# FILE NAME: 00000859.soc
# TITLE: Should the government intervene to change food choices so that everyone eats healthily? [b982b537b46f24fc2d8e1a2591d639a6]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - The government should not intervene to change food choices. This is because the people who make these choices should be free to choose what they want to eat. If they want to eat junk food then they should be free to do so. The government should not force people to eat healthy food as this is a violation of their freedom. However, the government should take steps to make healthy food more affordable and accessible. This could be done by subsidising the cost of healthy food or by introducing vouchers that can be used to buy healthy food. This should be implemented because more affordable healthy foods mean that it is not a choice between eating healthy food and eating food that keeps hunger at bay, but instead it is a choice between eating food that keeps hunger at bay or that is just unhealthy and expensive. The only way that the voucher scheme could be funded is if it was the only food that could be purchased with these vouchers as there would be no choice as to whether healthy or junk foods would be bought.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - The government should not intervene to change food choices. This is because the people who make these choices should be free to choose what they want to eat. If they want to eat junk food then they should be free to do so. The government should not force people to eat healthy food as this is a violation of their freedom. However, the government should take steps to make healthy food more affordable and accessible. This could be done by subsidising the cost of healthy food or by introducing vouchers that can be used to buy healthy food. This would mean that people will still have the freedom to choose what food to buy but will have access to healthier, more affordable foods.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - The government should not intervene to change food choices. However, the government should take steps to make healthy food more affordable and accessible. This could be done by subsidising the cost of healthy food or by introducing vouchers that can be used to buy healthy food. In conclusion, what a participant eats is their personal choice and the government should not intervene to change the food choices of individuals. The government should however, ensure that unhealthy food is not made cheap and readily available, particularly to vulnerable people, e.g. children. The government should subsidize and subsidise healthy food to ensure healthy choices are made easier and cheaper than unhealthy choices.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - Although the government should not intervene to stop people choosing to eat unhealthy food, it should do more to encourage people to make healthy food choices. There are many ways that the government can achieve this goal, for example, through taxation. In the case of sugar, which has now been linked to many serious health conditions and ailments, including obesity and diabetes, the government has imposed a tax on the sugar content in foods and beverages that exceed a certain amount of sugar per item. While taxation is an easy way of making healthy food choices easier to access for people with lower income, it is likely to also result in a higher cost of living. There are other ways that the government can try and increase the purchase and consumption of healthy foods, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables. Many parents with young children already receive vouchers for fruit and vegetables, the cost of which are partially subsidised by the government. There could be an argument that if healthy foods become more accessible they will be more affordable. What is clear is that to stay healthy the food we eat and our ability to have the freedom of choice over our foods has to be taken more seriously. It is the government's job to incentivise healthy food choice by any means.
2: 4,1,2,3
1: 2,1,4,3
1: 2,3,1,4
1: 4,3,2,1