http://news.yahoo.com/beating-butter-denmark-imposes-worlds-first-fat-tax-075500822.html Personally we need a fat tax here in America, it's sad to see how many people divulge into food and abuse it.
If I choose to eat like a fat pig and die that's my choice, its similar to cigarettes. You may not like it but you shouldn't punish those who choose to. Fat tax = bad
Well Japan makes your company pay more if any of your employees are "overweight." They get music to play through the loudspeakers at a certain time so they can dance/exercise. Anyway these countries are headed in the right direction. We are all going to become too fat/lazy, so this is a good thing. Lolfukuzephyr
Maybe then it will become sort of like old times, way back when. Only the wealthy were fat, because only they could afford all the yummy stuff. I'm a bit biased since some obese kid, supposedly confined to a wheelchair, got to jump ahead of everyone in line for a ride at Disney. He could walk just fine. Using your weight as an excuse. Asshole. >:l
Yea but he will also never get laid in his life so its his only advantage in life compared to the many disadvantages he has. Plus he's gonna be bullied to shit in school.
^ Pretty much. Or some skinny chick after his money actually bears his child. There'll probably just be more of that around.
You're both being a bit stereotypical aren't you? I can see what Denmark is trying to do and it's actually not a bad idea, however they're taxing the wrong items. Basic groceries shouldn't be taxed and instead items such as chocolate, sugary drinks and other similar items should be taxed. Not only would they get a huge profit from this but the country as a whole would become healthier. Sure Cheese is somewhat fattening, but it also has key nutrients that people need and mixed with other food is actually surprisingly healthy. It makes me wonder if they've gone and went "yep, all fat is bad" which isn't the case. If they redo the law so it affects sweet things and not standard groceries then they'll find that everyone agrees with the idea of it.
Monounsaturated fats are the only healthy ones...polyunsaturated, saturated and trans fats are the ones that need moderation. Also they should raise the price of sugar.
Yes, being healthy is good. But its our own personal responsibility to make sure we are that way. Blaming the fatty foods isnt taking care of the real problem. People will still continue to purchase it regardless of the price. It also begins a slippery slope of what can be taxed because they think so.
Well think of it this way, people will buy less overtime, especially if they are short on cash. Instead of going to the store and picking up several pounds of fatty burgers they might just get like 6 and then ration them out more properly.
Just thought I would say that I didn't read the article. Anyway, I've always thought taxing/making the junk food more expensive was a very good idea. In my Economics class, the subject came up; all the healthy food is more expensive than the junk food because it's what people eat the least. Everyone goes for the sweets and chips and soda, etc. My own family does, and while it IS yummy, I miss having apples and such at the ready rather than chips. :/
Perhaps taxing the food is the wrong way to look at it. If you are rich, you won't be affected, you'll still be fat like the old days. In a society where being fat is rare, being able to tax the fat people directly makes more sense. Then there comes the case of America, where fatness isn't something uncommon. There would be this whole "U GUVMENT CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO EAT YALL R RACIS". Most poor communities rely on fast food to get them through the day because they might not have the tools at home to make decent meals. Our economy would plunge too if we instantly raised fast food prices, rather, all fattening foods. We are too reliant on fat people for our economies sake, however bad it is now, it would be a lot worse if all major fast food companies took a hit. If you are familiar with the fortune 500 companies (500 richest companies in the US) many companies are fattening food based (kraft, pepsi, cocacola etc.) Sadly fatness isn't something that is going to go away in America because our economy is too fragile for us to worry about getting america healthy. In Denmark this can actually work, since they aren't nearly as fat as us, and they are trying to stay like that with this tax. It's a genius idea, for future generations anyway. America spawned fatty foods, that is our cuisine, can't live long with it, can't live in a house without it.
Well, in the old days there wasn't fast food. So people will bitch and wine about it for some time before they realize they can adapt and they should.