Posted on 05/18/2012 5:33:32 AM PDT by Abathar
INDIANAPOLIS -- Health experts have been trying to combat obesity in America for years and have recently suggested a new way to solve the growing problem.
A new study suggests that imposing a fat tax on unhealthy food and drinks could help slim down expanding waistlines.
According to reports, more than 60 percent of Americans are overweight. Under the tax, a $4 cheeseburger would cost an extra 80 cents, RTV6's Stacia Matthews reported.
Some Hoosiers found the proposed fat tax hard to swallow.
"I don't think we should tax people and the way they run their lives,” one man said.
Others said a fat tax is palatable.
"I'd pay 20 percent. It's worth it,” one woman said. "I would eat a lot more healthy just to save more money.”
Researchers said a fat tax could drop obesity rates by 3.5 percent and prevent 2,700 heart-related deaths a year. The study also urged subsidies for healthier foods and veggies to make them more affordable.
(Excerpt) Read more at theindychannel.com ...
Hell no. Look at smokes. The taxes far exceed the actual cost and people just keep on smoking. It's just another commie idea for a revenue stream.
“It will prevent 2700 deaths a year??”
Obesity allegedly kills 400,000 people a year, so taken at face value, this strategy will solve exactly 0.675% of the problem. It’s obvious that the real motivation is to swell the coffers of government rather than solve the obesity problem. It’s like the proposed carbon tax: it would reduce global warming by less than 1 degree Celsius, but would create a gusher of new government revenue.
I see this a lot. I've been drinking Diet Coke, probably ever since it's been on the market because I prefer it, I'm not over weight. You may come upon me eating a huge meal sometimes and drinking a good old Diet Coke with it. Regular colas are way to sweet for my tastes.
When dining in the south, I do not order the famous "sweet tea" either, way too sweet.
It’d also take away the subsidies that make fattening food cheaper.
In contrast, this proposal would have the feds continue to subsidize such foods—and then tax it when it’s consumed.
(Kind of like they did with tobacco.)
Demolition Man
Dumb asses...
20 years of increasing taxes on cigarettes have not curbed smoking taxing will not curb weight...
Next, you don’t have a right to be .... (well, you could only if you pay extra taxes)
short
ugly
stupid (ie incorrect thinking)
unpleasant
.
.
.
(definition of each is of course controlled by ‘experts’, done after some ‘study’)
That's just a canard to take away our Liberty. Walter E. Williams explains this wonderfully.
"How many times have we heard that "if it will save just one human life, it's worth it" or that "human life is priceless"? Both are nonsense statements. If either statement were true, we'd see lower speed limits, bans on auto racing and fewer airplanes in the sky. We can always be safer than we are. For example, cars could be produced such that occupants could survive unscathed in a 50-mph head-on collision, but how many of us could buy such a car? Don't get me wrong; I might think my life is priceless, but I don't view yours in the same light. I admire Greta Garbo's objectivity about her life. She said, "I'm a completely worthless woman, and no man should risk his life for me."
Source: http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/williamns041812.php3
Sadly, there are liberals who would be in favor of all those. Like a man who skydives, I'm well aware of the risks when I visit the local fast food dive.
Yes. Yet another liberal thrust that will in the end harm the poor the most-just like state lotteries and taxing the "rich".
So, are they saying that taxes reduce the activity being taxed?
If they are really serious about this lunacy they would be better off slapping that tax on televisions, computers and video games. The “obesity” issue is much more a consequence of lack of activity and exercise than it is diet.
My insurer sends me a survey every year, which I am required to answer or pay a huge penalty.
They ask how many servings of fruit and veggies I eat each week, how much I exercise and what kind of exercise. They ask if I have used tobacco products in the last 5 years, ( answer that one incorrectly and they raise your premiums) they ask me if I drink alcoholic beverages and if so, how much.
The only thing they don't ask me on their asinine form and never will, is if I lead the sodomite life style, a known and very expensive, to insurers, health hazard.
Mark my words, alcohol is next on their agenda. They can't outright out law it, they already know that won't work, they don't give a rats ass anyway about how much people drink, only that gov can tax the hell out of it and insurers can raise premiums.
I hate it when I do that, I do know the difference between "to" and "too". It was a typo, I swear.
“. . . 20 years of increasing taxes on cigarettes have not curbed smoking taxing will not curb weight...”
Oddly enough, smoking does curb weight.
Democrats could care less about anyone’s health but their own. They just want more tax money to buy votes and mansions.
I'm tossing the BS flag. The reporter made that quote up, pure and simple. And it doesn't even make sense, you wouldn't pay the tax if you were choosing to avoid paying it.
The same cheeseburger written about by this idiot has tripled in price since Obama became president. Not only is the 99 cent Jumbo Jack gone, so is the Jack in the Box restaurant by my house.
California has a snack tax and they are broke. Government is like a dope fiend with access to endless narcotics.
Everything else has unnecessary taxes, I’m surprised unhealthy foods didn’t already! This likely will help the problem though. Most people will buy the food that’s the cheapest and will sacrifice quality to save money. If healthy food ends up being the cheaper option, it’s pretty obvious that more people will end up eating that way.
Not much different than tobacco. The people who really want it, will do it no matter what.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.