposed by many health campaigners in the US and Britain,
may therefore not be an effective way for government to tackle the problem.
The study analyzed data complied by the US Department of Agriculture on calorie
intake around the country.It found that people living closer to restaurants were
not significantly more likely to be obese than people living further away
, indicating that easy access to restaurants had little effect. It also showed that while
restaurant meals typically held more calories than home-produced food, many customers often
offset this by eating less throughout the rest of the day. Obese people who ate at restaurants,
the study indicated, "also eat more when they eat at home."
The US government estimates that about one in three Americans, or 100 million
in total, are obese. Last month it was predicated that 75 percent of Americans would be overweight
in 2020. The problem is thought to cost Americans between $ 150 billion and $ 170 billion
in annual medical costs. The study’s authors, Michael Anderson and David Matsa, wrote
: "While taxing restaurant meals might cause consumers to change where they eat, our results
suggest that a tax would be unlikely to affect their underlying tendency to overeat."