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Fat Tax. Good Or Bad?
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I am in two minds about this. On the one hand it cannot be denied there is a big problem and one that could easily break the NHS as we know it. On the other hand I dislike this knee jerk reaction to tax everything, particularly from a so called Tory Government (Although we all know Mr & Mrs Johnson are really Greens).
I wonder if Bunter will just stick his Mars Bars on the expenses, and I wonder if the taxes will apply to the Commons Bar?
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I wonder if Bunter will just stick his Mars Bars on the expenses, and I wonder if the taxes will apply to the Commons Bar?
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//The levy on sugary drinks has led to a reduction in sugar intake.//
Amongst whom, though? Is it amongst those who have the occasional can of Coke and have cut out one or two, or is it amongst those who live on the stuff and drink nothing else? The problem with taxes on “sinful” foodstuffs is that it hits all consumers and not just those who need to reduce their intake.
The principal problem with poor diet is not lack of money and it is not lack of education. It is simply the lack of willingness to invest time into feeding yourself and your children. Meals made from healthy basic ingredients need to be prepared and cooked and that is what many people refuse to do. Why should they, you will hear them say, bother to spend time cutting up meat and vegetables when they can pop down to Tesco’s and buy a pizza that they can simply chuck in the microwave (or better still, get Domino’s to deliver it for them)?
I have neighbours who have two children. They are well educated professional people, both with good salaries. Money is not a problem for them. They have both been working from home for the last fifteen months where previously they had longish commutes. Yet they virtually live on delivered food and what is not delivered comes from the microwave. Each day they will have at least one delivered meal and often two. They will have a lunchtime snack delivered and then when the children have returned from school the “main meal” will be delivered. The variety is necessarily fairly restricted, but McDonald’s, Domino’s, a local kebab shop feature heavily and Deliveroo bring their food from other sources. “We don’t want to spend the extra time we have by not having to travel messing about cooking” they once told us. Quite what they do with the extra time (they each spent about two hours a day commuting) is somewhat mysterious. Both the adults are overweight and the children are well on the way to being so.
Similar situations apply to those who are not so well off but who also choose to live on processed food. Fresh ingredients can be bought cheaply but you have to spend some time buying and preparing them and they quite simply will not do it. Taxing sugar and fat will not change the habits of such people. Getting other people to cook their food is their lifestyle. Many people don’t even have the facilities to cook food, let alone the will. Why would you buy a cooker when you never cook? In years gone by poor people were thin and malnourished. The idea that they would pay others to prepare food for them was outlandish. Now, “poor” people are overweight because they eat too much of the wrong type of food which other people have sourced, prepared, cooked (and very often delivered) for them. That will not change by putting a five pence levy on a Big Mac.
Amongst whom, though? Is it amongst those who have the occasional can of Coke and have cut out one or two, or is it amongst those who live on the stuff and drink nothing else? The problem with taxes on “sinful” foodstuffs is that it hits all consumers and not just those who need to reduce their intake.
The principal problem with poor diet is not lack of money and it is not lack of education. It is simply the lack of willingness to invest time into feeding yourself and your children. Meals made from healthy basic ingredients need to be prepared and cooked and that is what many people refuse to do. Why should they, you will hear them say, bother to spend time cutting up meat and vegetables when they can pop down to Tesco’s and buy a pizza that they can simply chuck in the microwave (or better still, get Domino’s to deliver it for them)?
I have neighbours who have two children. They are well educated professional people, both with good salaries. Money is not a problem for them. They have both been working from home for the last fifteen months where previously they had longish commutes. Yet they virtually live on delivered food and what is not delivered comes from the microwave. Each day they will have at least one delivered meal and often two. They will have a lunchtime snack delivered and then when the children have returned from school the “main meal” will be delivered. The variety is necessarily fairly restricted, but McDonald’s, Domino’s, a local kebab shop feature heavily and Deliveroo bring their food from other sources. “We don’t want to spend the extra time we have by not having to travel messing about cooking” they once told us. Quite what they do with the extra time (they each spent about two hours a day commuting) is somewhat mysterious. Both the adults are overweight and the children are well on the way to being so.
