Death, Taxes, and Fat People

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Why do people believe that "taxing fatty foods" means that you can't reduce the tax on healthier food at the same time?

I think it's crazy that we here in Europe pay tax on essential foods (lettuce and so on) at all. In Ontario, which has to be one of the higher taxed provinces in Canada, the tax on essentials is - wait for it - 0%.

[HoreTore]

I think it's crazy that we here in Europe pay tax on essential foods (lettuce and so on) at all. In Ontario, which has to be one of the higher taxed provinces in Canada, the tax on essentials is - wait for it - 0%.

Indeed, a discussion on how to tax is very different from how much to tax.

[Beskar]

I think it's crazy that we here in Europe pay tax on essential foods (lettuce and so on) at all. In Ontario, which has to be one of the higher taxed provinces in Canada, the tax on essentials is - wait for it - 0%.

Don't brand Europe like that, in the UK, we don't pay tax on food like that. It's basically just your areas.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Why do people believe that "taxing fatty foods" means that you can't reduce the tax on healthier food at the same time?

Hah, ever know of a tax that a consensus of politicians is willing to repeal in a timely manner?

[HoreTore]

Hah, ever know of a tax that a consensus of politicians is willing to repeal in a timely manner?

Taxes are reduced, increased, invented and removed all the time, regardless of who's in charge.

[seireikhaan]

What, you think I was kidding with this?

If we are going to go socialist on the health care in this country, we may as well go all out. Yearly physicals/check-ups, which includes a certified fitness test. If you are rich and don't care, let yourself go. If you want to keep a few hundred bucks from Uncle Sam, make sure you (and your kids) don't get into the obese category. Pushups, situps, pullups, timed runs, etc. Think old-school Presidential Physical Fitness Test, but with money on the line.

Putting a tax on fatty/sugary foods will not solve the problem and is inherently unfair. Some people stay in shape regardless of their food choices. Creating a tax scheme for "unhealthy" foods would be a mess, and would be rife for abuse by special interests.

The issue i see with the proposed plan would be logistics. When do people take this test? Do they all take it near tax time? Do we have enough registered doctors for this purpose? What benchmarks are being used as "healthy"? Weight, BMI, cholesterol levels, blood sugar, how fast/long you can run?

Frankly, the tax seems more reasonable, in my opinion. Plus, it is more budget friendly, can be used to help pay for health care 'reform'(whatever that ends up being ), and should theoretically bend demand for unhealthy foods down. And for all the complaints I hear about how expensive healthy food is, when I go to the grocery store, I frankly fail to see how exactly it is unreasonably expensive. Keeping in mind, how much you eat is just as, if not more, important than what you eat.

[HoreTore]

Frankly, the tax seems more reasonable, in my opinion. Plus, it is more budget friendly, can be used to help pay for health care 'reform'(whatever that ends up being ), and should theoretically bend demand for unhealthy foods down. And for all the complaints I hear about how expensive healthy food is, when I go to the grocery store, I frankly fail to see how exactly it is unreasonably expensive. Keeping in mind, how much you eat is just as, if not more, important than what you eat.

A few of examples from this side of the pond:

- Pizza grandiosa. Frozen pizza, probably the cheapest dinner around, there's a reason why it's the unofficial national dish. It costs around 30 NOK, and it's enough for two people. And it ain't healthy at all...
- My favourite meal is entrecote with rice and sauce. That costs me around 60 NOK I think. However, that's without any veggies... So, to make that meal go from not too healthy(well, it's healthy to me...) to a healthy one, you would add some veggies. Which would make it more expensive.
- A bacon and cheese hot dog at Shell costs 44 NOK. A salad costs 57 NOK.

[seireikhaan]

A few of examples from this side of the pond:

- Pizza grandiosa. Frozen pizza, probably the cheapest dinner around, there's a reason why it's the unofficial national dish. It costs around 30 NOK, and it's enough for two people. And it ain't healthy at all...
- My favourite meal is entrecote with rice and sauce. That costs me around 60 NOK I think. However, that's without any veggies... So, to make that meal go from not too healthy(well, it's healthy to me...) to a healthy one, you would add some veggies. Which would make it more expensive.
- A bacon and cheese hot dog at Shell costs 44 NOK. A salad costs 57 NOK.

You've confused my statement, I believe. Yes, many unhealthy foods are very, very inexpensive. This does not make healthy foods crushingly expensive, it only makes it more expensive by comparison.

[HoreTore]

You've confused my statement, I believe. Yes, many unhealthy foods are very, very inexpensive. This does not make healthy foods crushingly expensive, it only makes it more expensive by comparison.

For us with money, yes.

For people who are counting every cent, then this becomes an issue.

I'm doing fine, I eat healthy and have no problem doing so with my income. Should I get a kid, however, my diet would be drastically less healthy.

[seireikhaan]

For us with money, yes.

For people who are counting every cent, then this becomes an issue.

I'm doing fine, I eat healthy and have no problem doing so with my income. Should I get a kid, however, my diet would be drastically less healthy.

Us? I haven't money. I'm in college and survive on cafeteria food and ramen.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Don't brand Europe like that, in the UK, we don't pay tax on food like that. It's basically just your areas.

The UK isn't on continental Europe.