Nakor
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Non-Prophet
Posts: 991
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Post by Nakor on May 15, 2010 2:04:14 GMT -5
With cigarettes I think it helps keep some people from starting at least. I doubt even a 100% hike would inflict that on sodas though; the cigarette tax had to be huge before it had any effect.
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Engesa Green once more
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Once upon a time there was a suggestion that we should all write our names on our profile. I'm Ebbe.
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Post by Engesa Green once more on May 15, 2010 8:35:50 GMT -5
I believe that things that make people fat should be taxed, but not because it's not healthy for them, but because it's unhealthy for the healthcare-personel(?) who will have to carry these persons and because a higher percent of the obese persons end up in a hospital then the nonobese, and so that should be covered in their taxes too.
soo... tax of unhealthy food is a good thing.
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Cortney
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[AWD:0c15]The Objectioner
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Post by Cortney on May 15, 2010 8:40:37 GMT -5
Cortney disapproves of this tax. If we want to drink soda, let us drink soda. If we want to be fat, let us be fat. Yes, what we eat affects that, but obesity can also be natural. You will never completely eliminate the problem. America is supposed to be the free country, so let us be fat if we want to.
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Post by Trey on May 15, 2010 8:59:40 GMT -5
Isn't this kinda Hitler territory? xD
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Post by jmejia1187 on May 15, 2010 9:32:38 GMT -5
Cortney disapproves of this tax. If we want to drink soda, let us drink soda. If we want to be fat, let us be fat. Yes, what we eat affects that, but obesity can also be natural. You will never completely eliminate the problem. America is supposed to be the free country, so let us be fat if we want to. I think this is false logic Cortney. The truth is Obesity causes lots of health problems, and there is hardly any money to deal with these problems. Nobody is stopping you from buying soda. Like you said, if you want soda, you still can buy it. Only it will cost more now |
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Cortney
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Post by Cortney on May 15, 2010 9:53:22 GMT -5
It's not the government's job to control my diet. If we have freedom of speech, we can have freedom of food choice as well. I don't see how that is false.
Personally, my pockets are tight. Soda is my preferred beverage, and at the moment, I can afford to buy it. However, this tax would mean I'd probably have to cut back a lot. Is that healthier? Yes. Is it the governments job to force me to be healthy? Hell naw.
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Post by Joey on May 15, 2010 10:16:09 GMT -5
It's not the government's job to control my diet. If we have freedom of speech, we can have freedom of food choice as well. I don't see how that is false. Personally, my pockets are tight. Soda is my preferred beverage, and at the moment, I can afford to buy it. However, this tax would mean I'd probably have to cut back a lot. Is that healthier? Yes. Is it the governments job to force me to be healthy? Hell naw. So would you think there should not be tax on an ipod, because its a free right to not have to pay tax to the goverment? |
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Engesa Green once more
Meteor
Once upon a time there was a suggestion that we should all write our names on our profile. I'm Ebbe.
Posts: 89
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Post by Engesa Green once more on May 15, 2010 11:08:23 GMT -5
I don't think you should think of it as the government trying to make fat people healthier, i think you should think of it as the government finding the money to deal with the obese people's visits on the hospital.
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Post by jmejia1187 on May 15, 2010 11:31:49 GMT -5
It's not the government's job to control my diet. If we have freedom of speech, we can have freedom of food choice as well. I don't see how that is false. Personally, my pockets are tight. Soda is my preferred beverage, and at the moment, I can afford to buy it. However, this tax would mean I'd probably have to cut back a lot. Is that healthier? Yes. Is it the governments job to force me to be healthy? Hell naw. But where is the government controlling your diet? They are simply taxing sugary sodas, to make some profit, and they know it will work because of obesity. I don't see how adding a tax is telling you what to do. Nowhere is the government telling you what to and what not to do. They are just making it a little more expensive to do it. Also this is a NY tax, so most of the U.S. has nothing to worry about |
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Cortney
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Post by Cortney on May 15, 2010 11:38:42 GMT -5
Joey - It's not a matter of the governments right to tax, it's a matter of the government taxing the sodas to discourage purchasing them. I have nothing against taxation. I support it and think it's entirely necessary. @jmejia - Like I said above, it's not the government making profit, it's their attempt at reducing the amount of obese Americans by taxing a good that makes you obese, thus controlling what you consume.
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Post by jmejia1187 on May 15, 2010 11:51:31 GMT -5
Joey - It's not a matter of the governments right to tax, it's a matter of the government taxing the sodas to discourage purchasing them. I have nothing against taxation. I support it and think it's entirely necessary. @jmejia - Like I said above, it's not the government making profit, it's their attempt at reducing the amount of obese Americans by taxing a good that makes you obese, thus controlling what you consume. The government is not going to make a profit. The money goes to helping obese people with medical bills... It is not an attempt at reducing obesity. People will still buy sodas and be fat. Lets help the government make some money to ensure the resources are in place, so when the obese people go to the hospital, they will be taken care of |
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Nakor
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Posts: 991
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Post by Nakor on May 15, 2010 13:27:57 GMT -5
Isn't this kinda Hitler territory? xD Glenn Beck? |
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Post by SkullSnax on May 15, 2010 13:36:41 GMT -5
Honestly, I like it. I think its a great idea.
