Romania debates tax on fast food
People walk by fast food restaurant in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010. For post-communist Romanians a Big Mac and soda meant much more than a meal: It was a culinary signpost from the free and capitalist west a sign they too, at last, had arrived. But modernity requires something different today: the Balkan country is moving to join the health conscious 21st century by proposing taxes on burgers, french fries, soda and other fast foods with high fat and sugar content. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
The Associated Press is reporting a fascinating story about the Romanian Health Ministry’s attempt to tax fast food consumption in the Balkan country. Since the nation has emerged from its communist past, obesity has become a major public health problem, in marked contrast to the past. About half of its 22 million people are now overweight.
“We have to relearn how to eat,” said Health Ministry official Adrian Streinu Cercel.
You can read the story here.
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3 comments Add your comment
Saul Good
February 19th, 2010
2:10 pm
Great idea…. yet if we taxed fast food here….lazy slobs would still chomp down on it…
That's right
February 22nd, 2010
1:55 pm
Such a simple idea, yet it took so long for someone to actually do it.
100% tax on all junk food. If you still want it, you are free to have it. Go Romanians!
giorgiboy
February 24th, 2010
9:07 pm
the point is this tax is rather aimed at unnatural ingredients contained in american style fast food as oposed to natural organic ingredients contained in traditional fast food like”kebab”,etc.Besides,you have to understand that”overweight”in Romania equals “normal”in USA,while “normal”in Romania equals “skiny” in USA.I ve lived in USA for 6 years so I know what I am talking about.