why is the sugar tax bad??

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Original post by difeo

I suppose that's technically true, but it's somewhat bizarre logic that can be applied to every type of tax: "the government's decision to offer education, police and roads doesn't give them the right to take 20% of my wages off me". That's just how a country works, you get some stuff and have to pay taxes for it, and it's a pretty good deal really. People are going to be offered treatment when they eat themselves into hospital and they're going to take it, let's not pretend otherwise.

General taxes are a different matter. They do not follow from an involvement in people's lifestyle choices. This sugar tax does. That is why I have a problem with it.

Reply 122

She-Ra

Original post by chazwomaq

But as I said before, this is only a problem if you're micronutrient (and indeed fibre) deficient. Is that a big problem in this country? (Lack of fibre is I grant you.)

That's not true. I think the majority of people in the UK are not getting good value nutrients and vitamins. Many are nutrient deficient. Given that the obesity rates and rates of chronic disease constantly are increasing this is largely to do with not eating fresh, natural food.

Original post by Kvothe the arcane

But once your needs are met, there is no advantage really in having your calories saturated with nutrients.

But are people meeting their needs? Cereal with milk, sandwich with a bit of chicken and limp salad, pizza or spag bol for dinner. Where are the veggies and fruit? I think that is likely to be the average day - to - day diet here in the UK. If none of those meals are 'homemade' and all pre-prepared in a factory they will be full of sugar and preservatives.

The thing that worries me the most is that we're so many of us are totally disconnected from what fuels our bodies healthily. At the same time, a lot of sugar, fast food and processed foods actually make us feel pretty terrible, but we're so used to it we don't even know. It's only when you cut it out that you realise how much more awesome you feel and how much more in tune with your body you are, both emotionally and physically.

Personally I don't think the sugar tax will work. The money that will allegedly go into physical activity programmes for young people is all smoke and mirrors because obesity along with other health issues will still prevail - the NHS will still get squeezed for all its worth and the health of the nation will continue to decline.

Reply 123

Kvothe the Arcane

20

Original post by TimmonaPortella

....

Do you feel similarly about taxes on cigarettes or alcohol?

Reply 124

Original post by Thomb

Fizzy drinks companies will have to lower the price of drinks they make meaning less profit sand therefore a loss of jobs.

You got that the wong way round. they will have to increase the price or accpet lower profit margins.

they cna ofc move people onto other drinks.

Reply 125

[QUOTE="arcane;63597111" Kvothe="Kvothe" the="the"]Do you feel similarly about taxes on cigarettes or alcohol?[/QUOTE}

Absolutely.

Reply 126

mkap

20

Original post by DiddyDec

The idiocy of this statement is beyond me. You clearly don't understand how diabetes works.

Posted from TSR Mobile

have you seen paul blart mall cop? hes hypoglycemic

Reply 127

Tootles

Original post by firstofthestartz

like why is it bad for people to be healthy???

It's bad because it is yet another illustration of the government's mentality concerning what the right thing is. Specifically, they seem to think that if something's bad, making it expensive will stop people doing it. Just like with smoking and drinking; they're both so much more expensive here than they are pretty much anywhere else in the world, and people do it more here.

Basically the people in charge are all obsessed with money, and think all problems can be solved by either throwing money at them, or else snatching it away.

Reply 128

Original post by Tootles

It's bad because it is yet another illustration of the government's mentality concerning what the right thing is. Specifically, they seem to think that if something's bad, making it expensive will stop people doing it. Just like with smoking and drinking; they're both so much more expensive here than they are pretty much anywhere else in the world, and people do it more here.

Basically the people in charge are all obsessed with money, and think all problems can be solved by either throwing money at them, or else snatching it away.

Thats because they are in charge of the economy and government. Without taxes they cnat run the country and things would collapse.

The healthier the workforce is then the more successful the economy can be and the longer people will be able to live to enjoy their lives.

Reply 129

Tootles

Original post by 999tigger

Thats because they are in charge of the economy and government. Without taxes they cnat run the country and things would collapse.

The healthier the workforce is then the more successful the economy can be and the longer people will be able to live to enjoy their lives.

Are you joking?

Taxes are very heavy, and the population sees very little benefit from that money. Everything gets cut, and the government's collective wage gets bigger. That's not running a country, it's milking it.

Healthy people work well and live long, yes - but you don't make them healthy by taxing the hell out of everything they do and forcefully medicating them through the water and milk.

Reply 130

Original post by Tootles

Are you joking?

Taxes are very heavy, and the population sees very little benefit from that money. Everything gets cut, and the government's collective wage gets bigger. That's not running a country, it's milking it.

Healthy people work well and live long, yes - but you don't make them healthy by taxing the hell out of everything they do and forcefully medicating them through the water and milk.

So if you want lower taxes, which services will you be cutting?
Tax rates are on a par with most of the western world.

Reply 131

username2228735

15

'Nudging' people to not drink sugary drinks is very different to taxing people who want to. The latter sounds like unnecessary government involvement.

Reply 132

DiddyDec01

3

Original post by mkap

have you seen paul blart mall cop? hes hypoglycemic

I can't say I have seen it.

EDIT: hypoglycaemia is a symptom not a condition.

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 133

Tootles

Original post by 999tigger

So if you want lower taxes, which services will you be cutting?
Tax rates are on a par with most of the western world.

Here's what we do.

We pay the MPs a living wage only. We put tax taken from certain things into relevant services, and we make the laws allowing large companies to get away with not paying gigantic sums so simple that paying becomes unavoidable.

Reply 134

chazwomaq

18

Original post by She-Ra

That's not true. I think the majority of people in the UK are not getting good value nutrients and vitamins. Many are nutrient deficient. Given that the obesity rates and rates of chronic disease constantly are increasing this is largely to do with not eating fresh, natural food.

Well, I phrased it as a question not a statement.

What is the actual evidence on micronutrient deficiency though? In this report it says "On average, intakes of the majority of vitamins were adequate (excluding vitamin D, see below)", and I know iron deficiency can be a problem in women because of menstruation. But apart from that?

I think the "fresh, natural" argument is bogus. You get fat when you eat too many calories, from whatever source. It is true though, that artificial foods like sweets, cakes and biscuits are energy dense and not satiating compared with things like meat, pulses and fruit and vegetables.

Reply 135