Tax on soda

[Tsukiyumi]

...Fat people is the reason the health costs for this country are so high. Tax the people responsible.

Well, by that logic, people over 30 should be heavily taxed, as they represent the largest percentage of health problems. Senior citizens get sick all the time, so we should slap on an additional tax for people over 65, right?

I was saying that taxing people for being unhealthy is ridiculous. Where does that stop? Cheeseburger tax? Not in my f*cking country!

Also, body weight/fat percentage is a poor measurement anyways; some people have a genetic predisposition to putting on fat, and there are some people who can't "go work out".

[Monroe]

Also, body weight/fat percentage is a poor measurement anyways; some people have a genetic predisposition to putting on fat, and there are some people who can't "go work out".

I never bought that excuse. Yes some people gain weight easier. They just have to watch what they eat and exercise more. Its like they complain about their weight while they eat McDonalds 7 days a week and never do any walking, running, working out.

Now I don't think we should tax people for being unhealthy but if we are going to we should tax them on being unhealthy instead on what they eat / drink. Cause you can be perfectly healthy and drink soda occasionally. You can't be perfectly healthy and be 100+ pounds over weight.

[Reliant121]

The biggest problem here is what do people actually want. If they want a healthcare system, they have to pay for it. So...which one is more pressing? Having a free healthcare system when you want it, and higher taxes? or lower taxes, but paying a mothertrucken huge bill for healthcare when the shit hits the fan?

What I would say is, most countries over here manage it with decent quality of life paying those higher taxes. Why can't America?

And the problem witht taxing foods is not all fatty or bad foods make you fat. I eat more junk food than most of my family combined, yet I am 105 Ibs. And I look like an Anorexic. I would be taxed, even if i am perfectly healthy, because I have a higher metabolic rate and can process fatty foods quicker, affording me this lower weight.

[Tsukiyumi]

I never bought that excuse. Yes some people gain weight easier. They just have to watch what they eat and exercise more. Its like they complain about their weight while they eat McDonalds 7 days a week and never do any walking, running, working out.

"Excuse" my ass.

If you're talking about otherwise healthy people who elect not to exercise, then I agree with you. However...

I can hardly walk to the bathroom, but I'm supposed to go jogging? I don't make much money, but I'm still supposed to eat healthy (aka expensive) food? I'm 20 pounds overweight as a result, so I should be penalized even though I'm disabled? F*ck that.

If that's not what you're suggesting, I apologize, but there are more factors involved than just body fat percentages and "unhealthy" habits. Unless we're going to go case-by-case, that idea is crap. For example, I eat as healthy as I can on my budget, and do as much exercising as I can, but as I said, I'm still overweight (210 at 6' is overweight IMO).

Hey, as long as I can get mounds of pain pills under the new health care plan, I'll quit drinking ASAP. Because sh*tloads of pills are way healthier than alcohol...

Now I don't think we should tax people for being unhealthy but if we are going to we should tax them on being unhealthy instead on what they eat / drink. Cause you can be perfectly healthy and drink soda occasionally. You can't be perfectly healthy and be 100+ pounds over weight.

This part:

Cause you can be perfectly healthy and drink soda occasionally.

really gets to the point here.

Doctors already say, "It's never healthy to drink soda."

My point is: How you or I define "healthy" is only our opinion. Once the government starts regulating it, what's to stop them? The voters?

So, we could end up with regulations saying only Kraft brand Bran Paste is "healthy", and fees are imposed on anyone who eats anything else. So, no alcohol: that's unhealthy. No smoking; unhealthy. No junk food. Go to sleep at 10 PM, wake up at 6AM - to do otherwise would be unhealthy. It's proven that people need a certain amount of sleep to be "healthy", right?

Like I said earlier, we could pay for free healthcare for everyone by turning welfare into job training, and honestly, by increasing the luxury taxes.

One might argue that no one needs a bag of Doritos, but at least the Doritos serve a purpose. A Gucci handbag does nothing a $10 bag doesn't.

Basically, I suggest we penalize stupidity and excess in general, if we're to do such a thing at all. A greed tax, if you will.

[Sionnach Glic]

What I would say is, most countries over here manage it with decent quality of life paying those higher taxes. Why can't America?

What most Americans don't seem to realise is that the US has ridiculously low taxes compared to....well, anywhere.

