General Discussion

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)

23. exactly

Thu Nov 15, 2012, 08:34 PM

Nov 2012

There is a bias in this country towards bigger people and towards people who eat unhealthily. It is socially acceptable to be prejudice against someone based on size and I refuse to feel shame for how I look or how I eat. I will eat how I want to eat and I will be whatever size I want to be. My blood work is clean so as you said if they charged based on blood work I would still pay the same as a vegan. Being vegan does not make a person better than anyone else. If that is the lifestyle a vegan wishes to adopt then good for them. They are free to do so. That does not mean they can legislate that everybody has to be vegan or even skinny for that matter.

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148 replies

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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