Americans who eat poorly is the second largest problem with this country (second to our insane over-usage of petroleum). I'm fine with demanding that food served as a "Meal" must be nutritionally sound. On the other hand, if it is a-la-carte, then I am fine with it being whatever it wants to be... as long as it is clearly marked as such. In other words, let people eat what they want, but make them determine what they really want based on each item if it isn't healthy. If they can't do that, then offer the toy separately and offer per item sales.

Doddsino wrote:

What next? Enslavement camps for fat people?

Well, there are certainly a lot of cons to this... I mean, freedom is kinda what the country is based on...

But imagine airline travel without being squished by the guy next to you, or filling an elevator to maximum capacity based on people, not weight. Imagine less wheezing from the guy in the corner of the office. But all of that doesn't really matter. We can all tolerate the small stuff.

What I can't deal with is the fact that I have to pay more money to my health insurance company because some irresponsible fat fucks can't teach their kids that French fries, apple pie, soda, and a hamburger aren't fucking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Those ignorant little bastards and their idiotic adult supervisors are literally a leach on the economy, most specifically the middle class.

So no, I don't think that obesity should lead you to an internment camp. I am behind any effort that communities want to make that equates to a healthier general population. If parents want to make bad food decisions for their kids, fine, they are going to do it, but don't make it easy for them, and for the love of god, charge a fucking tax on that shit.

DarkMaze wrote:

GPFontaine wrote: What I can't deal with is the fact that I have to pay more money to my health insurance company because some irresponsible fat fucks can't teach their kids that French fries, apple pie, soda, and a hamburger aren't fucking breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You are fined two credits for violations of the Verbal Morality Statute. Also: < MOVIE >

I didn't say make it illegal. I said, separate it on a menu... I am also fine with just charging a hefty tax that covers the cost of caring for obesity related illnesses.

So caveman... let's finish with all the Rip Van Winkle and get moving.

Where would I draw the line?

* Soft drinks = Tax
* Alcoholic drinks = Tax
* All foods with more than 2G of transfats pers serving = tax
* All restaurant prepared foods that have a ratio higher than 70 calories to 1 oz per serving = tax. This means an individual item on a menu, not its sides. So think about the hamburger and whatever dresses it, not the fries on the side. Tax would be on a per item basis and only paid on the value of the item. So if you got something healthy and something shitty, you only pay the tax on the shitty thing.

How much tax? I would start it at 5%.

So, if you buy a soda for $1.25, it would now cost $1.31. This tax would be in addition to any current sales taxes or bottle deposits in effect.

So if you bought 6 items off the dollar menu at McDonnald's and 5 of them were "tax worthy" you would pay 25 cents in a "fat tax".

And that is how I would do it.