Fat tax

elmarko1234 said:
While I do think they need to address the issue, tax isn't the correct method - taxing something doesn't really do anything to reduce the behaviour.

I'm even dubious about education, as the kind of people who will listen to/read the advice are not the kind of people they need to target (that group already has access to information).

That leaves regulating the industry to aim to reduce the sugar contact & therefore the sugar addition levels slowly - wean the population off sugary junk by decreasing the average sugar content in food to historical levels.
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Some areas of the food industry are reducing sugar and salt. Breakfast cereals for example are. They are reducung the direct salts/sugars and using things such as sweetness enchancer or salt enhancers to give the effect of more. These are however more expensive that the raw materials themselves so only come with pressure. Its actually consumer pressure in the breakfast cereals market thats got a slow gradual trend to being "healthier". But it took the general outrage of how much sugar was in breakfast cereal to trigger this reaction in the marketplace.
 
elmarko1234 said:
While I do think they need to address the issue, tax isn't the correct method - taxing something doesn't really do anything to reduce the behaviour.
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Exactly and they know this hence why they tax the luxarys people have

fags
fuel
beer etc

we all pooh so why not a toilet roll tax
we all brush our teeth why not tax toothpaste

I mean it sounds silly but we aint far off getting like this ya know
 
Hopefully wont apply to sugar free drinks, Pepsi Max is my one vice, as a vegan marathon runner, I dont think I should have to pay fatty tax on the one thing thats absolute crap for me
 
Diagro said:
Dont be duped into to paying the fortune supermarkets wants at the mo!

I wait till Tescos does its 8 can pack for £1.70 deal, they do it for a few days each month and i stroll in and buy 20 packs.

Considering a 2L Bottle is £2.09 and on offer for 2 x 2L for £3.50 at best the cans work out better when i can get them.

8x 330ml = 2.64L <- not bad for £1.70

I have over 30 packs in the garage :D



Oh yea i know that. I do cardio a bit as well and have a decent diet apart from the Cola... Its my addiction you see... i just cant stop myself (unless its not on offer then i get some orange juice haha)
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I was joking, I have a bottle of pepsi maybe once every three weeks. I do have a bottle of Lucozade immediately after I train though, but thats for the Glucose in it.
 
D.Roberts said:
I agree they have to tax some thing but they seem to pick on a minority

Eg

drinkers
smokers and yes its because there is more of us doing it there for more money but why not spread the burden and tax other things and decrease the load on others.

people need fuel to get to work (some times) so why tax it so bloody much it cripples the working man I was on a crap wage I mean crap and 35% or so was fuel just to get to work.
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Again look at history, smoking wasnt the large minority it was when they started taxing it seriously. Its now a minority so they decide, tax at a higher rate or move the taxes elsewhere. Currently they are taxing higher and higher but sooner or later they will have to look elsewhere.

Booze. I would hardly say thats a minority being taxed.

Fuel. I agree its very high, but again where else would they move it. Stick it all on income tax? Makes it harder to try to get people to reduce fuel usage as those on high incomes would hardly care and those with a small payrise would be able to buy a lot more fuel in comparison. The reason the taxes are sooo high is partly due to the last labour governments fuel escalator, which the current government have practically scrapped and applied MUCH lower rises than Labour had committed to.
 
Morba said:
Never heard of this before, can you find me something peer reviewed and accepted that shows this? Not asking just to be a ****, but this is genuinely something I would be interested in looking into if it is true :)
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It was explained to me by a Bariatric Surgeon at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, (however I doubt there is any conclusive evidence in the form of studies I could point to as they predominantly concern themselves with the effects of additives and sweetners.) It is one of the reasons why Restrictive Bariatric patients are told not drink carbonated liquids after their surgery (lifetime). Like anything however, some people simply will never be affected by it, but if you think about it in its most basic premise, if you expand your stomach with gas then you will be able to get more food into it, particularly if you eat and drink at the same time and too quickly.

From a personal persepective, I feel the issue is more our dependence on carbohydrates, and the lack of education on the importance of low fat, protein rich diets, as you will be less likely to gain weight and be less hungry the greater the protein part of your diet is in relation to carbs. Everyone stresses about sugar, without realising that carbs are equally an issue in weight management.
 
