Fat Tax

[Killface]

It's a well thought out plan David, but It's just not gonna work out. Like Smith said.

Good imagination and thinking though.

 

[Sonic the Vampire]

I might be wrong but my understanding is that the majority of obese people are obese because of personal decisions every day, and it is the slim minority that actually applies to the "I have fat genes" theory. It's technically true that there are one or two disorders that lower metabolism or increase hunger but are they really so widespread that we can justify having the fattest country in the world (US)? Unless we are injecting those genes into our hamburgers it's a personal choice, and obecity doesn't do the world any good. Ever noticed how obese parents tend to raise obese children? It's a lifestyle people can avoid, and with so much cheap food all around us it might take an extra effort to go ahead and not buy the cheeseburger, but it's plausible.

I do not like living in fatland! Taxing people based on poor personal choices has occured with ciggarettes, and although I'm not a huge fan of the idea of charging these people extra, if they can afford to pay for extra calories, they can afford the tax.

 

[Killface]

Well some people are fat due to medical conditions or a super slow metabolism... those kinds of people shouldn't be taxed.

But the ones that are eating 24/7 should be taxed like.... hmm.... like a **** load. Them people piss me off.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Overweight is a relative term.

If everyone was overweight... no one would be.

Dun dun dunnnnnnnn

 

[SailorAlea]

Dave did.



I just gave another idea, perhaps just as bad.



Well, I do know that some inventions which are very handy at the moment are made, by the same technology that are used in space industry.

But all that feull that is spent on going for one trip to the moon? c'mon, its ridiculous. (from my point of view).

Most of the fuel is spent getting the spaceship out of Earth's atmosphere. It doesn't take much fuel for travel in space.

As for the 'ridiculous amount of money,' only a tiny fraction of the U.S. budget is spent on space exploration.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Why has this conversation deviated to the Space Program?

Back on-topic guys.

 

[SailorAlea]

Conversations often fracture off to surrounding, yet relevant topics.

In this case, it's "good uses for the funds provided by the fat tax in question."

Pay attention!

In any case.. if something like the fat tax came into being, it wouldn't be far off to start taxing people with high blood pressure (salt, etc) or any number of other ailments.

 

[Skiwan]

mkay, so nobody wants to tax the obese how about just adding a tax to unhealthy food? just as bad....?

I know you cant really "level up" the 3rd world, but the hole basis of my idea is well, developing nations seem to be having a problem with obesity, while other countries are starving to death... i just think there's surely a way to balance the problem..

 

[donnierisk]

I actually like the original idea, I always see hungry ppl in the streets of South Africa, almost everywhere, some people are even blind, I really want to help them, but I don't have money, I always think of it for a while after, this would really help those ppl out.

And besides the people will be lying if they give a skinny person something to buy for them, and that's bad.

so yeah, and sorry if I'm a bit off topic, I only read the first few posts, too tired for all of them.

 

[sub]

Charging people for unhealthy foods isn't as bad.

Dave for President!

 

[SaiyanPrideXIX]

Something I've noticed with you is that you're more than happy (hell, you complain about peopole who aren't happy to) to spend vast amounts of money if it all goes to yourself (computer for vista and WoW) but if any of the money, even a little, goes towards helping solve starvation then all of a sudden you're complaining about spending money. Guess it shows how much you give a damn about other people. Being ugly or having crooked teeth are not health problems. Being overweight is. This helps people not be overweight. Could probably do with a little work but it doesn't seem too bad overall.

I give a huge damn about other people. I wasn't complaining about the money, dude--I was complaining about how it is unfair to impose taxes on people for their personal appearance or level of general health. The money is irrelevant.

Someone earlier claimed that smoking is taxed and that it is similar in that people are taxed for destroying their own bodies but that is a little off the mark; the cigarettes are taxed, not the smoking. You don't have to go put money in a smoking zone meter every time you smoke. By this logic, this idea is already in place, as all previously prepared food is taxed (at least in my state, anyway).

As for me personally and giving money...you couldn't be further from the truth. I have a friend who is dirt poor, both his parents died--the computer I'm buying, I'm actually opting for a lesser vid card so that I can go buy a better one once it arrives and throw it in, and swap out the other nearly top end one for my poor friend, cause his computer sucks. I just bought my father an $800 dollar replica of his favorite guitar, a 79 les paul custom, that he had to sell when I was born to make ends meet. I bought my ex-girlfriend a 200 dollar ipod the same weekend, cause she has to walk really far to work and has nothing to do while she does (it was her birthday). I've owned 4 TVs--3 of them have been given to friends. And I bought all of these gifts this month in lieu of fixing my smashed up brand new car, because I wanted all this **** to fly for their birthdays+father's day. In fact when I just read this I just spent another couple hundred bucks on tickets for a Godsmack/Rob Zombie show at the Tweeter Center--which I will also be driving everyone to.

I spent 1200 dollars this past saturday on other people, and none on myself. I put off the computer and the car. Why do you think I did that? Yep, because I hate spending money on other people?

