The number of fat or indeed obese people is now endemic! I cannot understand how people can let themselves get to such a state. I cannot understand how these people cannot be ashamed to eat in public considering their size. I think that those people who are obese should not be allowed treatment under the NHS just as many have suggested of smokers. Lets' face it, the majority of the underclass is overweight/obese and it is that section of society which is breaking the NHS.
2007-12-14 07:59:10 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Civic Participation
Sounds like the food police are coming...
2007-12-14 08:01:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, I don't think you get the point! FAT is cheap it is a by product and the food companies can't get rid of it... SO..
They use it in cheap foods as a "filler" and to provide energy. instead of more suitable foods.
SO.. If you are on a budget and can't afford quality food you are CONDEMNED to eat high quantities of fat wether you want to or not...
SO.. supermarkets who market budget brands put tenders out and as such the weigh off is between quality and quantity.
It isn't uncommon to eat a diet high in fat; Inuit, Nomads and other indiginous people eat a high proportion of food that is high in fat, surely it is a matter of lifestyle. Families on a breadline even in my youth ( mid forties) ate bread and dripping as a main meal ( me included) I'm not obese because I ate a diet of pure fat then; but an accident and broken ribs reduced my mobility for nearly a year and even eating a diet of raw foods and low fat foods I have put on weight..Returning to exercise has started reducing this "excess".
If your question was should we tax convenience foods? Then again your taxation would target a very high proportion of the population, most on or near the poverty line. Turkey breast costs as much as steak, but Turkey twizlers with over 40% fat are a £1.00 a kilo and will feed the hungry.
So in short by taxing high fat foods you are taxing those below the poverty line and not having an effect on obesity.
your questionmight be better phrased as ! Should we tax VENDORS of Fast food / take-aways with a high fat content?
THen there would be a revolution
2007-12-14 08:34:36 · answer #2 · answered by Philip P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is an interesting question. I am interested in seeing your answers. I think that food is a little different than cigs or alcohol. People need food to survive. We can live without cigs or alcohol. But it is a good thought...give people the healthier food at more reasonable costs and charge more for the foods that reek havoc on the body. Right not it is just the opposite. You can buy junk that will clog your arteries all day long but you have to pay out the wazoo for foods that are good for you. Kind of backward, isn't it?
2016-04-09 03:18:39 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
And next we'll come after YOUR bad habits!!
Beyond that, few people have any clue at all what is really driving up the cost of healthcare. But here's a clue: it's not smokers and fat people.
In fact, it is the demand for all the latest technology, testing, and every other conceivable medical practice that might extend a person's life for another five minutes. Combine that with longer than ever life expectancy, and you have the formula for very expensive healthcare. And, oh yeah, don't forget about the cost of malpractice insurance. (Thank to people like John Edwards.)
By the way, it is a fact that the longer you live, the more you will spend on healthcare. Ironically, and this is proven, healthy people who live long lives will spend far more on healthcare than smokers and fat people who die young.
2007-12-14 10:07:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No! No! No! Absolutely not!
The nanny state in this country cannot be allowed any more power!
The real answer to your question is contained in your second sentence - "I cannot understand how people can let themselves...".
The thing is, people must be allowed to let themselves mess up, (or get fat in this case), and then take their *own* action to rectify the situation. If the nanny state comes along to stop you doing anything even slightly harmful, then people won't ever learn.
Yes, educate people, yes, put nutritional information on food. But for heaven's sake allow people the freedom to make their own choices.
2007-12-14 08:12:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why do you care if they are fat? Maybe for you we can have an ugly, stupid a?#hole tax. I mean how can people be so worthless like you and not be taxed for it? Maybe when the gestapo break the doors down you will be the first to go. Some people have real health problems like thyroidism etc. So why don't you do a little research on subjects before flapping your ignorant head?
2007-12-14 16:02:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could help but it will be another tax. We could prefer to give tax incentives to those keeping a healthy weight if this action is constitutionally legal and not considered discriminating or too complicated to manage. Continuous education campaigns in all the media made available to all the population could be of great help.
2007-12-14 08:20:14 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The purpose of a tax is to support a government, not to punish or modify behavior. To use it as such is a violation of due process of the law.
2007-12-14 12:22:30 · answer #8 · answered by joseph b 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes,the concerned officials should tax high fat food to control obesity.
2007-12-14 22:51:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How would you define high fat ?
Healthy Olive Oil 100% fat Butter 82% fat
Fillet Steak little fat, Belly Pork lots of fat
2007-12-14 08:13:37 · answer #10 · answered by Fred3663 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, food should not be taxed higher. Why should people suffer financially for the sake of the ones who binge-eat?
2007-12-15 10:13:31 · answer #11 · answered by Catwhiskers 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