Im quite a "chunky" guy, and the majority of the reasoning behind that is the kind of food I eat and the stuff that I drink. If people really saw obesity as a problem then doing something like this would work quite well. Increasing prices on high fat foods or similarly lowering prices on low fat foods would mean that parents would buy healthier food for their children, students would buy healthier food for themselves, and adults would think twice before spending alot of money on something that isnt healthy for them.
I think its the kind of move that wouldnt completely assure success, as some people wouldnt care and would just continue their lifestyle. But your average joe who at the end of the day just wants some food in his stomach, would probably take the insentive and go for the cheaper options.
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Post by low on May 15, 2010 14:37:47 GMT -5
Fresh produce should also be cheaper. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms are way more expensive than sugar-loaded beverages and tons of unnecessary bread and cheese all over everything.
Maybe kids should take a class not only on nutrition but on finding food for survival. If the fat ones ever get stranded somewhere without a KFC in their 10th of a mile walking radius, I doubt they'll know which plants to eat.
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Post by Trey on May 15, 2010 15:05:58 GMT -5
Honestly, I like it. I think its a great idea. Im quite a "chunky" guy, and the majority of the reasoning behind that is the kind of food I eat and the stuff that I drink. If people really saw obesity as a problem then doing something like this would work quite well. Increasing prices on high fat foods or similarly lowering prices on low fat foods would mean that parents would buy healthier food for their children, students would buy healthier food for themselves, and adults would think twice before spending alot of money on something that isnt healthy for them. I think its the kind of move that wouldnt completely assure success, as some people wouldnt care and would just continue their lifestyle. But your average joe who at the end of the day just wants some food in his stomach, would probably take the insentive and go for the cheaper options. this |
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Nakor
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Post by Nakor on May 15, 2010 16:32:07 GMT -5
Fresh produce should also be cheaper. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms are way more expensive than sugar-loaded beverages and tons of unnecessary bread and cheese all over everything. Ah, don't I wish. Unfortunately doing things the easy (unhealthy) way is cheaper than waiting for fruit and veggies to grow. Science is working on genetic engineering that will help with better harvests, but that has its problems (the religious right claiming it's playing god and protesting it, companies "owning" the genetic enhancements they come up with and preventing others from using them inexpensively, problems with large single-crop fields, etc.) and probably won't provide a major solution soon unless it's freed up to do its job better. In the mean time, for those who can, I recommend keeping a garden and a few fruit trees. The garden doubles as a little time outdoors which certainly doesn't hurt any, and fresh grown fruit and veggies that you've grown yourself taste just a little bit better. I know some can't do this (if you have no yard for example), but it's worth it if you can. You can either grow things that you wouldn't buy in store because of the price, or buy the more expensive things that you do buy to lower your expenses a bit. Or some of each. (And always toss something totally new in you've never tried each year, just for fun.) |
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Post by Trey on May 15, 2010 17:23:53 GMT -5
Fresh produce should also be cheaper. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms are way more expensive than sugar-loaded beverages and tons of unnecessary bread and cheese all over everything. Ah, don't I wish. Unfortunately doing things the easy (unhealthy) way is cheaper than waiting for fruit and veggies to grow. Science is working on genetic engineering that will help with better harvests, but that has its problems (the religious right claiming it's playing god and protesting it, companies "owning" the genetic enhancements they come up with and preventing others from using them inexpensively, problems with large single-crop fields, etc.) and probably won't provide a major solution soon unless it's freed up to do its job better. In the mean time, for those who can, I recommend keeping a garden and a few fruit trees. The garden doubles as a little time outdoors which certainly doesn't hurt any, and fresh grown fruit and veggies that you've grown yourself taste just a little bit better. I know some can't do this (if you have no yard for example), but it's worth it if you can. You can either grow things that you wouldn't buy in store because of the price, or buy the more expensive things that you do buy to lower your expenses a bit. Or some of each. (And always toss something totally new in you've never tried each year, just for fun.) I concur. Fruit/veggie gardens are wicked fun, anyway! |
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Cortney
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[AWD:0c15]The Objectioner
The Bown
Posts: 885
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Post by Cortney on May 15, 2010 18:20:52 GMT -5
They are simply taxing sugary sodas, to make some profit, and they know it will work because of obesity. The government is not going to make a profit. lolwut? Make up your mind so I can debate with you properly. XD |
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Post by jmejia1187 on May 15, 2010 18:29:10 GMT -5
They are simply taxing sugary sodas, to make some profit, and they know it will work because of obesity. The government is not going to make a profit. lolwut? Make up your mind so I can debate with you properly. XD What i mean is the money will be used to help obese people. You either support helping obese people with their health problems by funding their heart attacks with tax payer dollars. Or you don't support the tax and would rather these people die... |
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Cortney
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Post by Cortney on May 15, 2010 18:43:31 GMT -5
Haha this it not life or death. People who are obese by eating habits have done it to themselves. If they want to stop drinking sodas, they can do it themselves. Will it make them lose enough weight to prevent the heart attacks? Nope. But it's not the government's place to tax sodas as an attempt to discourage drinking them (even if the profits go towards treating obesity).
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