Tax the fatties?

ElRazur

ElRazur

ElRazur

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Did you know...?

- A quarter of British people are obese;
- You are 'clinically' obese if you have a body mass index (BMI) of over 30;
- You are 'morbidly' obese if you have a BMI of over 40;
- Obesity can lead to Type 2 Diabetes, which can cause erectile disfunction and loss of limbs.
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I was watching a documentary last night and the presenter (Times columnist and restaurant critic Giles Coren)seems to make some interesting points about how fat people (obese one, mind you) are a drain on the NHS and should be taxed. I remember him saying the following

Fatties/obese related issues cost the NHS (or government) 1 Billion pounds a year
They damage the enviroment - i.e more fuel is burn in transporting obese people than normal sized people leading to faster green house effect

......Those are the ones i can remember for now.

He back up his idea by saying health insurance company make fat people pay more premiuns as they have a shorter life expectancy. If also suggested the idea of taxing the things fatty people dwell on since smokers are already taxed for ciggarette etc.

It is an interesting and provocative documentary, as usual i would like to here the views of my fellow OcUkers.

Is it fair? Justifiable? can it work? Positive discrimination?

More info below.


http://www.channel4.com/more4/documentaries/doc-feature.jsp?id=55

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3502053.stm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ain.html?in_article_id=388001&in_page_id=1774
 
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its my view that to tax "fatties" then drinkers/smokers/people with injuries through their own stupidity should all get taxed too
 
Tax shouldn't be used a deterrant.

It'll just raise more revenue and not actually change anything.

A bit like putting car tax up to try and save the environment.

An increase of £50 a year tax in something that initially cost £10k or a lot more to buy isn't going to put people off, but it's going to be a damn nice little earner for the treasury who will then not put a penny of the new income to the right place.
 
They already pay more tax anyway due to the fact they eat more food meaning they pay more VAT, obviously they don't on stuff that doesn't have VAT though. That is a really narrow minded approach but sort of makes sense.
 
Well for starters the BMI scale is a load of bs, just because you have a BMI of over 30 doesn't make you fat (eg anyone with above average muscle mass). Also if your going to tax fat people, why not tax smokers and anyone else who does something which may shorten their lifetime.
 
what's to debate. unless you can accurately tell the difference between people who are obese because of a medical complication and people who are lard-arses because they have a McFattyD's every meal of the day then its just a plain NO from me.

some people cant do anything about it you know. why not tax cancer sufferers, im sure they cost more than the medically obese :o

tax the fatty's foods, yes. go for it. peopel dont eat enough banana's anyhow.
 
I'd support a tax on nutritionally inferior foods and junk food but I would expect that money to be ploughed into and only into subsidising organic UK grown produce; actually that cash could go into improving school dinners too.

I'd whack 50p on a burger, packet of crisps or anyt other rubbish that parents feed their kids on daily resulting in fat, lazy children with attention issues and behavioural problems.

And I don't say this as someone who is desperately fit at this moment in time.
 
ElRazur said:
Man, i sense hostility in the air...
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Not really, just that it could be applied to absolutely anyone or anything.

Now KaHn's response was hostile :D

VIRII said:
I'd support a tax on nutritionally inferior foods and junk food but I would expect that money to be ploughed into and only into subsidising organic UK grown produce; actually that cash could go into improving school dinners too.
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That makes far more sense.
 
VIRII said:
I'd support a tax on nutritionally inferior foods and junk food but I would expect that money to be ploughed into and only into subsidising organic UK grown produce actually that cash could go into improving school dinners too.
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Now that I'd agree with, as long as you say, the money went to the right places.
 
G-MAN2004 said:
He didn't say that he supported the man's views did he? He asked us to answer the questions stated, not to flame him.
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As i have said my first opinion was quick judgement but then i know what E! is like

KaHn
 
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