Thank the free fucking market

[rwh11385]

Why not tax obese people?

If you're BMI is above "X," then you get an additional tax on that order of fries, or milkshake, or bacon cheeseburger. Hell, make it so they can only have a salad with oil/vinegar dressing and grilled chicken until they quit being fatty mcfat fats.

BMI alone is a bad measure of healthiness.

[M-technik-3]

Dear Corvallis,

There's a bit of difference between diets in US vs. France and Germany. (Like try finding steak anywhere in Germany). UK doesn't seem as healthy in London but who knows - maybe country folk make up for city folk bad eating, especially with so many hobby farmers these days and the organic / healthy craze is way stronger there.

Look at Japan. Rice and fish seem a lot better than fried chicken and soda and bacon cheeseburgers.

Health care is the treatment of ailments, which may or may not be longevity-focused. I would assume we are the pinnacle of world's spending on penis pills, depression meds, hairloss treatments, lasik, and any other "quality of life" medicines that don't necessarily prolong life. Add in sports medicine too. It's not like all of the spending is towards survival.

+1 to Turf's and Ken's easier posts too.

But regardless of spending, freedom of human choice allows people to make unhealthy decisions which may shorten their life. Lack of exercise, poor diets, smoking, and risky behavior cannot be solved by spending $$.

Not hard to get a steak in Germany at all. Matter of fact it's my preferred dinner while there. Nice Cracked Peppercorn steak with a great sauce, yum.

Japan, hmmm seems the majority of the population smokes and drinks heavy as well.

We just pay a lot due to many factors. Malpractice, drug studies, lawyers and numerous other things. I still feel safe walking into a US hospital vs some of the places I have had to go for treatment.

[rwh11385]

Not hard to get a steak in Germany at all. Matter of fact it's my preferred dinner while there. Nice Cracked Peppercorn steak with a great sauce, yum.

Japan, hmmm seems the majority of the population smokes and drinks heavy as well.

We just pay a lot due to many factors. Malpractice, drug studies, lawyers and numerous other things. I still feel safe walking into a US hospital vs some of the places I have had to go for treatment.

Yeah, but it is slaughtered dairy cows, not "beef" cattle. My old Ag friends warned it was not gonna be what you expected back home. Pork dominates meat there, and most European countries consume less kg of meat per capita than the US.

[z31maniac]

BMI alone is a bad measure of healthiness.

Don't be pedantic, I know you understood the point I was trying to make.

[ReallyDirtyThirty]

The answer is to tax the hell out of cigarettes and booze to offset high health care costs.

Yeah, because that will work. Sin taxes are already incredibly high and are placing a burden on lower and middle class consumers in this country. If you continue to increase the taxes on these products you will create a black market and state will not be able to recoup any revenues of the consumption of these products.

You see this occurring right now in New York where the state has increased taxes on cigarettes to the breaking point. New York tabacco tax revenues are down over $135 million dollars and if you drive out near the Pennsylvania border (where taxes are much lower) you see trucks lined up on the road selling cigarettes that were bought in PA and to be sold in NY. Highly illegal but its hapenning now.

[rwh11385]

Don't be pedantic, I know you understood the point I was trying to make.

Really? Explain how to efficiently measure the healthiness of Americans without skewing it to reward or punish unfairly. Fitness is not a simple measurement and testing would be costly, and implementation of tax on it would be complicated.

I'm not saying vice taxes are great either, but taxing poor choices instead of those who make them or their outcomes tend to be easier. Complaining about health care costs and then taxing someone who has a heart attack from cheeseburgers is double burdening them - not that it is not their fault.

How can government influence positive life choices without restricting freedoms? And do more than the first lady saying we should exercise and have a salad...

As long as there is limited fresh produce available or cost-effective but a great supply of unhealthy, fried and processed foods in low income areas, then people are likely to continue to take the easy, "tasty" path. The evil is not necessarily the companies providing what people want but competition driving down prices so that people find crap food a value, then it's hard to avoid. (Not that eating out at sit-down restaurants are healthy either.)

Americans needs more time to cook, better incentives to eat healthy, and to be exercised. Some ancient measure of weight and height is not the answer. Maybe tax on fast food is closer to answer though?

[z31maniac]

Really? Explain how to efficiently measure the healthiness of Americans without skewing it to reward or punish unfairly. Fitness is not a simple measurement and testing would be costly, and implementation of tax on it would be complicated.

That was the point of my post, I guess the tongue-in-cheek aspect of the comment didn't make it through.

[der affe]

BMI alone is a bad measure of healthiness.

+1
At 6' 235lbs I am anything but fat, but concidered morbidly obese.

I remember when I was in high school companies would off lower health care costs if you joined a gym. Even some of the health care providers would fully or partially reimburse you the costs of the membership fees if you joined a gym.

