[SamAdams76]

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

I agree that obesity and type 2 diabetes is a big problem but that is not justification for raising taxes.

[Fraulein]

Looks like the fat tax is next! Wonder how many smoke nazis around here are going to start whistling to a different tune? Maybe now they'll actually start to 'get it.'

[btcusn]

I sure am getting sick of the health Nazi's, first smoking, next drinking, now what foods you can or cannot eat. Next, the amount of exercise you need each week. What could be next?? What clothes to wear?? Sure sounds like the military to me, where any new and good sounding harebrained idea is implemented as orders to keep the pc bunch happy. No smoking or sale of tobacco products, weight control, not for health, but to maintain a good military appearance, no Playboys because it offends some congress dorks.
Beam me up Scotty!!
Jack

[Great Dane]

What took them so long, we expected this train to start rolling long ago....... they have squeezed as much as they could out of smokers.

[Protagoras]

The craziness is already here. Smoking laws etc. It's only a matter of time. The frog is cooking.

BTW, so called "conservatives" on this site sign on to this crap in ever increasing numbers.

[VRWC_minion]

Wouldn't it make more sense to tax the individual ? Should a skinny person penalized too ?

[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.

[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...

[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.

[Dan from Michigan]

BTW - To all you Jackbooted Public Health Fascists out there, I'll make this real clear.

BAN IT, or SHUT THE HELL UP. No 1/2 tax BS.

[Billthedrill]

My own personal nutrition advice is never to eat on an empty stomach. Dangerous as all git out.

That said, this is one of the more blatant examples of social engineering through taxation. These schemes seldom work for several reasons: (1) the government is more addicted to money than Rosie is to Twinkies, and tends to spend it in places other than to address the issue at hand; (2) people modify their behavior to avoid the tax before they modify their behavior to address the problem; (3) attempting to suppress a product in demand by taxing it engenders black markets; (4) taxes, even when they are mistakenly assessed or no longer necessary, are seldom or never lifted; and (5) people like me who aren't fat and don't smoke still get pissed off when some self-righteous jackass on a power trip decides he or she knows better how to live than we do.

We could, of course, vote them out of office...only...notice how seldom this stuff is called for by elected representatives? It's usually self-proclaimed "experts" and high-minded social reformers who have enthusiasm for their chosen obsessions but absolutely no accountability for their results. "Our intentions were sound" is the pathetic bleating of a fool caught out. Usually they just change the subject.

[MrLeRoy]

The opening salvo in the War On Fat.

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[jjm2111]

This is absolutely absurd. First of all, scienctist can't accurately determine WHICH foods are best for you. Is it fatty foods, or too much carbs?

Secondly, maybe some of us who are in decent shape LIKE a big mac every once in a while. Thirdly, you cannot always tell how good shape people are in by their weight. Obviously 400 lb. porkers aren't in good shape, but some people can have a small gut and be in better shape than a flat stomached weakling.

Do we really need such socialism?

[man of Yosemite]

Yes, it's always an attempt to solve the problem by taking more money away from us. If death is not a deterrent, why would higher costs be? They'll just switch to cheaper food that may be every bit as bad. They already charge more money for health foods, so where's the solution? Higher cost for health food and higher cost for fatty food, when do you start taxing the air I breath?