Denmark's "fat tax" targets butter, burgers A fatty cheeseburger may take a toll on your health, but if you live in Denmark, it's also about to take a toll on your wallet. Pictures: Fat tax? 15 states with biggest obesity bills Denmark has imposed a "fat tax" on fatty foods in an effort to convince Danes to eat healthier. The tax is a complex one, in which rates will correspond with the percentage of fat in a product. The value of the tax is about $3.00 for every 2.2 pounds of saturated fat. For example, a burger will increase in price by about $0.15, and a small package of butter could cost around $0.40 more under the new plan. The tax was approved by large majority in a parliament in March as a move to help increase the average life expectancy of Danes - which has fallen below the international average of 79 years - by three years over the next 10 years. Other European countries, including Denmark, have higher fees on sugar and soft drinks, but Linnet Juul, food director at Denmark's Confederation of Industries said he believes Denmark is the first country in the world to tax fatty foods. "Higher fees on sugar, fat and tobacco is an important step on the way toward a higher average life expectancy in Denmark," health minister Jakob Axel Nielsen said when he first introduced the idea in 2009, because "saturated fats can cause cardiovascular disease and cancer." Full Story here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20114811-10391704.html
Interesting concept. One issue may be that many people actually buy fast food,which is often fatty,because the healthy food isn't exactly cheap though. Years ago obesity and being big was more an issue of richer people,who could afford plenty of food. These days fresh and healthy food is more expensive often than the less healthy fast food,and that contributes to obesity now. I have no idea though how things in Denmark are specifically.Was just generally speaking.
Fat tax is a FAT LIE. Cardio vascular disease is the number 1 killer of danes. There dying because of the internet...Wi-Fi to be exact. EMF waves will kill you over time.
If cardiovascular disease is a problem, then less fat is one of the solutions... Btw, life will kill you over time, sooner than EMF waves, lol.
This will never fix the problem of obesity. Obesity is a personal issue, even though it affects millions of people. But each one of those people is fat for a variety of reasons and each must deal with the problem themselves. Raising the price of cigarettes doesn't stop people smoking (cigarettes are close to $20 a packet in Australia and people still smoke like chimneys) and raising the price of fatty foods won't stop people buying them either. AND it's punishing people who are not fat and simply enjoy getting something not-so-healthy on occasion.
People are often addicted to cigarettes because of the nicotine. This is not true in the matter of obesity. Obesity is a societal problem as it affects everyone, either personally or by the taxes paid to provide the resources to treat the medical effects of obesity. It's a corporate problem to the extent that corporations make very unhealthy food available at low prices. For it's part, the government subsidizes the food industries that make it possible to offer unhealthy food at lower prices that healthy food.
I hope some of you realize, Denmark has one of the LOWEST obesity rates in the EU. Obesity was never an issue for that country. ...just saying
How many men smoke in Australia? In 1945 approximately 72% of Australian men smoked. The rate has been dropping ever since then. In 2007 only 18% of Australian males were daily smokers. The daily smoking rate among men in NSW was 18.3% in 2007. More: http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=371 Note: There is no reason given for why the rate of smoking has decreased in Australia, but if a square costs $20 a pack that wouldn't hurt the cause.
You think people who over eat aren't addicted to those foods?? Sugar is a very addictive thing. All I'm saying is that a tax won't fix the problem, because the problem is too personal. It's not all about what's cheaper or what's convenient. People will continue to buy unhealthy foods no matter the price.
Sugar can be addicting, but it isn't the reason that obesity exists. Alternately, tobacco companies formulate cigarettes to be addictive, that's their goal and most people who have smoked for any length of time have an addition. It may be true that a tax on fat laden products doesn't "fix" the problem, but it may contribute to influence alternate buying decisions, which is the purpose of the law. If you can influence buying in the short term, those decisions may become habitual over time. You can't say that you don't believe price affects buying decisions?? Of course it does. Some people will continue to buy unhealthy foods at any price, but, again, some will be influenced by higher costs and make alternate decisions as well. That's a fact too. I'm not saying that the law is a panacea, and that obesity will magically go away, but every effort, IMO, is worth it, to fight a problem that here in the states is approaching at $200 B dollar problem in the next few years.
Of course sugar isn't the reason obesity exists, never said it was. I'm just saying it's addictive. This isn't the way to solve problems and it won't help it at all. Even if people can't buy premade unhealthy food, they'll just make it. I'm sure the raw ingredients won't be taxed. It won't help, not even a little. It might influence people in the short term but it won't change eating habits, or the emotional problems that are behind obesity. I think it's wrong that the government try to force people to eat a certain way. Yes, people should eat a more healthy diet, but that's up to the individual, not the government. The government should butt the hell out. If people want to kill themselves with food, let them do it. It's no one elses business. One last thing...I hear people talking about how much money it costs to fix health problems etc., of obese people. Ummm...aren't obese people working too? Not all fat people are unemployed. Aren't a lot of them paying for their own health care?? I've never understood that 'we're paying for their healthcare' attitude (not saying you have it, or have said it,...just in general).
Obviously, this is a case of reasonable minds differing, and that's fine. I think that the government is well served to be involved in this matter. Someone must challenge the corporations that poison people in favor of profit. Your comments suggest that you believe people look for ways to be unhealthy, lol, that they will use unhealthy raw ingredients. It's fairly obvious that prices influence buying decisions and suggesting otherwise is..well it's your choice, but I think in flies in the face of logic and evidence to the contrary. The issue is not that there aren't obese people who work, but they are in the minority, despite the significant costs associated with the problem. So, they do become a disproportionate burden to other tax payers. That's the issue.
