NEWS: Would You Support a "Fat Tax"?

CULTURE: Would You Support a "Fat Tax"?

Let's face it: Americans love to eat crap. And a decade-old "fat tax" idea is once again stirring up controversy.

Makes sense right? After all, we already have taxes on other items deemed "unhealthy" by the government, such as cigarettes and booze.

But the Twinkie tax has some major flaws:

Chew on that next time you order your Nachos Grande.

I don't see what this would do.

just as booze and cigs, if people want them, they'll get them/eat them regardless of any extra tax(es).

besides what do they constitute as "healthy"? Those heads of lettice or gallons of milk that have tons of pesticides and growth hormones and shit in them?

If they really want to push americans to eating healthier then they need to push organic foods, not that toxic dribble that lines our grocery stores now

And hopefully make it affordable to 99% of the country. I had a friend who said "Sure, I'd eat organic every day, if I was a millionaire."

Organic is nice, but categorizing foods as either organic or toxic dribble is silly. Some non-organic foods are significantly healthier than others. It's not like "well I can't get organic, so cheesy-poofs are just as good as a fresh salad"

Lettuce has tons of pesticides? Any idea where you got that from?

whfoods


[Edited on Jan 17, 2006 by GramNegative]

go for it

Silly, silly goverment. Look how it says it wants to help us, but in reality it needs to go a diet, not eat more of our money.

I think in principle its a good idea however it would never work. As jmajor said - if you want it you will pay for it. And I feel people wouldn't support the increase in tax on "unhealthy" products unless it was guaranteed that this extra funding did go towards obesity-prevention programmes or something similar. If all it will do is cover other deficits the government have due to their inability to juggle numbers then I think you will find public opinion against the tax increase.

Why not put that 10% tax on fatty, processed foods and then use that as a subsidy on healthy foods, to make ther healtheir stuff cheaper?

I don't know if I would ever be for it. The only way that I would be totally against it, is if all taxes went towards things like obesity prevention programs, making healthy food cheaper, and encouraging healthyness in other ways. Also educating people about what's healthy/unhealthy and why.

I just moved back to America in the last month from Africa...

The Return culture shock was all of the FAT FUCKING PEOPLE....


I say tax them just because they're fat and lazy. Set the standard to like 60lbs over weight is taxable. We will still make a killing. The US is super full of huge fatties.... I didn't notice it that much until I lived in Ethiopia and Djibouti for so long. Coming home, it just sticks out like crazy

Totally agree. That would be worth the extra cash. It's not like all my cig taxes go to anti-smoking campaigns or smoker health care.

they're talking about taxing the food. not people.

"Organic" practices are no panacea. If I remember correctly, "organic" practices in feeding cows likely played a role in the the propogation of BSE in the UK. Reprocessing sewer waste and using it as fertilizer - despite concentrations of metals and other toxins, is also considered organic.

But more to the point - I despise sin taxes, as the the funds really aren't linked to the harm caused by the sin. For instance, I don't smoke, but it drives me nuts when they up the cigarrette taxes to pay for school programs or a new football stadium.

Go straight to it...

It was a joke...



Eating healthy is expensive though, I spend a lot more when I shop at Earthfare

[Edited on Jan 17, 2006 by Distra]

Ever been to Poland, it's way nicer than you'd think. they have no "Fat Tax". Denmark is lovely there's a stable democracy / monarchy that I hear has some really progressive social ideas ... no fat tax though. Um... lets see, Finland i believe has the highest number of women in government and really great social policies as well, free child care, abortion is legal, but they have no fat tax.

Maybe it's time to stop trying to legislate everything. Law can only go so far. Look at criminal law for example, Socially speaking is it more effective to have some kind of "morality" or will "fear of punishment" do just as well?

Just because you tax something doesn't cure a society that forgot how to feed itself properly.

Agreed.

Healthy food woiuld STILL be expensive

Crap food would just cost more


No win situation for the people, but the Govie gets the pay off

A fat tax would really help to create a reason for overweight people to lose weight. Too bad there aren't any now, right?

Why would money motivate where the desire for good health and the desire to fit in have failed?

Great points.

Only if we could also institute a stupid tax.

We'd see most of the membership base here drop off dramatically, as they couldn't afford the nine bucks a month anymore.

Worst. backpedal. ever.

I'm serious about the Stupid Tax. I wonder which is more harmful to a nation: stupid people or fat people. I know where my money would go. Imagine what a better country this would be if everyone had a basic understanding of civics and government, grammar and composition, and logic.

We already have the lottery. And a good chunk of it goes towards education.

Hey, desperation doesn't always equal stupidity. A lot of people out there are just looking for a way out.