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What annoys me is the downsizing. My local Sainsburys doesn't sell cans of coke - just those stupid ******* child (between a can and 500ml bottle) mini bottles which are barely more than a cans worth but cost over £1!!
 
Naff8000 said:
haha that's great. First world problems :)
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Not really, even poor countries. Food is a celebration, the whole family or even community joins in. It is appreciated and enjoyed.
Being poor does not mean you are starving. They make the most of what they have, they don't waste food and nearly always have far more interesting food and a far better relationship with it.
 
One thing I think does actually contribute to the fast food issue is the perceived value of "going large".
I always go large but to be honest rarely even drink half the drink I get.

The price could be legislated to have to be the same per 100ml for every size, breaking the temptation to go large cos its only 30p or whatever.
 
Morba said:
Start from the ground up. Stop selling off school playing fields. Have more PE and even better education for children on food.
Link schools with local sports clubs, have children being interested in a healthy lifestyle.

The average wage is now the equivalent of back in 2003 or something, that is shocking.
More parents are working longer.

Less money and less time = cheaper and quicker food options being taken. This needs to be reversed.

Taxing fast food or fatty foods is not the answer and is simply a way to increase revenue rather than tackling the issue that they are claiming to be doing.
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How about using the taxes on fatty foods to subsidise for the sports provisions? Two birds one stone ;)

Anyway, you're otherwise interested! You don't them taking away your breakfast, lunch and dinner of cake, cake and cake. :)

kd
 
give fatties free gym membership so they can get themselves a bit thinner. If they fail to do so dont treat them in hospital ;)
 
if there concerned with our health why not tax the companys that tempt us

Blurgerfling for example

Tax them make them pay the taxes instead of cashing in on our health? if they go out of business then if the Gov does care about us would it matter?
 
Glaucus said:
Not really, even poor countries. Food is a celebration, the whole family or even community joins in. It is appreciated and enjoyed.
Being poor does not mean you are starving. They make the most of what they have, they don't waste food and nearly always have far more interesting food and a far better relationship with it.
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heh yeah I agree I just mean't it's such a non-event it's funny. Such is the comfort of our lives you'd half expect a documentary on what you said about the !!!decline of food!!, war on food etc.
 
You have to start by educating people and changing attitudes. I've worked at the local hospital and it is now becoming the the norm for relatives to bring in "extra" meals because the patients to be frank eat like animals. Sneaking in Pizza and chips, pasties you name it. The excuse is because they don't like hospital food, or there isn't enough, it's just scary.

The meals are absolutely fine, not Cordon Bleu, but completely acceptable and varied. Not every meal is chips, pizza or curry like they get at home.
 
Education is fine, but to educate in a meaningful way they need to know what to educate. I don't think governments or industries are there ATM. They keep ignoring reserch.
At the moment, I would only want them to educate in extremely general terms. Processed bad, natural good, reduce calories, avoid sugars etc.
 
DampDog said:
You have to start by educating people and changing attitudes. I've worked at the local hospital and it is now becoming the the norm for relatives to bring in "extra" meals because the patients to be frank eat like animals. Sneaking in Pizza and chips, pasties you name it. The excuse is because they don't like hospital food, or there isn't enough, it's just scary.

The meals are absolutely fine, not Cordon Bleu, but completely acceptable and varied. Not every meal is chips, pizza or curry like they get at home.
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How stupid do people have to be to need telling that eating more / eating junk = get fat.

Meals in hospitals / schools etc are fine? Maybe they would be if scheming lowlifes weren't putting horse in the food to cut a bigger profit.
 
Glaucus said:
Education is fine, but to educate in a meaningful way they need to know what to educate. I don't think governments or industries are there ATM. They keep ignoring reserch.
At the moment, I would only want them to educate in extremely general terms. Processed bad, natural good, reduce calories, avoid sugars etc.
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I dont get it though you cant tell me people dont know whats healty and whats not?.

Ok some may not but lets be honest here most do so educate what? what people all ready know.

people dont eat the stuff because they dont know its bad for them they eat it becuase they want to and can.

You seen the adverts on smoking some are rather nasty but I dont know one person that has qiut due to them not one and all my mates smoke (ok I only have one mate) but still he aint quit :P
 
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