The fat tax

Darla said:
me either, she was full of it. she had a million excuses for herself, but not one ounce of compassion for anyone struggling with an addiction other than food. and i see this same mindset here. they will all have a story why you can't charge smokers more, or recreational cigar smokers more, or unmarried higher risk individuals more, or drinkers more...but they have not one ounce of compassion for anyone who might have a different addiction than they do.

ftr, i am against this, for the simple reason that punishing people is not effective. education is. let's get the shit food out of our schools to begin with. there are a lot of other things we can do. i'm not into stigmatizing people though.
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You forget two things....

1) there are ALREADY higher taxes on Tobacco and Alcohol.

2) this extra $25 is charged ONLY IF the employees DON'T take advantage of the free health screenings.

The employers are trying to get people to do PREVENTATIVE maintenance. If you have not ever seen the show "the Biggest Loser", I would suggest watching it. During the first week, they take the contestants in for one of these screenings. It hits home a lot quicker when they are actually told how bad their physical health is.

Another thought, out of all the overweight people in this country.... I wonder how many are that way due to a genetic eating disorder vs. those that make poor decisions on their food intake while also failing to exercise. My guess would be that the vast majority fall into the latter category.

Side note: The argument that you can't eat healthy for the same price as junk food is absurd. (Darla, this point is directed toward Sir G, not you)
 
Superfreak said:
You forget two things....

1) there are ALREADY higher taxes on Tobacco and Alcohol.

2) this extra $25 is charged ONLY IF the employees DON'T take advantage of the free health screenings.

The employers are trying to get people to do PREVENTATIVE maintenance. If you have not ever seen the show "the Biggest Loser", I would suggest watching it. During the first week, they take the contestants in for one of these screenings. It hits home a lot quicker when they are actually told how bad their physical health is.

Another thought, out of all the overweight people in this country.... I wonder how many are that way due to a genetic eating disorder vs. those that make poor decisions on their food intake while also failing to exercise. My guess would be that the vast majority fall into the latter category.

Side note: The argument that you can't eat healthy for the same price as junk food is absurd. (Darla, this point is directed toward Sir G, not you)
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This isn’t about taxes though. This is something completely different. Btw do cigarette taxes go towards health care in the states?
As far as eating healthy costing the same as eating junk I don’t buy it. I guess it depends on how you define eating healthy. Canned green beens and cream of mushroom soup is not what I would consider a healthy dish. I know what my food bill is for two people, and it’s through the roof. Of course, I buy things like organic kale. I might be what most would consider one of those whole food “elites”. So again it depends on what you consider healthy eating.
 
Darla said:
This isn’t about taxes though. This is something completely different. Btw do cigarette taxes go towards health care in the states?
As far as eating healthy costing the same as eating junk I don’t buy it. I guess it depends on how you define eating healthy. Canned green beens and cream of mushroom soup is not what I would consider a healthy dish. I know what my food bill is for two people, and it’s through the roof. Of course, I buy things like organic kale. I might be what most would consider one of those whole food “elites”. So again it depends on what you consider healthy eating.
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I am sure it varies to a degree by state, but most use the revenues for healthcare, education on healthcare etc... though I would imagine some states may also get creative in how they use the money.

If you are required to pay $25 in additional premiums or $25 in additional taxes for your choices, it is essentially the same thing. The point being that people already are required to pay for their use of tobacco and/or alcohol.

As for the food...there are a hundred ways to eat better and spend the same. Take any fast food "meal" from your McDonalds, Taco hell, etc... type restaurant and I can provide a cheaper alternative. Even when shopping for food at the store I can likely reduce your intake of crap.

Examples of cheap, but healthy foods...

1) Oatmeal... you can get a big bowl full each morning for under $.40 and provides a great source of carbs for the morning (when you WANT to be taking in carbs)

2) Eggs... while they have come up recently in price, they are still relatively cheap and provide a good source of protein and some of the fats that you do need in your diet

3) Tuna.... cheap and just as high in protein as other meat

4) Whey... you can get a 10 pound bag of whey protein (that tastes good) for about $70. It sounds expensive until you realize that can last you 2-4 months depending on how many shakes you consume a day. It is a very cheap way to get protein in your diet and is excellent for after a workout (which is when you want to intake protein asap)

5) Water... drink water rather than coffee or soda... it is better for you and it is free (though I do recommend using a Brita)

6) Veggies.... buying frozen will save you money (if single it will also allow you to buy in bulk without having to worry about it going bad)

These are just some of the ways to reduce your costs of eating while also eating healthier.
 
Superfreak said:
i like it as well, but my salads always contain spinach leaves as well... tis a must.
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I like it too, but is your reason related to the now debunked notion that spinach is unusually high in iron? Apparently the person who conducted the original test mis-wrote the number and it wasn't retested (can't understand that part!) for several decades.
 
Thorn said:
I like it too, but is your reason related to the now debunked notion that spinach is unusually high in iron? Apparently the person who conducted the original test mis-wrote the number and it wasn't retested (can't understand that part!) for several decades.
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No, I just prefer the taste over standard lettuce.
 
Thorn said:
I like it too, but is your reason related to the now debunked notion that spinach is unusually high in iron? Apparently the person who conducted the original test mis-wrote the number and it wasn't retested (can't understand that part!) for several decades.
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:shock: I did not realize that. How did Popeye get his muskles then ?
Of course Spinach diminishes your eyesight, judging from who Popeye chased as his goil.
 
Also Darla,

The $25 is not being charged to every "fat person" but rather it is being charged to those who refuse to go to a FREE preventative health screening.
 
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