Does “Fat Tax” Promote Healthy Consumption Among Public?

Obesity has become one of the common health concerns around the world. A survey by National Nutritional Monitoring Bureau (2017) has revealed that half of the Indian population were overweight and obese. To put a cork to this epidemic, the National action plan for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases has developed several policy measures, one such being the implementation of Fat Tax. It is a kind of surcharge levied on foods and beverages high in fat or sugar, which in long consumption induces obesity. Incentives by the governments to develop the food industry had increased the production of items rich in fat, sugar, and salt. This had an adverse impact on the health of the public. Thus, the implementation of a fat tax might thwart such unhealthy consumption among the public and encourage people to make healthier food options. However, fat taxation faced several challenges during implementation in other countries. A question also arises as to its efficacy to bring down the burden of non-communicable diseases. This article tries to understand the impact of the Fat tax on public health and tries to provide suitable suggestions to overcome the challenges in its implementation and effectiveness.