Similar situations apply to those who are not so well off but who also choose to live on processed food. Fresh ingredients can be bought cheaply but you have to spend some time buying and preparing them and they quite simply will not do it. Taxing sugar and fat will not change the habits of such people. Getting other people to cook their food is their lifestyle. Many people don’t even have the facilities to cook food, let alone the will. Why would you buy a cooker when you never cook? In years gone by poor people were thin and malnourished. The idea that they would pay others to prepare food for them was outlandish. Now, “poor” people are overweight because they eat too much of the wrong type of food which other people have sourced, prepared, cooked (and very often delivered) for them. That will not change by putting a five pence levy on a Big Mac.
So many of you seem to think you have the answer, and in theory you are right eat less move more, and cut down on sugar and fat etc... But it really isn't that easy, I can honestly say I have tried everything short of surgery, Been a size 10 and a size 26, had hypnotherapy, hypnogastric band sessions, slimming clubs, low fat, atkins, keto, been a gym regular, swimming 3-5 times a week, walked miles, fasted, low cal meal replacements, diet pills that were similar to amphetamines, and prostate that have me horrendous but problems and at time lost 4-5 stone before something clicks and I stop like an alcoholic and go back to the foods that poison me. Every time getting fatter yet I look back to when I was young and see by today's standards I was a healthy weight for my height, very toned and active, but guess what in the 1970s size 16 was considered gross so the cycle of failure began.
Fashion clothes were hard to find even in a size 14, at least normal has adjusted upwards slightly and although bmi isn't the best measure being able to measure body fat percentage is quite a good guide.
I do believe that the car is one of the biggest problems, people just don't walk they are it as "exercise" not the normal way to get about, over protective adults drive children from a to b,
My second culprit is decades of marketing, the adverts show idealised humans indulging in the food and drink that will change them into something a million miles from the marketing.
Thirdly the want it now culture... That's the reason for fast food, microwave meals, takeaways and deliveries, no one waits, they say they have busy lives, but are they as busy as years ago, no, but they have to be seen as busy, because that has come to be a measure of success. A full diary, constant contact means no time to cook. I know if couples who have ditched having a kitchen to fit in a home gym, but also I know if many who despite watching tv chefs don't cook. Guess what fear of it not turning out perfectly stops them. Somewhere in the last 50 years or so we became frightened to fail, we have to be perfect so better not to try.
Last and this is going to be contentious the way children seem to become little tyrants whose every whim must be obeyed. The screaming tantrums when parents try to get them to go past McDonalds, the excuses when meals are what the child chooses because otherwise he or she won't eat, guess what, a child will only choose the stuff they like or see their favourite character advertising. Sometimes the easy options are not the right way, and I understand that after a long day at work arguing about a few peas and carrots is really difficult, and food equals love, it's deeply connected to ideas of home and nurture.
Fashion clothes were hard to find even in a size 14, at least normal has adjusted upwards slightly and although bmi isn't the best measure being able to measure body fat percentage is quite a good guide.
I do believe that the car is one of the biggest problems, people just don't walk they are it as "exercise" not the normal way to get about, over protective adults drive children from a to b,
My second culprit is decades of marketing, the adverts show idealised humans indulging in the food and drink that will change them into something a million miles from the marketing.
Thirdly the want it now culture... That's the reason for fast food, microwave meals, takeaways and deliveries, no one waits, they say they have busy lives, but are they as busy as years ago, no, but they have to be seen as busy, because that has come to be a measure of success. A full diary, constant contact means no time to cook. I know if couples who have ditched having a kitchen to fit in a home gym, but also I know if many who despite watching tv chefs don't cook. Guess what fear of it not turning out perfectly stops them. Somewhere in the last 50 years or so we became frightened to fail, we have to be perfect so better not to try.
Last and this is going to be contentious the way children seem to become little tyrants whose every whim must be obeyed. The screaming tantrums when parents try to get them to go past McDonalds, the excuses when meals are what the child chooses because otherwise he or she won't eat, guess what, a child will only choose the stuff they like or see their favourite character advertising. Sometimes the easy options are not the right way, and I understand that after a long day at work arguing about a few peas and carrots is really difficult, and food equals love, it's deeply connected to ideas of home and nurture.
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