Fat tax?

---

so.. some idiot is trying to pass a fat tax.I personally find it retarded to tax "fattening foods" like "candy, soda, and fattening foods" in general. The first reason being if I want to quite literally kill myself by over dosing on caffine and sugar then I damn well have the right to kill myself in that fashion. If I want to be a fat slob and live unhealthily then I damn well have that right as well. If I want to be healthy and inshape or even healthy and out of shape its also my right. If a women can kill her unborn child without reason. (Not saying many don't have reasons.. however, they can abort without reason). then I should have the god given right to be fat since it is my body and I should not be descriminated against because by having fattening foods cost more then regular foods.With that being my first issue. My second issue is rather simple. In many cases things which have tremendous health benefits are really on the rather fattening side. Whole milk anyone? 8 or more grams per cup you say? (don't remember excate I just know it was quite a bit considering how much milk I use to drink before I got a job).So how can you realistically label "fattening foods" vs "snack foods". and tax fairly? You can't!.So what are your thoughts on a fat tax? Personally I am all for educating people on how to be healthy however, I am against forcing anyone to do anything. I might not like what they do/don't do. However, thats not really my business.

I'm all for it. The way it's going healthy food is becoming more and more expensive, mainly due to new and improved preservation techniques which rob foods of any nutritional value.

Price does make a huge difference. Fresh food has to be bought and prepared daily, it costs a lot more than that McFat burger that is mass factory produced, stored and shipped off around the country.

I think for those people who struggle with money it should be their choice what they wish to eat, not have it made for them by what's cheapest.

> I think for those people who struggle with money it should be their choice what they wish to eat, not have it made for them by what's cheapest.

And you think adding another tax, therefore making all cheap food more expensive, is going to help poor people how exactly?

The price of fresh food will not change all that much and it's not ridiculously expensive. If they've managed so far, they'll continue to do so*. Giving them a cheap, but unhealthy option pretty much forces them to go down that road.

One could also argue that they'll suffer more in the end when their health rapidly decreases, causing them to work less effective, do poorly in school, and pay more in medical bills.

Hopefully some of those tax dollars will go into educating people further about healthy options, or even towards the farmers whose produce goes towards healthy the products. Allowing them to lower their prices, and ultimately dropping supermarket prices. Might not be much, but it'd help.

* America is very different when it comes to being homeless/unemployed, and recieving benefits. I'm thinking of Australia here.

On the surface it may seem like a good idea, but they'll find a way to booger it up and abuse it for their own selfish purposes...so in the long run, we're better off without it.

Meh I can agree cigerette taxes are stupid. It doesn't stop my parents from killin their lungs. My parents are too weak to quit.

Muscle cars..I can agree its stupid to tax them.

I however, do think my point stands valid. Milk is pretty fattening. Like real fattening. Even if it is essentially healthy.. Its still a fattening food. So then should it be taxed?

Fried food is unhealthy but, how are they going to know what I'm going to do with that chicken once i get it home?

My point is there is a good bit of "healthy food" that is fattening.

I also hate to say it but, you have to look at it from a realistic point. While some people might be more compelled to buy healthy foods if they cost the same as unhealthy foods. Your average person isn't going to be that moved. From a theoretical point of view yes it makes sense that if two substances cost the same amount of cash people will go for the healthier substance.

However, You have to keep in mind that theory and real world practicality are two entirely different subjects. Price isn't going to inspire people to become healthy. I work at a whole foods market and I assure you I'm not going to go to lunch and look at my options and go "wrap.... or fattening alternative". I just want to get my wrap and a candy bar for lunch and be done with it.

Also I guess I should throw this out there. Food stamps kinda negate the cost of any "fat tax" going to be implied. We have people come in and buy food all the time.. SOme of its healthy some of its not. And when I say alot of it.. I mean.. alllooottt The irony is when they pay with foodstamps.. they usually end up buying just as much crappy food as they do good food.

If price is really the issue (which it isn't) then why not find a way to lower the cost of healthy food? The only reason I can think of not to find a way to lower the cost of healthy foods is because then no one makes any money. I should probably also throw this out there. I am not excately a fan of the guy who sued mcdonalds because he got fat eating there.

Um, is it possible for you to provide a link to where ever you heard this news from? To make it fair, we heard your side but I would like to know the reason why they are planning on this tax.

I'll see what I can find. I herd it over the radio. The story I got was pretty generic. "to deter people from buying fattening foods a fat tax has been proposed"

Edit. here is one link.
http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2006/01/11/hscout530229.html