Should Fat People Be Taxed More?

This was really interesting. Thoughts, comments.

[YOUTUBE]T3GPwqA8swg[/YOUTUBE]

 

If so, the food companies need to really tell the public whats really in are food chain. Most don't know what high fructose corn syrup and GMO's can do to ones diet.

Estrogen and antibiotics is in the chicken we eat, for example. I was reading and article that the cash receipts has a compound that can make you fat for touching the thing.

If the government want to tax the public for making wrong food choices, go ahead but make sure everyone know the rules before we play this game.

Here's an article on BPA that;s used in store reciepts, enjoy.
http://www.ewg.org/bpa-in-store-receipts

 

When I saw the title, I thought Mikey started this thread...

The short answer is NO. Too complex of an issue to be resolved with tax money to the government. And it should never be an matter of weight, but instead a matter of health. Raudi is absolutely right about ensuring the quality of food. Or at least making the information available.

 

I'd be all for it.

 

Now when we're talking about the subject of health care, any bit of health care funded by the government should obviously include financial stipulations that encourage a healthy lifestyle.

 

Thats how I viewed it. I think it should be a tax on unhealthy food with shit like high fructose corn syrup in like Raudi said. We do it with tobacco products. I also think people who are healthy all year round should be rrearded for staying healthy instead of punishing those who dont. Incentives work just as well as punishments.
The reason I posted this was when I heard thr number was nearly 200 billion dollars per year in costs it made we wonder why the hell arent we talking about this. Thats a great syep in either free healthcare or cutting down education coat. Instead of cuttin medicare and medicaid why not focus on whats driving the costs up. I just want us to be solution oriented not complainers and victims.

 

I feel I must weigh in here.

If they are going to start taxing people on fatty foods, because of the cost to America. They should be taxing bars and breweries for all the costs of drunk driving accidents and deaths. They should tax bad parents for the cost of dealing with reckless undisciplined youths. I mean you could go on and on.

 

:smt080 Good point there.

 

I have nothing to contribute. VERY good post!

But if you're going to tackle the issue, the solutions would require the work of all levels of influence, and not simply government assistance. We do have gyms, but I think South Carolina's local government has a good program that encourages fat people to attend the gym at no cost.

Also, genetics do factor into weight and how fat a person can be, so in essence, even if they do work out continuously, dietary constraints, and so on...they still are unable to lose that weight. Perhaps damn near low metabolism? It's complex issue as Thump said, not just on a economic level, but from a scientific level as well.

 

I can see both sides of the argument but in the end I'd say no. That's basically trying to treat the symptoms while completely ignoring the underlying problem. It's like dumping cold water on someone who has a systemic infection because they're running a fever. You're treating the symptom, but you're not doing anything about the infection.

A fat tax is not going to help solve our obesity epidemic. A fat tax is not going to lower health insurance premiums. It's not going to eliminate easy access to the abundance of cheap, affordable, processed and fast foods, nor is it going to decrease the price of or increase access to fruits, vegetables, non-processed meats or organic food especially in rural, urban, and lower income areas. And it sure as hell isn't going to put more money into the pockets of the average American.

Incentives and education regarding nutrition and losing weight IMO would be far more effective than just punishing overweight individuals. Especially since there are plenty of people in this country who engage in unhealthy habits that contribute to our healthcare costs, yet just happen to not be overweight.

Now granted, I've seen far more people make excuses for being overweight than admitting that there are things they could do to lose weight. But like I said, I don't think taxing them and engaging in even more fat shaming is going to encourage them to lose the weight or solve the problem.

Americans continue to get fatter and at this rate the vast majority of us will be overweight/obese in a few decades. Taxes or no taxes.

 

Excellent point. The list goes on and on of dangerous behaviors that could predispose you to more ills.

 

Well said rep coming

 

Airlines are private entities but they do charge for two seats if you are over so much in weight.
But they also throw babies in the ghetto.

I think to make this work youd have to start at the ground and go from there. Why for example doless commercially processed cuts of meat cost 4 times as much as stuff that's loaded with hormones and antibiotics which ultimately drive up the price of producing it?
Mainland eggs you can get on sale for 3.50. But free range, grown here not flown here eggs from chickens in mountain view that eat mostly local grown centipedes are almost 7 dollars for the same dozen.

It's great that people want other people to pay more in taxes bc they might drop dead sooner, but for a poor local Samoan on food stamps that comes in at 67% fat bmi it's going to be really harsh for them to pay 8 bucks for a pack of heathy eggs plus an additional so much in taxes until they can meet the governments ideal weight.

 

correct, they were discussing it here, too. Overweight people should pay more for their health insurance..I don't think it's ok, we are all people, some drink, some have risky or unhealthy jobs, some are overweight, some are sick earlier,some later...but most of us get old. The system that the young healthy people pay for the older and unhealthy ones is ok for me. If we don't have a deadly accident, we will all be in that situation sometimes.

If you want to live a healthy life, you can be part of costless programs (i.e. gym)

The most important for me is to bring people together, not to separate them

Our(Germany) medical system has problems, because of the costs of the high and expensive techniques and the possiblity to use them and that the people become older and older, plus the costs of our bureaucracy..

 

The list may go on and on but the reality of the cost shouldn't be ignored. 200 billion a year? That's insane. I don't think drinkers and loggers cost us that much per year. Any solutions ladies?

 

200 billion????? Nothing in this world cost that much. There's like 7+ billion in the world. That's like 28 bill for each person.
The rich get richer and the mid/poor get fucked and left dripping.

 

Ladies??




Why you think only ladies need a solution?? Like ummm........only ladies are fat. Uhhh.........and well more guys have replied so it can't be that either so....that is quite an odd thing to put on your question.

 

Fast typing. ladies and gents

 

Nice save. ;0)

 

lmao...you two crack me up