They say that America Runs On Dunkin’.

Which is half-true. See, Americans don’t actually run on Dunkin’; they physically can’t. America trudges on Dunkin’, takes the elevator on Dunkin’, struggles to find the remote on Dunkin’, takes the drive-thru at CVS Pharmacy to pick up a gallon of Pepto-Bismol because they just ate two dozen Dunkin’ Donuts…on Dunkin’.

Pretty soon, Kansas City will be no exception. A new Dunkin’ Donuts just opened in Kansas City last week.

Still, there is some truth to that slogan; Americans do, in fact, eat a lot of Dunkin’. Here’s the point: America lives on Dunkin’ and other greasy, unhealthy, delicious, fatty foods.

Well, now Americans may have to literally pay for their weight. In an effort to fund the $1 trillion healthcare bill, Congress and lobbyists have discussed including a sizeable “fat tax” in the healthcare reform bill. 

(Editor’s note: I could care less about politics. I am not on the Democrats’ side. I am not on the Republicans’ side. I am on Common Sense’s side).

On paper, this tax sounds like a great idea.  It may deter people from eating fatty foods; it could raise up to $900 billion to pay for the health care bill; it could (gasp!) make America a healthier nation.

But these are all claims, and probably false ones, too.  According to the healthyamericans.org, the two states that already have a fat tax, West Virginia and Arkansas, have the third and sixth highest obesity rates in the country. One can’t help but wonder, would the tax actually work?

So in practice, this bill may have super-sized problems.  

But even that isn’t what concerns me most about the fat tax. It’s the idea of it—that government is trying to shove itself deeper into people’s lives. 

Where will the control stop?  Taxing foods is just a slippery, greasy slope.

Next thing you know the government will literally start forcing people to eat healthy, shoving organic granola down people’s throats. 

And are we going to start giving the Biggest Loser tax breaks now?  Awarding Tony Little a purple heart?

Think about it. The tax would be a 20 percent increase in the cost of “fatty foods.” This would make Chipotle burritos cost almost 10 dollars (I’ll let that depressing thought sink in).

This tax just cloaks the problem, sweeps it under the rug, pretends it’s not there.  It’d be like the government renaming every fast-food restaurant “Exercise” (that way, when people eat at any fast-food place, they’d be getting their daily amount of Exercise).

Let people live their lives and eat their food.

If anything, it’s the government that’s starting to weigh too much.