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Nothing. It's a vice tax. Which is fair. All of those are choices: gambling, cigarettes, alcohol, obesity.
Not the same. When you tax gambling you tax winnings not the person. When you tax cigarettes you tax the purchase of cigarettes not the person. When you tax alcohol you tax the purchase of alcohol not the person. Taxing someone for BEING fat is VERY different. To make it the same as gambling, cigarettes and alcohol you'd have to tax FOOD not the person.
I would not support a 'fat tax' until two things change; fewer subsidies for junk food (and more subsidies for fresh food), and welfare reform to prevent food stamps recipients from buying junk food.
One thing stands in the way of both; lobbyists.
We had two high profile presidential candidates running against lobbyists. The one that won has not really made much of a difference and so far as I can tell, hasn't put much effort into it anyway. If you're a Democrat, you know how important 2018 is, but even if you're a Republican, I urge you to support those who oppose lobbying interests have so much power over legislation.
Neither is paying for their health care when they suffer the consequences of their own bad food choices.
Which is why health care often costs more if you're overweight. The issue isn't taxes it's the cost of health care and that is between me and my provider.
On the bright side, obese people die younger so they collect social security and are on medicare for a shorter time. It all comes out in the wash.
What should really be done is utilize pieces of the Healthy Americans Act that would establish an open heakth insurance market where individuals can pick what they want. Cost and services are transparent. Also various plans built individuals can select from as well. This would be accepted across State lines and can be supplemented with private Insurance. Employers would no longer have to bear the burden of providing insurance to it's employers. Though over give year's would have to raise their employees pay by 1.5%. Employers also still can offer private health insurance if they choose to. More organizations can set up public health savings accounts open to the public.
With all that said discounts would be available. One discount is the Presidential Fit Challenge where you receive a credit towards next year's health insurance payments. Have to X amount of push ups based on your age. Run a mile based off your age. Stretch and flexibility based off your age. X amount of crunches bssed off your age.
Another deduction is not smoking or using drug's for 6 month's. Annual physical and dental cleaning. Joining a gym. Volunteer work for 50 hour's in 6 month's. Participate in 3 to 4 exercise events in a year.
Tax rebates for those who purchase exercise equipment or clothes.
If a Member of the National Guard or Reserves receive 50% discount yearly on health insurance. Universal health insurance for service members and their immediate family. Universal healthcare for Veterans at VA Health Facilities.
Universal Mental Health and Substance Abuse treatment at public and non profit institutions.
Universal Cancer treatment at public and non profit institutions.
Universal Healthcare for those 70 and older.
Vouchers for Government or Employer approved daycare service's. Voucher funds to individuals are determined based 9ff this calculation: Example - Salary $50,000 a year and childcare is $20,000 a year. That's 40% of your salary. Multiply 40% to $20,000. Your voucher would be $8,000 received.
Leave the decision to the State's. Excise taxes should not be added on to various food or beverage items outside of sales tax. Instead encourage and support States to adopt a system where residents of their State receive rebates for purchasing green and healthy. State's fund on their own where individuals shop at the grocery store they present their Green and Healthy living card. It's scan and tracks what you buy. You receive a rebate if you hit the percent threshold decided by the State. Example over a 6 month period of time you purchases 30% of vegetables and fruits. That individual receives $200 Tax rebate from their State. Just an example.
I would not support a 'fat tax' until two things change; fewer subsidies for junk food (and more subsidies for fresh food), and welfare reform to prevent food stamps recipients from buying junk food.
One thing stands in the way of both; lobbyists.
We had two high profile presidential candidates running against lobbyists. The one that won has not really made much of a difference and so far as I can tell, hasn't put much effort into it anyway. If you're a Democrat, you know how important 2018 is, but even if you're a Republican, I urge you to support those who oppose lobbying interests have so much power over legislation.
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But the tax needs to be on bad foods not people. It's the behavior that should be taxed not the person. I cannot lose weight. By the time I was diagnosed as hypothyroid I was over 200 pounds and there I've stayed no matter what I do (I also have an extremely slow metabolism. If I meditate I can get my RHR down in the low 40's. It's typically around 55 BPM.) When my doctor starts to talk about my weight I remind her that she wishes her skinny patients my age had my RHR, BP and cholesterol levels. She just gives me a quirky smile. She knows it's true. The best I can do is fit but fat. For me dieting does not work. I gain back what I lost quickly, while not over eating, and those pounds usually bring friends. I'd be 30 pounds lighter today if I had never gone on a diet.
There's a lot of research that says that we have a set weight and our bodies will fight to get back to it by lowering our metabolism until we get there and sending messages that we're starving when we're not. For many of us all dieting does is reset that weight a little higher so we have a few pounds to spare. There is only one way I've found to lose weight and keep it off and that is eating very low carb but that's just trading one health condition for another. I can exercise and eat right so I'm healthy even though I'm fat. If my kidneys fail because of a low carb diet there will be nothing I can do to reverse that. I used to work with a guy who lost 70 pounds on atkins and then died of kidney failure. Trust me he cost the medical system a lot more as a skinny person than he did as a fat person. He'd most likely still be alive today if he'd never done the low carb diet that destroyed his kidneys.
ETA: That set point works both ways BTW. My weight rarely fluctuates more than 5 pounds above my set point no matter how much I over eat and those pounds drop quickly once I return to normal eating. I just can't seem to move the set point. I've read that they are working on this.
Interestingly when I decided to become fit but fat my weight did not change. I hired a physical trainer and followed his diet plan. He was shocked to see the scale stay the same while I dropped inches. I work out, I eat right (most of the time), I get enough sleep and I drink plenty of water. That's really many of us can do.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 06-24-2017 at 08:21 AM..
Not the same. When you tax gambling you tax winnings not the person. When you tax cigarettes you tax the purchase of cigarettes not the person. When you tax alcohol you tax the purchase of alcohol not the person. Taxing someone for BEING fat is VERY different. To make it the same as gambling, cigarettes and alcohol you'd have to tax FOOD not the person.
Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah I'm the taxman
If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman
And you're working for no one but me.
What's the miracle ? Do you wake up one morning with a third eye ?
You'll lose weight.
You take pretty much anyone that's overweight outside of those with a legit glandular disorder and have hem eat mostly fruits, vegetables and lean unprocessed meats, and they'll lose weight. Most fat people will claim this isn't true because they tend to justify their lifestyles, but deep down, they typically know the truth.
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