Remember when fat kids were out of the norm in school? Now it just seems to be the accepted norm.

Diet, school budget cuts for PE, computer games/internet, working parents who use fast food as a cheap easy meal all play a roll in this. These kids just grow up to be fat, unhealthy adults.

[ReallyDirtyThirty]

rwh is correct in stating that often times the unhealthiest food is the most inexpensive. Furthermore, many of these consumers are eating to "fill-up" and are not concerned about nutrition.

The problem with taxing fast-food and other types of low cost food-stuffs is that you end up placing a greater burden on people who are already under enormous financial strain.

[Ryan Stewart]

+1
At 6' 235lbs I am anything but fat, but concidered morbidly obese.

You must be swole then because you got 60lbs on me at the same height and my ribs dont show.

The problem with taxing fast-food and other types of low cost food-stuffs is that you end up placing a greater burden on people who are already under enormous financial strain.

So? They are placing a burden on both themselves and everyone else. How else do you suggest we make their shitty lifestyles sustainable?

Just to note, I am not in support of a fatty tax. I say let them deal with the consequences of hard arteries and diabetes on their own. If their insurance is high, so be it. They can have a support group for those with DUIs complaining about how they cant get auto insurance.

[CorvallisBMW]

Just to note, I am not in support of a fatty tax. I say let them deal with the consequences of hard arteries and diabetes on their own. If their insurance is high, so be it. They can have a support group for those with DUIs complaining about how they cant get auto insurance.

The problem is they don't pay any more than someone who is healthy, or at least not enough to make them change their habits. Especially if you get insurance through your employer (which a majority due), there is zero difference in premiums between someone who is healthy and someone who is morbidly obese.

I'm all for charging people based on the amount of health care they require, but the US system of employer-sponsored health insurance makes it very difficult. In most cases, only age affects your premiums when under such a plan. Someone who starts a job at 25 y.o. and 180lbs can balloon to 480 lbs in 20 years and still pay exactly the same $30/mo premium with their employer....

[rwh11385]

That was the point of my post, I guess the tongue-in-cheek aspect of the comment didn't make it through.

Sarcasm is hard to grasp on the internets, especially when I'm on the 'quil. Stupid lil cold - still haven't been to a general practitioner for about 5 years. Eye once a year, dentist, and keeping myself healthy or using OTC, yet still paying a lot for health coverage.

[z31maniac]

The problem is they don't pay any more than someone who is healthy, or at least not enough to make them change their habits. Especially if you get insurance through your employer (which a majority due), there is zero difference in premiums between someone who is healthy and someone who is morbidly obese.

I'm all for charging people based on the amount of health care they require, but the US system of employer-sponsored health insurance makes it very difficult. In most cases, only age affects your premiums when under such a plan. Someone who starts a job at 25 y.o. and 180lbs can balloon to 480 lbs in 20 years and still pay exactly the same $30/mo premium with their employer....

Yup, our company this year is giving us an incetive to join the gym, get physicals and such.

But, how would you feel about being told you're only allowed to buy 3 beers per week because more alcohol consumption that that is "dangerous to your health." Because of its damage not only to the liver, but your heart.

Sarcasm is hard to grasp on the internets, especially when I'm on the 'quil. Stupid lil cold - still haven't been to a general practitioner for about 5 years. Eye once a year, dentist, and keeping myself healthy or using OTC, yet still paying a lot for health coverage.

"Good satire should imperceptible."

[Ryan Stewart]

The problem is they don't pay any more than someone who is healthy, or at least not enough to make them change their habits. Especially if you get insurance through your employer (which a majority due), there is zero difference in premiums between someone who is healthy and someone who is morbidly obese.

I'm all for charging people based on the amount of health care they require, but the US system of employer-sponsored health insurance makes it very difficult. In most cases, only age affects your premiums when under such a plan. Someone who starts a job at 25 y.o. and 180lbs can balloon to 480 lbs in 20 years and still pay exactly the same $30/mo premium with their employer....

And that is what I believe should change. It is, after all, a business. For losing exceptions from some anti-trust laws they should be allowed to negotiate their policies just like anyone else does.

[DeM3nted]

Why not tax obese people?

If you're BMI is above "X," then you get an additional tax on that order of fries, or milkshake, or bacon cheeseburger. Hell, make it so they can only have a salad with oil/vinegar dressing and grilled chicken until they quit being fatty mcfat fats.

Obese people are already over taxed by their colons. Tax fast food joints that offer items exceeding a government mandated maximum on fat content. McD's, Jack-in-the-Crack, Carls Junior, Arby's et al should ALL have their asses on the grill to lower fat content.
Fatty foods are like crack and is additive. People use them to satiate a chemical imbalance where fat triggers a neuro-pleasure receptor. So, the more fat you eat, the more you want to consume. These fast food companies are well aware of it and have done nothing except remove the "super sized" meals from their menus.