Denmark introduces fat tax

[mashman]

I can't wait to see the results in a couple of yeas. At this stage, with obesity looming as the developed world's number 1 health problem, I'm supporting the tax.

There is a huge amount of money being poured into marketing of high fat foods to encourage people to eat more and more of it - and despite many people knowing that eating huge quantities of saturated fats is really bad to their health - they can't resist. Financial "penalties" sends a strong message.

Education campaigns have been tried in the past, and haven't worked. I don't know what other options really exist.

If the problem with obesity was not so big, and the effect of people's health was not so severe, and the cost of the healthcare on the public system was not so big I would not support this tax. People should have a right to choose to live their life the way they want to without interference from the state. But in this case, I don't really believe that obese people with severe health problems really do want to live the life they do, and that a large part of the problem has been created by external influences (aka, fast food manufacturers with big marketing budgets) - and not (this bit is important) through the freedom of their own choice.

So if private industry markets to remove this freedom of choice, and it is to such a large extent that it is harmful to the people, then it is time for the state to step in.

Tough call, I know.

Those people that don't eat large amounts of saturated fat foods wont be that affected. It is a simple user pays tax.

All true. But it has been known for quite some time that certain things are bad for us, yet advertising standards have only ever removed 1 thing from the advertising/sponsorship space, and that's smoking... something that Education has had a massive affect on (not so much taxation imho), so saying that Education doesn't work, really isn't true. Perhaps the how or when or by whom we are educated is more important than actually having the knowledge? As you say, tis our choice...

The huge flaw in your argument, ok huge flaw may be considered an exaggeration, but... why hasn't advertising/marketing been banned in it's entirity, if it's such a killer?

All they're doing is making food more expensive. How are they going to collect the tax? It's going to be an administrative nightmare and they thought that the classification of food for variable GST purposes was gonna be hard... It's more profit for the food industry, nothing to do with saving lives. Tacking on a user pays taxation is just another way of washing ones hands of the "problem", where nothing will change other than the cost of living rising even further. It's a pathetic joke.

[SPman]

A lot of the things that are said to be bad for us, actually aren't, and many "good" things, are not, also. A refined grain high carbohydrate, low fat diet with lots of refined sugar in it is very effective at killing people - or making them so fat and diabetic they wished they were dead. Add to that, deep frying and cooking using hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats (Trans fats), and you've got a recipe for disaster. A lot of the "low fat" food around, does nothing at all for your health - quite the reverse, in fact!

[Brian d marge]

lunch today, grilled herring ..... a herring .....in a peanut sauce, , a bowl of rice, ahhhsooo,,,,,steamed spinach, and pickled ginger, washed down with 2 glasses of red, and ...maybe coffee, ...or cocoa, .....or a nice cup of tea.....

pretty much an average sort of lunch, .....Now I have to have a free health check , so I had a CT scan yesterday ....yukki poos
lots of visceral fat, a bmi of 25.6 , and when I asked the doc for any good news, , he was silent,,,,,,
crap, crap and crap again
then only thing I. an cut down on is me drinking, I can't do that as is me hobby and one of the few pleasures left in life, ( bike will be ready next year) ...so I can't cut down on that

basket doctors, next to lawyers ........ never give you any good news .....

I'm all for the tax, as long as bacon, cheap red wine, deep fried mars bars, Scottish single malts,
stones best bitter, tea my grandmothers dinners, anchovies, escargo, and well all form of see food
and curly whirlys
all remain tax free

stephen

[MD]

This annoys me.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/heal...care-for-obese

Fat people suck up more of our health taxes. Enough! Time for some tough love and User pays. If they decide to eat themselves until they resemble a blotted beached whale, then they pay extra for hospital care.

Why should the rest of us fork out more money to provide a $30,000 purpose built 'fatty bed'
Real sick people need specialist care too. Don't spend my tax dollar on self inflicted blubba slobs.

[Usarka]

I spent a bit of time in hospital a couple of years ago. They have special sized wheelchairs (over 3x normal width), beds, lifters (like a forklift) for these huge fuckers. If you want to eat so much that you need a hoist to lift you then buy your own fucking crown, preferably not for picking you up but for putting you down.

Hic.

[Kickaha]

Fat people suck up more of our health taxes. Enough! Time for some tough love and User pay. They decide to eat themselves until they resemble a blotted beached whale then they pay extra for hospital care.

Very simplistic view, but if you're going for user pays then apply that to anyone who fucks themselves up while under the influence of alcohol

[Zedder]

Glad to see you bring facts into the discussion at last

If it looks like crap etc, then it's probably crap.

[Usarka]

Very simplistic view, but if you're going for user pays then apply that to anyone who fucks themselves up while under the influence of alcohol

Fucking yourself up on booze can be a one off stupid decision that lands you in hospital.

You can't end up at 180kg because one day you ate too many pies and then decided to bomb into the swimming pool from teh second floor.

[Scuba_Steve]

Fat people suck up more of our health taxes. Enough! Time for some tough love and User pays. If they decide to eat themselves until they resemble a blotted beached whale, then they pay extra for hospital care.

Yea and why we're at it we should jack up bike fees again to something horrendous, if those bikers want to ride something potentially dangerous instead of driving a safe cage like everyone else, they should pay extra for hospital care.

[Kickaha]

Fucking yourself up on booze can be a one off stupid decision that lands you in hospital.

Or it can be from people who continually abuse it much the same as some (probably the majority) of obese people "abuse" food

You can't end up at 180kg because one day you ate too many pies and then decided to bomb into the swimming pool from teh second floor.

Are you sure, can you show us the medical research that rules that out as a cause?

There are medical conditions that can cause it as well though

[mashman]

Of the 3 friends I know that take pills to manage their collesterol, all eat reasonably well/healthily (one drinks Vodka and Diet Coke... fuckin girls blouse), 2 exercise like it's going out of fashion and the third is just a normal middle aged guy with a beer gut (as are most of the overweight folk I know)... Go figure.

Instead of buying what looks like seriously expensive equipment, why not offer free lipo before they hit the operating table? Potentially offering them a "new start"... Wonder which would cost more?

[Ocean1]

There are medical conditions that can cause it as well though

Serves them right for not choosing their parents more carefully.

[Kickaha]

Instead of buying what looks like seriously expensive equipment, why not offer free lipo before they hit the operating table? Potentially offering them a "new start"... Wonder which would cost more?

It has already been shown that gastric bypass earlier on is less expensive than the medical treatment they will need later in life

[mashman]

It has already been shown that gastric bypass earlier on is less expensive than the medical treatment they will need later in life

heh, wonder why they wouldn't implement such a thing if it works and is cheaper, or at least offer the "service" (do they?)... taking up too much doctoring time perhaps.

[Ocean1]

heh, wonder why they wouldn't implement such a thing if it works and is cheaper..

They do. If they can be convinced the recipient won't compromise the success of the operation by continuing to eat for six.