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Johonny

(20,784 posts)

16. Now we all just have to agree on which ones are unhealthy

Reply to francolettieri (Original post)

Thu Nov 15, 2012, 08:23 PM

Nov 2012

and judging by previous DU food threads that will be absolutely no problem...

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tax unhealthy food/drinks/products [View all] francolettieri Nov 2012 OP

... PD Turk Nov 2012 #1

Yeah, bring on the fat police OKNancy Nov 2012 #2

Yup. HappyMe Nov 2012 #90

I know many skinny people who eat crappy food as well. bunnies Nov 2012 #123

I thought the sarcasm smilie would let people know I was not serious OKNancy Nov 2012 #142

An idiot tax would work just as well. Autumn Nov 2012 #3

And it would create jobs for the IRS! :-) WinkyDink Nov 2012 #8

Or GaYellowDawg Nov 2012 #4

............ Angry Dragon Nov 2012 #5

... WhaTHellsgoingonhere Nov 2012 #6

What about the skinny people (like my uncle) who drop dead? Can we tax their heirs? WinkyDink Nov 2012 #7

First off, show me a study that demonstrates that fat people live shorter lives or cost less money MannyGoldstein Nov 2012 #9

Moderate Obesity Takes Years Off Life Expectancy DesertRat Nov 2012 #11

That is old school lalalu Nov 2012 #14

From Harvard Med: Obesity is linked to heart disease, adult diabetes and many cancers. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #18

You are wrong and studies like this are being discredited lalalu Nov 2012 #41

I believe the 2012 Harvard medical study is valid. Also, genetics is only part of the puzzle. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #44

Actually speaking of Asia you should see the studies on lalalu Nov 2012 #48

We can also read about the *high* rates of diabetes among Sumo wrestlers. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #54

No, sumo wrestlers have subcutaneous fat lalalu Nov 2012 #62

Yes. They develop diabetes, then die 10 years earlier than the average Japanese citizen. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #66

Which is why I think lalalu Nov 2012 #71

I agree with much of what you say. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #76

You may be right lalalu Nov 2012 #79

You are confusing fitness helping someone live longer, with exercise making an obese person as fit Honeycombe8 Nov 2012 #68

The difference has been found when lalalu Nov 2012 #73

No, it simply isn't true. Nothing makes up for too much fat around the heart and other organs. Honeycombe8 Nov 2012 #83

"Young people can get away with obesity" lalalu Nov 2012 #100

There is a difference between moderate over-fat and being obese and being morbidly obese. Honeycombe8 Nov 2012 #64

Well... MannyGoldstein Nov 2012 #17

I didn't say tax fat people, I said tax unhealthy food and drink products!!!! francolettieri Nov 2012 #12

Wouldn't it make more sense to tax the fat people? AlexSatan Nov 2012 #103

foods aren't 'unhealthy', societies are. tax foie gras and truffles. HiPointDem Nov 2012 #115

and pork rinds and biscuits with gravy! kwassa Nov 2012 #132

I agree that no studies show that fad diets work. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #31

Those things have been well demonstrated, actually. Honeycombe8 Nov 2012 #61

If you are going to tax in such a way lalalu Nov 2012 #10

exactly liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #23

So, if a smoker has healthy lungs... bunnies Nov 2012 #124

Yes lalalu Nov 2012 #125

... bunnies Nov 2012 #126

Nice to hear lalalu Nov 2012 #127

What about Union-made unhealthy products? slackmaster Nov 2012 #13

My brain is not working ChazII Nov 2012 #53

I'm very sorry about your health issues. I got in a dust-up in a Halloween candy thread. Link... slackmaster Nov 2012 #111

Thank you, slackmaster. ChazII Nov 2012 #121

I would support subsidies that would make healthier foods cheaper. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #15

Now we all just have to agree on which ones are unhealthy Johonny Nov 2012 #16

Maybe it is easier to focus on foods that are known to be healthy. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #19

I think there is a lot of disagreement InsultComicDog Nov 2012 #20

+1 Dr Fate Nov 2012 #25

Sweetened Beverages Lokey Nov 2012 #21

you can tax it if you want liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #22

Do you take any medicine or treatment for blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol? Dr Fate Nov 2012 #24

I disagree liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #26

and anyone who has ever had to take something like insulin without a prescription plan to pay for it InsultComicDog Nov 2012 #28

my mother in law was diabetic and didn't have insurance liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #30

Maybe she never would have gotten diabetes in the 1st place, had she eaten better? Dr Fate Nov 2012 #38

Her blood work is fine liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #39

Good. But, she did develop diabetes in the first place, and you describe her as being obese. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #42

There will always be obese people liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #43

At least in the US. Not so much in eastern countries. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #45

She ate the way she did because of the abuse liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #46

Then she became obese, then she developed diabetes. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #47

She had diabetes because she was eating too many carbohydrates and not enough protein liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #49

In other words, obesity and diabetes are linked to diet. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #56

Carbs are not the culprit. Doremus Nov 2012 #81

+100000 Dr Fate Nov 2012 #82

obesity is rising in every country in the world. whether they use high-fructose corn HiPointDem Nov 2012 #133

My mother is almost 90 and has never been obese in her life. lalalu Nov 2012 #57

I have no doubt that she was harmed by steroids or other expesnive medications. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #60

My mother was and is a healthy eater. lalalu Nov 2012 #65

LOL! I never said anyone should be taxed extra for being ill. That is your strawman, not mine. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #74

I am not glossing over that. lalalu Nov 2012 #78

So she would not be taxed in any event. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #84