Way I see it, rich people should be frigging giving their excess money to the country or the needy anyway. You shouldn't have to trick us or force us into it. I don't know about you guys from places like Belgium, or Holland, or wherever else folks around here are from, but that's not what America's all about. You don't charge people for being fat--it's their right to be however they want.

Besides. If we had stayed democratic in the government this country of mine wouldn't be in the financial dumper the way it is.

 

[ZeroNightmare]

lol? and send it to other countries?!?!?!

i thought it was about punishing fat ass people and charging them more for food. ah ha ha. yea...

 

[Skiwan]

Btw, I already stated how maybe taxing people depending on individual obesity may be a bad Idea (even though imo it'd be helping them out, a little kick in the nuts to show them what they should be eating if they thought about the excess ammount of money they spend on food), but if you put taxes on unhealthy food, it'd be pretty much just the same thing but fair on everyone.

I understand what you mean about "we shouldnt give excess money to the needy, they should get out of poverty themselves" but when the governing bodies of the entire world thrive on the fact that there are these countries starving and that they can exploit them for their own gain then I think we're just as responsible for their situation as in our own countries. At what point did caring about the human race get segregated into "lets care about this part of the world, thats all that matters, because I get the most benefit from it"?

I was gonna rant on more about how I think global situations like this should be sorted out, but I think people wud jump on my idealism because they like how segregated the world is. Personally, I'd sacrifice my quality of life for a more prosperous future of the human race.

I think this topic is getting a little too into the nitty gritty aspects of politics, if a mod wishes to close it go ahead, I just want people to realise, I started the thread for the matter to be treated lightly and create some awareness. I just like new ways of thinking, and i just wanted to encourage it.

 

[Fire Phoenix]

I'll admit JP has a point. I can eat McDonalds all day long 21 times a week, and I'd still be the skinny little ***** that I am.

But I won't lie to you, 9 times out of 10, when a fat person comes up to me in the deli in Safeway, they ask for a **** load of fried chicken =/

That's not a lie either. When I worked at McDonalds, there was this one guy, he must have been at LEAST 300 pounds, he ordered mcdonalds every night. And I felt bad for him =/

Now don't get me wrong, a lot of skinny people order the same thing, and they're not fat (obviously) I'm just saying, the overweight people could deffinately change their diet and physical excercise to help them get more healthy.

 

[Chakra-X]

I do not like living in fatland!

Sonic...Man....:yes::yes:

Well I like the purpose of it, but it's a bit unfair for everyone, because a lot of things that taste good aren't the most healthy of foods. Why not offer much cheaper, healthier substitutes? So if they are fat AND not financially stable, they will be encouraged to buy healthier or things. But if we are talking about ideas here...

Scientists need to make alternate versions of vegetables. All tasting like chicken. All the benefits of vegetables and only the taste of chicken :yes:

 

[Tassadar]

Well the idea would be one way to drain the remaining powers of the U.S. (ba dun *ting*).
But seriously, I have a right to be fat. Hell, it's my constitutional right to be fat. And it's not my obligation to spread food all over the world as an American. Freedom and democracy maybe, but not food, hell once the governments in Africa become stable maybe we'll move some McDonalds' over there. Until then it's not my problem. Anyway all those starving kids in Africa should've been born in a Western society. But they won't make that mistake again, BWAHAH! /sarcasm

But seriously, a fat tax is just plain mean. It's singling out a group of people for (some people) something they can't control. One of my best friends weighs 400 pounds, exercises and has taken Martial Arts classes every day the passed year. AND he eats healthy. He's yet to lose a single pound. I'm not saying I can't control my weight, I can, I'm just a lazy *******. But I argue it's my constitutional right to be a lazy *******. A law like this would survive for no longer 30 minutes in the U.S. It would be struck down by the Supreme Court as Unconstitutional in a matter of minutes, because it is. Freedom of religion, press, speech, assembly, petition, and the right to be a fatass are all 1st Ammendment guarentees. Seriously, look it up. /extended sarcasm

 

[clen]

For me it's the exact opposite i eat and eat and eat and i actually lose weigh
. Anywho fat tax might not work but taxing unhealthy food might.

 

[Devion]

It's simply not doable, furthermore people themselves should decide how they live.
As SaiyanPride said; It's your own right to become fat.

Should we start paying extra to health care because I drive to my work everyday, because I COULD be in a car accident?
Should I pay extra to health care because I smoke?

No, the only thing you can do is raise taxes on certain products.

But it still stay the people's own choice on how they live and you are practically restricting them to eat unhealthy food.

And also, let's not forget some people tend to be fat faster then other people.

 

[Deman]

All I have to say is this: The government is neither and should never be mine, yours, or his babysitter. If you're obese, you have to deal with social stigma as well as health problems, taxing would only make self esteem problems even worse.

 

[Hitokiri]

Eh, a tax like that wouldn't really work. It's as simple as this: the cheapest food in our country is the worst for you. That's why so many of our poor people can actually be obese; they eat what they can afford, and what they can afford isn't stale bread or something... it's the Whopper Jr.

Chances are if you're obese, even if you aren't poor, you just aren't eating right. And generally that means you're eating the cheap, toxic stuff.