The Government isn't telling you what you can and can't eat. The goods are still stacked in all shops right next to healthier options.
Obesity causes huge increases in health care costs in the NHS, and everyone has to cover this cost (which is unfair on the healthier members of society. These types of foods and drinks are the ones causing such problems (along with no exercise).
However, the Government can't simply tax people for being fat, so instead they're having to tax the unhealthy food that they eat, in order for them to maybe eat less or healthier items.
I'll tell you what. Something needs to be done. You really notice how fat we are as a nation, when you go abroad (USA apart). Supposedly, we have ever rising child poverty levels. Strange how so many of us are getting fat, if it's a cost issue ? As Henry says, it's more about time and laziness than cost. It's far quicker & less messy to eat a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar, than eat many fruits. Education is the other area, that needs "pushing". It's all out there of course, but many people would rather watch Corry stuffing a bag of crisps, than watching a programme on nutrition (I know I do).
i have a can of Redbull before football, should i be charged more because some fatty cant control how many he has?
I used to do that until one day we had a junior doctor playing for us and he explained how drinking 'energy' drinks before a game actually inhibited rather than improved your performance.
Given that I was 34 and about two stone overweight anyway I did not bother taking his advice.
I disagree. Alcohol expensive, ciggarettes expensive, take aways more expensive than home cooking.
Sky tv, xboxes and lazy boy armchairs are expensive.
You can eat healthily well economically if you take the time to look into it.
It doesn't cost anything to go for a brisk walk every day and not much to go jogging.
People need to take more responsibility for their own loves and stop making excuses looking for others to be accountable for every aspect of their well being. I imagine that most have more disposable income than previous generations i.e 50 years ago but there were probably less morbidly obese people about then.
There is evidence that AIDS is more common amongst male homosexuals than the rest of the population.
Should the same logic apply?
If not why the blatant discrimination against fat people?
?!
You can stop being fat, you cant stop being gay and you cant stop having HIV. So your logic is a tad bizarre.
You may not be able to stop being gay but, given the evidence and proven risks of contracting HIV through promiscuity, it may be prudent for you to consider carefully who you choose to have sex with.
In the same way as those who are fat can choose what to eat.
I'm simply taking RCT's statement logically and literally by picking on an establishment sacred cow and contrasting it with the current Wagstaff scapegoat, fat people.
The real point I'm making is one of individual freedom and choice.
Even fat people are entitled to that or maybe not?
I bet the folks at the EU are relieved, they probably thought you were going to pin this one on them as well.....:)
In all seriousness though I like a social fag and a beer but I eat healthy and exercise a lot. I rarely eat junk food or drink fizzy drinks. I do find it annoying that I'm being taxed on my vices but then see fat people drinking countless cans of coke and munching on crisps and (inevitably) making themselves ill. You then see said fat people getting gastric bands etc on the NHS.
Good idea tbh. I love fizzy drinks and have a can or so of pepsi max every other day or so. Still think its a good idea and could put a little bit more money into the coffers.
Not sure Pepsi Max would count. Isn't it zero sugar? You're safe from the tyranny of a proposed soft drink tax!
Think it's a good idea personally, and the actual story was that they want to tax fizzy drinks AND unhealthy meals more and ban burger king adverts etc until after watershed. See no problem myself, but I don't get the fascination with McDonalds and stuff, I always just feel ill coz i've taken about 4 days worth of salt in about 5 bites and will be hungry again in two hours.
in a completly selfish way i think this is a load of crap. When ever i drive i very rarely have an alcholic drink. most of the time i have a fizzy drink. so now not only am I not having as much of a good time as my friends who are able to have a few relaxed pints. I'm now paying more for my fizzy drink. Not forgetting the petrol prices i have to pay to even be able to get to the pub.
in a completly selfish way i think this is a load of crap. When ever i drive i very rarely have an alcholic drink. most of the time i have a fizzy drink. so now not only am I not having as much of a good time as my friends who are able to have a few relaxed pints. I'm now paying more for my fizzy drink. Not forgetting the petrol prices i have to pay to even be able to get to the pub.
well sugary drinks are unhealthy, but I don't think any money raised would go to dealing with obesity, so this makes it just another tax and another thing people end up paying more for. And the problem with healthy eating and encouraging it is quite complicated. Cost is part of it, but only part - I find it cheaper to buy ingredients and cook than buy ready made stuff, which I tend to treat as a luxury. But that said, I wouldn't touch the crap end of ready meals (they're stupidly expensive if you're feeding a family and I won't touch cheap processed meat as I used to work in a meat factory). But then I also live in Lewisham so don't have to rely on expensive supermarkets. You also need to know what to do with ingredients, again, not everyone does. And there is what people like - I can't make anything that all my family like. But obesity isn't just about what we eat, its exercise we take (or don't) everyday. My office is on the 1st floor, it has a lift I've never used in 5 years. Some people need it, but loads use it. But some of this is out of our control because we don't have enough time to do things. Not enough time to exercise, to cook. I work with people who commute 2 hours each way. Factor in sleep and there's no time to do anything much. I'm lucky that I don't have to commute so would be careful about passing judgement on anyone affected this way.
