'Fat tax' to fight obesity

News.com.au (Australia) ^ | June 9, 2003 | Rachel Morris

[txhurl]

I don't want the government to tell anybody anything.

I'm just ready for the (insert cause) nazis to get theirs, because obesity cuts across all political, gender and socio-economic lines.

I do, however, want food stamp recipients to stop buying trash food for our nation's kids. This is our people's health we're talking about here.

[CaptainJustice]

True, but by the same token, my taxes pay for taking care of those who refuse to take care of themselves. I'd like some control in the matter. Either they have to pay their own hospital bills no matter what or I oughta be able to force them to attend a military academy and get them in shape. :)

[Protagoras]

I do, however, want food stamp recipients to stop buying trash food for our nation's kids. This is our people's health we're talking about here.

That's how government gets control of people, give them something and then tie strings to it. It works everytime.

Secondly, who decides what is "trash" food? And thirdly, they aren't "our" children or "our" people. People own themselves, they are not owned by society.

The government has no legitimate business whatsoever in these things.

[HamiltonJay]

Type 2 diabetes is a huge problem, and it is due to diet. Effectively when FAT became the enemy, everyone launched low fat foods, that are effectively nothing more than flour and high carbs replacing the fat. And flour honestly is about as nutritiously valueable as SUGAR...

Huge carb loads, body's can't handle it, system breaks down, Type 2 is the result. There is no debate, processed foods and insane carb levels are creating a huge long term health problems.

[HamiltonJay]

Best way to lose weight is lower caloric intake and up caloric burn (eat better and exercise). However trading fat grams for carbs will lower your total caloric intake, it does cause the longer term health issues of Type 2 etc from carb loading.

So lowering carb and sugar intake and exercising helps, fat reduction helps as well, as fat per gram has the highest amongs of calories. However fats do need to be processed to be turned into glucose, Sugars need very little and carbs need not much more. Avoid those 2 things and body is forced to burn stores easier.

At least that's my laymens understanding of the process.

[txhurl]

Secondly, who decides what is "trash" food?

Who decides what is 'trash' air? Is it really necessary to restrict refuse-burning plants from being constructed next to elementary schools?

I appreciate your purism; I also believe that the main reason we've become an overweight, unhealthy people is gov-sponsored/sanctioned bad nutrition.

Here: let's define 'trash' food as 'processed' food for this point of argument.

[Koblenz]

Why not cut out the middleman and just tax fat people directly? If they weigh over a certain amount, then tax em! Mandatory weigh-ins should be required to prepare your 1040. This would also encourage all those fatsos to lose weight...

[Protagoras]

You can define it anyway you want, but the point I was making is that no group of people, government or otherwise, should be making these kinds of decisions for others. It is the consequence of the government give-a-way transfer scheme.

Government loves to give things away,,,with strings. It is where they derive their power.

In the old times, Kings just said "you will do it my way or I'll kill you". "Civilized" tyrants do it other ways.

[Teacher317]

Let 'em tax. If you don't eat the stuff, or much of it, what's the problem?

Sure, what a little less freedom and a little more government nannyism among friends? As long as it doesn't cost you much personally, why worry about it, right?

[TontoKowalski]

Sure, what a little less freedom and a little more government nannyism among friends? As long as it doesn't cost you much personally, why worry about it, right?

I suspect a good bit of this is from the smoking crowd saying "I told you so." I'm a smoker (working up the impulse to quit) and I want 'em to tax the hell out of ice cream, just so my wife can see what it's like.

Out of curiousity, what's your take on tobacco and alcohol taxes?

[Teacher317]

Same as my take on most taxes... make 'em smaller, make 'em fair, and stop using 'em to try to control behavior. Set up an open, fair, and stable playing field, then just get the hell out of the way and let commerce happen.

My take income taxes is much angrier, though.

[freekitty]

I think if people want to get fat; let them. Sometimes it's in the genes. What do you do about that?

[Sam Cree]

"Government loves to give things away,,,with strings. It is where they derive their power."

Well said, and very true, very scary, really. What's worse is that government doesn't even have anything to give away to start with, until it confiscates it from whomever it rightfully belonged to in the first place.

[lockjaw02]

How about this. Use the proceeds of the tax to subsidize healthier foods.

Just goes to show, poor people just have way too much money. How about cutting their wages to bare minimum subsistence level? //end sarcasm//

[Great Dane]

Should a skinny person penalized too ?

If we are talking Minion.......... YES.

[Great Dane]

I suspect a good bit of this is from the smoking crowd saying "I told you so.

I think you're wrong, most of the pro-fat tax, seems to be the same old anti smoking crew, they must all be perfect.

[Great Dane]

But we smokers still reserves the right to say, "We told you so." :-}

[Uncle Meat]

Only a matter of time before this craziness hits the U.S. shores.

Of course this proposistion will be sponsored by none other than Jerold Nadler and Ted Kennedy who just happen to be two fine specimens of good health.

[Uncle Meat]

But we smokers still reserves the right to say, "We told you so." :-}

Does this mean junk food icons such as Toucan Sam,Tony the Tiger,and the Kiebler elves,etc., will go the way of Joe Camel?