So, with the recent New York law that was presented to make it against the law to have any soda larger than a 16 oz, do you think the government (local or federal) should be enforcing laws on how we eat and drink?
I say absolutely NO. They have no authority in a free country to dictate what I eat and drink. And they shouldn't be involved. They are very misinformed and it leads to stupid laws.
Hells no...isn't that what Freedom of Choice is all about...?
If I want to put an extra long straw into a 2 litre bottle of Coke - I think I've earned that fundamental right to enjoy that.
If the City of New York wants to tackle the obesity problem, a campaign to educate citizens to the risks of weight gain through sugary drinks is more strategic than a ban that will cost people money.
New York already has a law where all calories for menu items are PRINTED next to the dish in the menus. To me, that's a pretty darn good and current litmus test. No one has mentioned whether that move has improved quality of life for the citizens at large, (no pun intended).
With that all said - 24 pack soda sales will probably go through the roof....
I don't have a problem with imposing a tax on unhealthy foods and drinks in the same vein as the taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco, but to simply outlaw portions is absurd and impossible to police. This proposal has been widely panned here by almost everyone.
I don't have a problem with imposing a tax on unhealthy foods and drinks in the same vein as the taxes imposed on alcohol and tobacco, but to simply outlaw portions is absurd and impossible to police. This proposal has been widely panned here by almost everyone.
but what's healthy and not healthy? It changes everyday. You can't legislate based on that.
but what's healthy and not healthy? It changes everyday. You can't legislate based on that.
That's a very good question, where do you draw the line and who draws it? There are some things we can all agree aren't healthy for you, high sugars, high fats, etc... but since each body metabolizes things differently, what would kill me might be something you could eat every day without any adverse effects. Hell, my grandfather ate baloney and cheese every day and chased it with a pack of Paul Malls and he lived to 93.
I suppose a line can be drawn about taxing food that exceed a certain % of sugar, fat, salt, etc… but it wouldn't be perfect. What I do believe is that the obesity problem in America is contributes to numerous other problems, the least of which is skyrocketing healthcare costs. Any tax that is imposed on "processed" foods needs to come with efforts to decrease the cost of healthy fruits and vegetables. Go through the produce section in your supermarket; the price of healthy food is outrageous. Its no wonder people turn to cheap processed alternatives.
This is were I am having a huge dilema. 99% of the time I want the government to stay the heck out of things like this. Keep up the military and the interstate infrastructure and call it a day. But...the fact is people won't do anything about it themselves and it is out of control. Way out of control.
When I was growing up I saw the 16oz soda roll out. Then the 32oz Big Gulp...we couldn't believe how HUGE that was back then. Now that's a medium drink in most places. 1985 (or theres about) brought on Taco Bell's "Run for the border" .59 cent menu which was followed by Wendy's, Jack in the Box, etc with .99 menus. Now you could buy 5 burgers instead of 2. And people did...because they could. Same thing with pizza and just about everything else. We are literally drowning ourselves with food and redefining the word obese. Older obesity clinics are having to widen doors, find newer/larger equipment to accomodate today's obese. My wife quit working in St.Luke's radiology department because she got tired of seeing the same faces, over and over again...most of which had to be x-rayed down at the Houston Zoo because they were too big for anything the "human" hospital had. And still...that usually wasn't enough to make them think they needed to make a change.
Oh and one thing....obese parents generally end up raising obese children. That's a fact and when they are anything but a toddler...it ain't baby fat. We have a whole new generation of children experiencing physical ailments that most adults wouldn't see until their 40s. And it's only trending towards things getting worse...and fast.
For those of you who are my age, close to my age, or older...remember when you were in school? I could name the "kids" on one hand who were overweight and those same kids wouldn't probably even be considered fat today. We are literally redefining the word.
That being said - food is only half the problem. The other half can be attributed to a lack of exercise. I'm not even talking about gym type exercise. A lot of people just don't move very much. They wake up..drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home, sit on the couch, go to bed (with all kinds of bad calories throughout the day)...rinse repeat.
Something has to be done and I'm open to suggestions.
sure, but like I said, they really can't prove what makes you gain weight and what's bad for you. It's all theory and based on genetics. So, I can't legislate on that.
Plus, if I'm 6ft 150lbs then the law shouldn't apply.
You can't legislate people out of poverty or obesity.
And where does it stop? This isn't becoming a free country anymore.
Look - we KNOW what makes people fat. Genetics or no genetics. If you consume more calories than you burn, you put on fat. Not bone, not muscle...fat. While it's true that some people are genetically predisposed to make it bit a tougher, but for even them...the same basic rule applies. The human body can not create matter out of thin air, nor can it maintain said matter without fuel. There will always be some debate as to what's bad, but the indisputable fact is TOO much of anything is bad and that's why we find outselves in trouble.
Look - I look it like speed limits. You can drive fast if you want...but only so fast. It's for your safety and mine.