in a completly selfish way i think this is a load of crap. When ever i drive i very rarely have an alcholic drink. most of the time i have a fizzy drink. so now not only am I not having as much of a good time as my friends who are able to have a few relaxed pints. I'm now paying more for my fizzy drink. Not forgetting the petrol prices i have to pay to even be able to get to the pub.
in a completly selfish way i think this is a load of crap. When ever i drive i very rarely have an alcholic drink. most of the time i have a fizzy drink. so now not only am I not having as much of a good time as my friends who are able to have a few relaxed pints. I'm now paying more for my fizzy drink. Not forgetting the petrol prices i have to pay to even be able to get to the pub.
Orange juice? :P
Yeah, true..... but i like my sweet syrupy pint of cocacola.
Tamworth in Staffordshire, a pleasant former market town 14 miles from Birmingham, has had its moments in the national limelight. It boasts a statue of Sir Robert Peel, whose constituency it was and who bred the Tamworth pig, and it is the home of the Reliant Robin, the three-wheel car invented in a back garden in 1935.
But, as of 2011, it has been trying to shake off the less welcome title (shared with Gateshead) of fattest town in Britain.
Just over 30% of people in Tamworth are obese, according to the National Obesity Observatory, Britain's official collector of such data. Gateshead and Tamworth have 30.7% adult obesity,
* while two other districts, Swale and Medway in Kent, have also for the first time nudged over the 30% line. *
By 2050, warned the seminal Foresight report of 2007, the UK could hit 60% adult obesity if nothing is done. Tamworth is halfway there.
Just another tax that will affect low earners more than high earners and the money raised will not be used to improve the health service or anything remotely like it. Meanwhile half the working population goes all holier than thou on the other half about what they like to do to make their miserable lives just a little bit better. See the drinking in your seat thread for further evidence. Divide and conquer, seems to be working rather well for the British government...
I disagree. Alcohol expensive, ciggarettes expensive, take aways more expensive than home cooking.
Sky tv, xboxes and lazy boy armchairs are expensive.
You can eat healthily well economically if you take the time to look into it.
It doesn't cost anything to go for a brisk walk every day and not much to go jogging.
People need to take more responsibility for their own loves and stop making excuses looking for others to be accountable for every aspect of their well being. I imagine that most have more disposable income than previous generations i.e 50 years ago but there were probably less morbidly obese people about then.
There is evidence that AIDS is more common amongst male homosexuals than the rest of the population.
Should the same logic apply?
If not why the blatant discrimination against fat people?
?!
You can stop being fat, you cant stop being gay and you cant stop having HIV. So your logic is a tad bizarre.
You may not be able to stop being gay but, given the evidence and proven risks of contracting HIV through promiscuity, it may be prudent for you to consider carefully who you choose to have sex with.
In the same way as those who are fat can choose what to eat.
I'm simply taking RCT's statement logically and literally by picking on an establishment sacred cow and contrasting it with the current Wagstaff scapegoat, fat people.
The real point I'm making is one of individual freedom and choice.
Even fat people are entitled to that or maybe not?
I bet the folks at the EU are relieved, they probably thought you were going to pin this one on them as well.....:)
The EU may not be directly involved Ormy but they, via the European Commission, (or rather we as net contributors!) pay for this mob http://www.epha.org/a/4814 who certainly seem very much in favour of such taxes in EU countries.
I disagree. Alcohol expensive, ciggarettes expensive, take aways more expensive than home cooking.
Sky tv, xboxes and lazy boy armchairs are expensive.
You can eat healthily well economically if you take the time to look into it.
It doesn't cost anything to go for a brisk walk every day and not much to go jogging.
People need to take more responsibility for their own loves and stop making excuses looking for others to be accountable for every aspect of their well being. I imagine that most have more disposable income than previous generations i.e 50 years ago but there were probably less morbidly obese people about then.
There is evidence that AIDS is more common amongst male homosexuals than the rest of the population.
Should the same logic apply?
If not why the blatant discrimination against fat people?
?!
You can stop being fat, you cant stop being gay and you cant stop having HIV. So your logic is a tad bizarre.
You may not be able to stop being gay but, given the evidence and proven risks of contracting HIV through promiscuity, it may be prudent for you to consider carefully who you choose to have sex with.
