Taxation

• Increased taxation on fatty and sugary foods has become a popular idea in some circles. The idea is that any product that is over a certain level of fat or sugar will become more expensive. As these products are now more expensive less people will buy them. This has met with criticism as another level of government intrusion and a violation of freedom of choice. Others believe there is no evidence increasing tax would reduce demand for these products, just the overall buying power of the average consumer.
  
  

Calorie Counts

• A way of helping people cut back on calories without the level of government interference needed for taxation is printing nutritional values of food. These come in various forms like the detailed information on the back of a packet, getting fast food outlets to clearly display the calories contained in their foods. The idea here is that people already know the health problems caused by eating these foods, but do not know exactly what foods are bad for them.
  
  

Advertising

• The banning or heavy regulation of junk food advertising could lead to reduced demand. This effort is especially aimed at the younger generations who are much more easily influenced by commercials. This system would involve banning junk food advertising during peak viewing hours for younger people and warnings included in the advert about the dangers of excessive eating of this type of product.
  
  

Vending Machines

• Many states have already introduced a scheme in schools where the vending machines no longer carry unhealthy foods. This includes the elimination of candy bars, soft drinks and chips from all dispensaries on campus. These foods would be replaced by healthier options such as juice, fruit and wholegrain bars. If the diet of children is heavily regulated in school then the responsibility for the rest of the time falls with the parents.