[PublicAnimalNo9]

andyt andyt:

Take all sorts of things to a logical conclusion and you get some very illogical consequences.

Nothing wrong with the idea, the trick is in setting the policy, so you cast a wide enough net but don't punish all sorts of healthy foods. Can't be that hard tho to set limits for added sugar/salt/fat before the tax kicks in.

Wouldn't necessarily work for some "foods". Companies play games with loopholes. One cereal maker got real imaginative and lowered the amount of sugar per serving simply by reducing the "suggested" serving size to what was essentially half a bowl.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Regina Regina:

Because of the genetics we are born with, some people don't get fat eating "junk" food.

My sister-in law eats mostly vegetables although she does enjoy a bit of cheese and meat from time to time. Certainly not nearly enough to make her the almost 400lbs she is though.

[martin14]

wildrosegirl wildrosegirl:

It's quite simply, that a doctor will be appointed to you to help you overcome your problem. If you REFUSE to overcome it, sucks to be you until you get your head out of your ass.
I don't have a problem with that. I wouldn't have an issue with the same for druggies either. We'll help you. If you refuse, you're on your own until you straighten out. It's called accountability. I kinda like it.

They are starting to do this in the UK.
Either get thinner, drop the booze, etc, or lose your benefits.

Be interesting to see how it works.

[Freakinoldguy]

martin14 martin14:

wildrosegirl wildrosegirl:

It's quite simply, that a doctor will be appointed to you to help you overcome your problem. If you REFUSE to overcome it, sucks to be you until you get your head out of your ass.
I don't have a problem with that. I wouldn't have an issue with the same for druggies either. We'll help you. If you refuse, you're on your own until you straighten out. It's called accountability. I kinda like it.

They are starting to do this in the UK.
Either get thinner, drop the booze, etc, or lose your benefits.

Be interesting to see how it works.

Are they doing it with drug addicts, sex addicts, and every other unhealthy lifestyle or is it specifically booze and obesity?

Sorry. I just checked and it's not just the obese and boozers who are getting this treatment. Apparently age is now an unhealthy lifestyle.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014 ... derly-care

"Mr. Jones this is serious. You'll have to change your lifestyle and get younger or you risk losing your health care benefits."

But seriously here's the link your post and it isn't health care benefits they're cutting it's:

$1:

The report suggests linking benefit payments to claimants' lifestyles, and notes that some councils have introduced schemes allowing GPs to prescribe exercise at swimming pools, yoga, gyms and walking clubs.

$1:

"Where an exercise package is prescribed to a resident, housing and council tax benefit payments could be varied to reward or incentivise residents," the authors state.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013 ... efits-cuts

So it sounds more like they're going after that segment of British Society that lives on welfare and social assistance so allow me to pose the question. Wouldn't it be better to get them jobs where they could burn off the fat rather than spend even more taxpayes money on a gym membership?

[DrCaleb]

PublicAnimalNo9 PublicAnimalNo9:

Regina Regina:

Because of the genetics we are born with, some people don't get fat eating "junk" food.

My sister-in law eats mostly vegetables although she does enjoy a bit of cheese and meat from time to time. Certainly not nearly enough to make her the almost 400lbs she is though.

You'd be surprised! We are encouraged to eat 3 squares a day, but there was a time when we went weeks and months without anything besides what we could catch or what wasn't too rotten on the trees. Most of us don't need 3 squares a day, we used to get by just fine on one or two a week!

We don't have to do that anymore because we learnt to preserve food, and now we even transport food fresh from far away.

The lack of starvation, sedentary work habits, and the extra meals we eat end up putting a lot of weight on people. The way food is presented is also having a large affect on our weight as well.

[DrCaleb]

$1:

For food companies, fat children are 'investment in future sales'

Tonight's first order of business is the thousands of Canadians who die every year from an epidemic we seem unable to control...that is, the obesity epidemic.

Salt, sugar and fat in our diets has put obesity on an alarming upward trajectory - and worse still, it's a problem that now starts in early childhood. Pointing fingers at corporate-owned food companies hasn't got us very far, but this isn't a problem any nation can afford to ignore.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/for-foo ... -1.2963888