Personaly I always find it hilarious when I hear Americans complaining about taxes. Try living here for a few months and then see if you still want to complain about the US system.

[Monroe]

If that's not what you're suggesting, I apologize, but there are more factors involved than just body fat percentages and "unhealthy" habits. Unless were going to go case-by-case, that idea is crap. For example, I eat as healthy as I can on my budget, and do as much exercising as I can, but as I said, I'm still overweight (210 at 6' is overweight IMO).

Not what I'm suggesting. Notice I said 100+ pounds over weight. If you gained 80 more pounds don't you think you should try to eat less?

Basically, I suggest we penalize stupidity and excess in general, if we're to do such a thing at all. A greed tax, if you will.

That would be very vague. What about people who don't normally live in excess but want to buy themselves something special or someone else something special as a gift. I don't think we should tax people on buying excessive things when we already tax people for having more money. Just like I don't think we should tax people on food they buy when we should be taxing them for having a walrus' worth of blubber.

[Teaos]

BTW - Coke doesn't "give" you diabetes or cancer any more than it gives you the Black Plague.

Actually the sweetener in Diet Coke is a carcinogen.

Thats what I was getting at...

[Monroe]

BTW - Coke doesn't "give" you diabetes or cancer any more than it gives you the Black Plague.

Actually the sweetener in Diet Coke is a carcinogen.

Thats what I was getting at...

Yes... and I was defending you..

[Tsukiyumi]

What most Americans don't seem to realise is that the US has ridiculously low taxes compared to....well, anywhere.

Personaly I always find it hilarious when I hear Americans complaining about taxes. Try living here for a few months and then see if you still want to complain about the US system.

I'm all for raising taxes. On people who have excess.

Not what I'm suggesting. Notice I said 100+ pounds over weight. If you gained 80 more pounds don't you think you should try to eat less?

I wouldn't be able to walk at all. That would be a problem, yes.

Basically, I suggest we penalize stupidity and excess in general, if we're to do such a thing at all. A greed tax, if you will.

That would be very vague. What about people who don't normally live in excess but want to buy themselves something special or someone else something special as a gift. I don't think we should tax people on buying excessive things when we already tax people for having more money. Just like I don't think we should tax people on food they buy when we should be taxing them for having a walrus' worth of blubber.

Excess, meaning too much. If someone buys a fancy ring for their fiancee, or treats themselves to a vacation or nice pair of shoes once a year, no problem.

Buy a $10,000 purse, $20,000 shoes, five cars, vacations to Europe, and a yacht in the same year? Tax city.

[Aaron]

Yeah. It irritates me too. If they're wanting to tax the unhealthy people for being unhealthy why don't they just tax them based on their body weight (That is measured at say the DMV when they want to get their driver's license). Fat people is the reason the health costs for this country are so high. Tax the people responsible.

Fat folks are undoubtedly part of the issue, there is an obesity epidemic after all but a good portion of it is that your simply being ripped off.

[Mikey]

I never bought that excuse. Yes some people gain weight easier. They just have to watch what they eat and exercise more. Its like they complain about their weight while they eat McDonalds 7 days a week and never do any walking, running, working out.

I'm sorry, but you are out of your f***ing mind. My wife is so hypothyroidic that she had elective surgery, at our own expense, and still takes 225mg of a thyroxin replacement every single day, and will until she dies. She walks (5 miles at a stretch,) does aerobic excercise routines, and does some circuit training - even though all of those things are counterindicated by her osteoarthritis. If we couldn't afford that surgery or her thyroid replacement therapy, she could do all of that and more plus keep to a 1000-calorie diet and she'd still continue to gain weight.

She doesn't eat McDonald's more than once or twice a month, and when she does she gets a garden salad with grilled chicken. She does walk and work out. She does watch what she eats, and if she excercised any more, like you suggest, she'd be in a wheelchair.

[Mark]

Has anyone else noticed that they want to tax soda, and not booze? Got to love American thinking.........

Hell, they could always legalize marijuana and tax the HELL out of that. People would pay......oh yes, they would pay.

[Mikey]

Are you kidding? Sin tax on alcohol is already huge.

[Mark]

Really? When why is booze so cheap all over the place?

[Mikey]

Maybe it's state-based. *shrugs*