In the same way as those who are fat can choose what to eat.
I'm simply taking RCT's statement logically and literally by picking on an establishment sacred cow and contrasting it with the current Wagstaff scapegoat, fat people.
The real point I'm making is one of individual freedom and choice.
Even fat people are entitled to that or maybe not?
I bet the folks at the EU are relieved, they probably thought you were going to pin this one on them as well.....:)
The EU may not be directly involved Ormy but they, via the European Commission, (or rather we as net contributors!) pay for this mob http://www.epha.org/a/4814 who certainly seem very much in favour of such taxes in EU countries.
Could just be coicidence of course.
I knew you would not let me down Len, knew you'd find an angle somewhere!
Should have explained it better, was in a shop and noticed the price on the shelf is not what you pay at the counter, the tax was added on upon paying. In case you were wondering I was getting a can of coke and a mars bar, but don't touch either any more you'll be pleased to hear I'm sure!
Comments
More families with both parents at work meaning less time for the shopping meanimg more convience food bought and that means less healthy
Which highlights why the government look for an easy high impact statement of intent
Obesity causes huge increases in health care costs in the NHS, and everyone has to cover this cost (which is unfair on the healthier members of society. These types of foods and drinks are the ones causing such problems (along with no exercise).
However, the Government can't simply tax people for being fat, so instead they're having to tax the unhealthy food that they eat, in order for them to maybe eat less or healthier items.
It doesnt even help the issue tbf
Its a high impact shock factor headline
If we want to cure obesity
We need to reduce the costs of healthy products
Increase the costs of unhealthy ones
Increase the amount of affordable post school sports activities and facility's
Make our parks and open spaces safer with increased OB not plastic coppers
Increase the penalties for the feral scum that stop good kids going out and enjoying themselves and playing footie or running around in the parks etc
The announcement is a shock announcement one to grab the headlines
I don't doubt it cost thousands in resource and research and has kept a nice civil servant in wages for years
Funny how it's announced just days after coke had a dinner for mp's and parliamentary members so I am sure that they have struck a deal
Supposedly, we have ever rising child poverty levels. Strange how so many of us are getting fat, if it's a cost issue ?
As Henry says, it's more about time and laziness than cost.
It's far quicker & less messy to eat a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar, than eat many fruits.
Education is the other area, that needs "pushing".
It's all out there of course, but many people would rather watch Corry stuffing a bag of crisps, than watching a programme on nutrition (I know I do).
You can buy 2 packets of nuggets 2 packets of potatoe based items like smiley faces or waffles
For less than you can buy 4 chicken breasts for example
It is no surprise kids get fat at a time when money is tight if a meal for one night costs more than a meal for 3 nights
Given that I was 34 and about two stone overweight anyway I did not bother taking his advice.
In all seriousness though I like a social fag and a beer but I eat healthy and exercise a lot. I rarely eat junk food or drink fizzy drinks. I do find it annoying that I'm being taxed on my vices but then see fat people drinking countless cans of coke and munching on crisps and (inevitably) making themselves ill. You then see said fat people getting gastric bands etc on the NHS.
When ever i drive i very rarely have an alcholic drink. most of the time i have a fizzy drink. so now not only am I not having as much of a good time as my friends who are able to have a few relaxed pints. I'm now paying more for my fizzy drink. Not forgetting the petrol prices i have to pay to even be able to get to the pub.
You also need to know what to do with ingredients, again, not everyone does. And there is what people like - I can't make anything that all my family like.
But obesity isn't just about what we eat, its exercise we take (or don't) everyday. My office is on the 1st floor, it has a lift I've never used in 5 years. Some people need it, but loads use it.
But some of this is out of our control because we don't have enough time to do things. Not enough time to exercise, to cook. I work with people who commute 2 hours each way. Factor in sleep and there's no time to do anything much. I'm lucky that I don't have to commute so would be careful about passing judgement on anyone affected this way.
But, as of 2011, it has been trying to shake off the less welcome title (shared with Gateshead) of fattest town in Britain.
Just over 30% of people in Tamworth are obese, according to the National Obesity Observatory, Britain's official collector of such data. Gateshead and Tamworth have 30.7% adult obesity,
* while two other districts, Swale and Medway in Kent, have also for the first time nudged over the 30% line. *
By 2050, warned the seminal Foresight report of 2007, the UK could hit 60% adult obesity if nothing is done. Tamworth is halfway there.
People just cannot be bothered and would rather spend the pennies they save (by spending their money in Iceland) on sky tv, fags and booze.
Could just be coicidence of course.
Off on a complete tangent, if someone invented smoking today then it would be banned.
In case you were wondering I was getting a can of coke and a mars bar, but don't touch either any more you'll be pleased to hear I'm sure!