I'd be happy if they just taxed the bajebius out of junk/fast food and sodas and charged a hefty premium for insurance coverage if you are overweight. Yep - a fat tax. If you want to keep shoveling crap into yourself then fine. Just don't ask me to pick up the tab when the sh@t hits the fan.
And just for the record - I also consider raising obese childeren a form of child abuse. It's setting these kids up for a life full of medical problems and an almost certain early death. If that's not abuse, I don't know what is.
As I said - I don't think it should be up to the lawmakers, but if WE aren't going to do anything about it, who will?
You can't have it both ways - we don't want the government to tell us how to fix it AND we're not going to do a damned thing to fix it ourselves. So if you think it it's an absolute no-no for the government to step in and you realize that this obesity problem will cost all of dearly (in $$ and lives), where's the solution?
see I know people who are underweight and instructed too eat way too much including junk food if that is what is on the menu.
So, a fat tax wouldn't be fair.
I just don't want to be told what I can eat and what I cant.
A 32oz coke because of genetics may not have the same effect on me as another person.
After that, I'm just afraid is a startling beginning of individual rights being taken away
when the government pays all my bills, including my medical coverage 100%, then they can tell me what to eat. in the meantime, i won't even have social security waiting when i retire even though i'm paying into the system. they can kiss my grits!!!
Bottom line. Who should be responsible for your health? You or the Government? I can't even believe there's a debate on this. If you need the government to take care of you, the please jump off a cliff . . . Obviously I need to say more or the radicals on this site will jump on my case. Obviously some people do need government assistance. But to protect the population from getting fat by limiting what can be served is obsured.
I say no, if we want to destroy our bodies that is our own business. We know what is good and bad for us but it's our choice and shouldn't be taken away. I get why they think it would help but it's not right.
I understand concerns over personal liberties but we do live in an interconnected society, and the actions or inactions of obese people don't just affect them. I believe that since the obesity epidemic has already impacted the national economy, a governmental response is appropriate.
Obesity not only contributes to increased healthcare costs, but to increased taxes in the form of Medicaid, disability, and social services resulting from injuries or illness related to obesity. This topic got me thinking and I found an interesting article on the economic impact of obesity. It discusses how obesity has led to substantial increases to the costs of not only healthcare, but things like productivity, transportation, employee absenteeism, and infrastructure.
Why should someone’s liberty to gorge themselves on junk food come at the financial expense of others? The economic effects alone make it a government problem, so I do not see why the government cannot take measures to address it.
We already have a system of laws and taxes that curtail behavior for the benefit of the society as a whole. If you want to smoke or drink, fine go ahead. But since it is more than likely that your smoking and drinking will have a negative impact on the economy, you pay a tax on booze and cigarettes. In that same vein, if you want to drink a 30 oz. Slurpee go ahead, but I do not think it is wrong to impose a tax on that Slurpee that will help offset the negative impact obesity is having on the economy.
People aren't saying the government should tell you what to eat, just that, if you want to indulge in behavior that is going to effect everyone else, pay for it. There's a difference between personal liberty and "I'm going to do whatever I want and everyone else can just deal with my Sh#t".
Last edited by kilowog75; June 22nd, 2012 at 04:22:04 PM..
This law is ridiculous! Absolutely not! Just because you can't buy a drink over 16 onces doesn't mean you can't just keep going up in a restraunt and refilling it....stupides thing I've ever heard!
I understand concerns over personal liberties but we do live in an interconnected society, and the actions or inactions of obese people don't just affect them. I believe that since the obesity epidemic has already impacted the national economy, a governmental response is appropriate.
Obesity not only contributes to increased healthcare costs, but to increased taxes in the form of Medicaid, disability, and social services resulting from injuries or illness related to obesity. This topic got me thinking and I found an interesting article on the economic impact of obesity. It discusses how obesity has led to substantial increases to the costs of not only healthcare, but things like productivity, transportation, employee absenteeism, and infrastructure.
Why should someone’s liberty to gorge themselves on junk food come at the financial expense of others? The economic effects alone make it a government problem, so I do not see why the government cannot take measures to address it.
We already have a system of laws and taxes that curtail behavior for the benefit of the society as a whole. If you want to smoke or drink, fine go ahead. But since it is more than likely that your smoking and drinking will have a negative impact on the economy, you pay a tax on booze and cigarettes. In that same vein, if you want to drink a 30 oz. Slurpee go ahead, but I do not think it is wrong to impose a tax on that Slurpee that will help offset the negative impact obesity is having on the economy.
People aren't saying the government should tell you what to eat, just that, if you want to indulge in behavior that is going to effect everyone else, pay for it. There's a difference between personal liberty and "I'm going to do whatever I want and everyone else can just deal with my Sh#t".
Thank you - this is exactly what I was trying to say without the emotions behind it. People tend to forget that their actions/choices have effects on other's lives/wallets. This is one of the biggest.
Should the Govt tell you what to eat and drink?
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