One of the key things I forgot to mention in my rant about the cost of obesity is the push to start taxing fatty foods. I found more mention of this today so wanted to touch on it. First a couple articles referring to the tax on fat:
The first article mentions how successful increased taxes on tobacco products was in reducing the use of tobacco. Point noted. However I don’t think you can really compare the two.
- First, there’s really not much of a question on the dangers of using tobacco products. It’s likely to kill you if you use it excessively or are exposed to 2nd hand smoke regularly.
With food and diet, there’s a lot of bad science out there that is confusing the issue and not really giving us a clear picture in the real culprits of the obesity epidemic (or “experts” are just choosing to turn a blind eye to the answers that don’t measure up with their position).
- Second, the government didn’t sit there telling you to smoke. Instead they issued a surgeon generals warning against the use of it.
In regard to food, the government has been very vocal in the way they think the american people should be eating; Low-Fat/High-Carb all the way baby. Yet since these recommendations were handed down in the late 70’s/early 80’s the obesity rate has sky-rocketed. Hmmm – connection? Anyone?
So with these two points, I declare junk food (frequently referred to as “fattening food” in these articles) consumption really can’t be compared to tobacco.
My real issue is this… who is going to define junkfood? We’ve got the vast majority of healthcare professionals and government meddlers demonizing fat, especially saturated fat, and declaring it unhealthy. Then you have this small pocket of people, including notable medical professionals, who shun sugar and carbs and consume fat as the key macro-nutrient in their diet (or hand in hand with protein).
I eat very “fattening” foods, much to the delight of my body (a recent shift). I consume fat heavy meals – around 60% of my calories come from fat – and I shun carbs and sugar. My body feels so much better eating this way; it’s no longer on a roller coaster ride of blood sugar peaks and valleys.
Frankly, I’m afraid of losing the choice of eating this way. And if they start taxing fatty foods it’s likely to get much more expensive for me to sustain my current diet – one that my body is thriving on.
Now on one hand, I can see the logic in taxing sugary drinks and things like candy bars and dessert items, both sugary and fatty, not a good combination for fat loss. But at the same time, I hate to give more money to a government that is doing a piss poor job where nutrition is concerned.
They want to tax this stuff to pay for healthcare. Healthcare’s costs have risen substantially because of diseases that correlate with obesity. Obesity has increased substantially over the past 30 years, increasing the incidence of these related diseases. 30 years ago the government first started beating the low-fat drum.
This is a cycle that is going to keep spinning, obesity & disease will rise, healthcare costs will rise, and taxes will rise to pay for the healthcare needed for the diseases blamed on obesity that started to skyrocket (coincidentally?) around the time the government meddled in nutrition.
Round and round we go until the system spirals out of control or there’s no one left to give a shit about the system. This reminds me of that quote:
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.
The government and its hired “experts” have gone friggin’ nuts. Are we going to have to experience 30 more years of this decline in health before someone gets a clue and changes the dietary recommendations handed out by the government?
