We are AMERICANS.
NOT a brain-washed pack of socialist Euro-weenies.
Government is the PROBLEM, not the solution.
If I want to main-line lard, WHAT business is it of yours?
NONE.
PUBLIC OPINION > America Should Not Adopt a Fat Tax
SodaHead News
2012/05/21 22:00:00
Following Denmark's recent adoption of a "fat tax" -- that is, a tax on fatty foods, not a tax on fat people -- researchers are suggesting that a similar tax in America could save thousands of lives and cut down on obesity. But would a fat tax fly in the land of liberty? We asked the public to find out.
Fat chance! There was some support for a fat tax, but not nearly enough to pass on a ballot. Nearly two-thirds of respondents were opposed. One commenter wrote, "This does nothing to solve the real problem in America: Healthy natural foods are overpriced." Many comments echoed that sentiment, suggesting that it would be more productive to develop cheap nutritious food than to make the fatty stuff more expensive.
International Encouragement
It's gonna be tough to pass legislation if American citizens are against it, but there's plenty of support overseas. Voters from outside the U.S. were twice as likely to support a fat tax. Although, keep in mind that the question asked about an American fat tax, so international voters aren't necessarily saying they want one in their own country. But they'd definitely like to see one in the States.
Heavy Opposition
Naturally, overweight respondents were among the least supportive. Presumably, that's because it would impact their budget the most. Skinny voters were actually more than twice as likely to support a fat tax as overweight voters. Average weight voters sided with the overweight, while athletes were closer to skinny voters, but not quite as enthusiastic.
Liberals Love the Idea
Finally, as expected, there was an enormous political margin. Liberals were more supportive than any other group with 73% saying they would encourage a fat tax. That's an unprecedented 50% more than conservatives. Oddly enough, progressives were against the tax, as were most moderates and "others." Libertarians were even more opposed than conservatives with just 18% support.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about the fat tax. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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abubincrazy 2012/05/21 23:19:30
What I find ironic is that people will defend a welfare recipients right to buy junk food with tax payers money but will remove the right of individuals to buy what they want with their own money.
BTW I don't drink soda but the hypocrisy just appals me.
But Americans on food assistance can buy what ever they want, fat and soda with our taxpayers money and it's a ok with you.
I allow my kids to have soda and junk food, in moderation. Who pays the 15k in fines? My property taxes do!
Parents are the primary example for children.
Our school removed the soda machines, the kids started brown bagging lunches again so they could have a soda. The school lost money!
The obesity problem is not the fault of schools, it is a parenting problem.
For five years I was forced to feed my camp kids "government lunches" due to the high percentage of poor attendees. If you saw what they presented to my "kids" as food, you'd understand my lack of faith.
I had to fight the city to allow me to utilize a small piece of their property to grow a garden to supplement their diet of moldy bologna sandwiches, prepackaged pbnj, "mystery meat", rotten fruit etc.
The camp kids loved eating the vegetable they grew themselves! Raw and all! :)
God bless my husband, he never once complained that my pay was spent on feeding "my kids"
I made a lot of spaghetti, lol!
http://rt.com/usa/news/wealth...
No to the TAX.
1, Promote and employ a national health/excercise program centered at the students, much like JFK did when he was in office. I remember getting a badge for conforming to it.
2, Require better healthy balanced standards in quality food provided to students intended to educate and build healthier standards and habits.
Its about the CARBOHYDRATES. The sugars either simple or complex. 99% of what you eat your body converts it into to sugar (glucose) it is this product which is stored in the cells and this which is horded by the body (fat deposits). All foods have carbs in the veggie world corn is one of teh highest carb/sugar item in the fruit world its berries which are the worse. You could in fact have teh same values if you eat a 1/2 cup of corn or you eat several spoonfulls of plain white sugar.
Sugar also spikes in the blood and cause people to FEEL hunger so they eat again or more then they should. (carbs are why you feel hungry 1 to 2 hours after eating chinese) Lowering but not eliminating carbs are teh key eating more complex carbs and matching them with protiens (which slow the absorbion of carbs but are also high in fats and cholesterols) is k...
Its about the CARBOHYDRATES. The sugars either simple or complex. 99% of what you eat your body converts it into to sugar (glucose) it is this product which is stored in the cells and this which is horded by the body (fat deposits). All foods have carbs in the veggie world corn is one of teh highest carb/sugar item in the fruit world its berries which are the worse. You could in fact have teh same values if you eat a 1/2 cup of corn or you eat several spoonfulls of plain white sugar.
Sugar also spikes in the blood and cause people to FEEL hunger so they eat again or more then they should. (carbs are why you feel hungry 1 to 2 hours after eating chinese) Lowering but not eliminating carbs are teh key eating more complex carbs and matching them with protiens (which slow the absorbion of carbs but are also high in fats and cholesterols) is key and correct portion sizes. 3oz of meat is a correct portion size taht is teh same size as a deck of cards.
those 500 and up levels of fat would never occur anywhere even 1 cup of pure veg oil only has 205 gm of fat and I don't know any one who drinks oil. fat levels do not equal calories which is likely what you are thinking of but calories are not something you eat they are a unit of engery measurement and mean nothing in nutritional factors.
So a tax on fat wouldn't sever any purpose at all except to make food more expensive over all...
It's called vegetables, lardass, they're not expensive.