Not a strawman, just a fact that advocating these types lalalu Nov 2012 #101

Sorry, obesity is not a guarantee of diabetes. Zoeisright Nov 2012 #87

Yet peer reviewed scientific studies show that obesity and diabetes are linked. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #91

difficulty/inability to lose weight are the first symptoms Scout Nov 2012 #119

Which is exactly what scares some people about ohheckyeah Nov 2012 #98

My point exactly. Wouldnt it be cheaper for everyone to eat healthier instead? Dr Fate Nov 2012 #34

I am glad that you are not on meds at all. You had mentioned that you visit the doctor often. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #33

and I'm not against enouraging healthy habits liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #35

Agreed. I never advocated shaming anyone. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #40

People also have these problems due to genetics. lalalu Nov 2012 #51

LOL! The OP never sugggested taxing sick people. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #63

Taxing unhealthy foods can be explored. lalalu Nov 2012 #70

my sister is a skinny ninny brokechris Nov 2012 #69

Malnutiriton is present in many body types. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #80

Cholesterol can have a genetic component. kwassa Nov 2012 #134

No. nt ladjf Nov 2012 #27

I believe Denmark jpbollma Nov 2012 #29

and even in Canada I hear that it is very difficult to get very high quality butter InsultComicDog Nov 2012 #37

Yes, the did repeal the tax. ChazII Nov 2012 #102

and sugar is a lot worse for you than fat InsultComicDog Nov 2012 #107

1. The word is "unhealthful"; 2. What foods would you exempt? Let's see your list. WinkyDink Nov 2012 #32

no ibegurpard Nov 2012 #36

Luxury tax like on Monopoly! dem4ward Nov 2012 #50

Don't feed the troll, people. Odin2005 Nov 2012 #52

agreed I will stop responding liberal_at_heart Nov 2012 #55

Who is being called a troll here? Me or the OP? Dr Fate Nov 2012 #58

I am not obese, but I have high blood pressure RebelOne Nov 2012 #59

Diabetes and high blood preassure is not always linked to diet, but it often is. Dr Fate Nov 2012 #86

I don't like it-- brokechris Nov 2012 #67

Fine with me. HappyMe Nov 2012 #72

the problem is brokechris Nov 2012 #75

Yeah. You're right. HappyMe Nov 2012 #89

glad to meet someone else who uses brokechris Nov 2012 #96

Here's the thing -- HappyMe Nov 2012 #93

This message was self-deleted by its author brokechris Nov 2012 #97

I do have tons of compassion. HappyMe Nov 2012 #99

Good thinking Tree-Hugger Nov 2012 #145

No this is the kind of thing that pisses people off about liberals. Tax cigarettes and nothing else. craigmatic Nov 2012 #77

What if studies showed that certain eating habits were as deadly as smoking? Dr Fate Nov 2012 #85

Ever heard of anyone dying from Second Hand Eating? cherokeeprogressive Nov 2012 #88

Ever heard of diabetes, strokes, heart disease, cancer, etc? Dr Fate Nov 2012 #92

We will all die from something someday davidn3600 Nov 2012 #95

Post removed Post removed Nov 2012 #105

Junk food does not cause those AlexSatan Nov 2012 #104

Nope. HappyMe Nov 2012 #94

Frankly I don't care what pisses off people on the right but I do care about what craigmatic Nov 2012 #117

DU's token vegan chimes in. flvegan Nov 2012 #106

Nope, stupid fetish politics seeking failure. TheKentuckian Nov 2012 #108

'fetish politics'. i like it. imo, the strange desire of the upper-middle class to get HiPointDem Nov 2012 #116

Funny thing about tax discussions. AnnaLee Nov 2012 #109

I'm a vegetarian IMO meat is unhealthy, who is going to decide what is healthy and Raine Nov 2012 #110

Why would we need to do this? B2G Nov 2012 #112

Add tax to products that refuse to reveal all GM on labeling also. glinda Nov 2012 #113

yes, we need to tax the poor even more. soon they won't be able to eat anything, HiPointDem Nov 2012 #114

Oh, ffs. Butterbean Nov 2012 #118

Nanny-staters are all for "freedom of choice"...provided you make the choices they agree with Bad_Ronald Nov 2012 #120

Right... good luck with that davidthegnome Nov 2012 #122

Healthy food is not more expensive. kwassa Nov 2012 #137

As if you can't over-consume healthy products and be overweight anyway. nt RedCappedBandit Nov 2012 #128

the most overweight person brokechris Nov 2012 #129

yeah, don't tax upper-middle class foodies, tax blue collar workers and poor people! HiPointDem Nov 2012 #130

Healthy food isn't more expensive, it is less expensive. kwassa Nov 2012 #135

i can personally say bull to that. HiPointDem Nov 2012 #136

That's nice. Now, do you have a reasoned rebuttal? kwassa Nov 2012 #138

it's right there in the text. price per calorie of energy. it's about satiety value, food HiPointDem Nov 2012 #141

By your standard, you should be eating pure lard. kwassa Nov 2012 #143

the main thing the body runs on is calories. try eating vitamins and minerals without HiPointDem Nov 2012 #144

It doesn't take money to eat healthy, it takes knowledge. kwassa Nov 2012 #147

Hmm davidthegnome Nov 2012 #148

Who decides what's unhealthy? Abq_Sarah Nov 2012 #131

Ahh sin taxes Arcanetrance Nov 2012 #139

I thought we already taxed junk food standingtall Nov 2012 #140

Can't agree. You can't mandate lifestyle with taxes. DirkGently Nov 2012 #146