How crazy of an idea is the fat tax?
I always enjoy watching a local U.S. news telecast whenever I can, if for no other reason than the obligatory “Is America getting too fat?” story a few minutes in.
You know the ones I’m talking about, the features where a reporter rambles off a bunch of stats while they show those shots of fat people from the neck down.
Those are always fun.
But we’re not exactly Tony Little-fit as a nation, either, and the plagues of obesity run much deeper than a higher risk of heart disease or the propensity to break a sweat while brushing your teeth.
In Canada, where health care costs are absorbed by government, taxpayer money is funnelled away by the millions to treat conditions brought on by something largely avoidable.
(I know, I know, many overweight people have medical conditions or genetic disorders that prevent them from losing weight. This is not a debate about that. But, I think, even those people would concede they are in the minority within the obese population.)
So, how do you fix it?
A quasi-radical solution, as pitched by Wisebread.com’s Paul Michael, is the fat tax.
Without regurgitating his argument too much (you can read it here), Michael essentially outlines how the tax could be used as a deterrent on junk food, insomuch as trying to remove it as an easily affordable purchase for people to make on a day-to-day basis.
Value menu items, he says, have become too attractive an option for people on a tight budget. When a double cheeseburger is a third of the price of a salad, where is the incentive to eat healthy?
Of course, anti-big brother, “enough government already!”-people will blast this proposal right from the start. And they’re right, it is a little totalitarian.
But you can also see there is a case to be made. More expensive junk food means, in theory, less opportunity for society to gain weight. That, in turn, means less strain on national health care. And, coupled with the decreased costs of having to mass-treat conditions like diabetes and hypertension, more tax money to use toward schools, bridges and all that good stuff.
What do you guys think? Is this somehow, someway - in some universe – not totally the worst idea ever?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Joe | Oct 21, 2021 4:56:28 PM
The Govt should concentrate more on lowering the price of healthy food and then they could make junk food a novelty and charge higher taxes on it!
Only makes sense!
Posted by: Dick | Oct 21, 2021 6:09:05 PM
Dear obese people every where. Please for all things good in this world stop blaming everyone and everything for your weight control issues. I work several different jobs and stil find the time to drag myself off the comfortable sofa to jog or at least walk a bit. thats all it takes, a little self control and will power to stop watching the TV and do something active instead. Drag yourself's away from the computer for 30 minutes a day and go for a walk. We have the same genes as our grandparents do and i don't recall seeing 400 + lb people with this regularity in photos from the 40's and 50's. So the excuses just don't hold any water. As for food. I find that it is cheaper to make food from scratch and it is easy to include vegetables in meals if you look for bargains. It will cost a bit more yes but it is 1000 times better for you than Rotten Ronnies or any other fast food joint that is feeding you a weeks fat and salt per meal. I make cuts in other areas just to indulge in my veggies.
Its about time we make people responsible for their actions and decisions. I grew up in a home that was very poor and i can't remember any meal that didn't include veggies or wasn't home made for that fact. Its just disgusting that obesety is an epidemic.
Posted by: ASDF | Oct 21, 2021 6:33:31 PM
Why should I, a healthy person, have to pay extra when I want to indulge and have some junk food? We should have private health care here so that we are all responsible for ourselves and don't have to pay the medical fees for some fat bastard when his obese chickens come home to roost.
Posted by: james | Oct 21, 2021 6:47:57 PM
I get a kick out of a lot of fat peoples excuses why they are the way they have become. It didn't happen overnight and it isn'y anybodies fault other than the person in the mirror . Quit blaming society for your downfalls and get of your fat ass and start exercising its free. What you eat is what you are.You will look better and feel better .It has to start with YOU
Posted by: Don | Oct 21, 2021 6:49:08 PM
I agree life is about choices. I have read articles saying obesity is costing the health care system as much as smoking so why not tax it ? After all fair is fair. It is not fair to tax one vice and say the next one is alright. I do believe when the price of cigarettes goes up the price of alcohol should go up. When the price of alcohol goes up the price of gambling shoukd go up etc etc.. a sin is a sin is a sin. You get the picture. Why does someone get to decide that my vice is worse than theirs?
As far as the cost of healthy living. Where I am....one dozen eggs $3.29
one loaf of bread...anywhere from 2.29 to 3.79. Apples are .89 per pound (on sale)to about
1.89 a pound at regular price, depending on the apple. If you cant buy on sale, these items eggs, bread and 3 lbs of apples will run about 12.75
Posted by: nitemonkee | Oct 21, 2021 7:19:31 PM
It truly blows my mind. I've been reading these comments. What everyone is failing to recognize is if the gov pushes this "fat tax" through, this would be against human rights. This is a form of discrimination. It's funny how all the skinny people are for the tax. Of course, better out of someone elses pocket than yours. Whoever thought of this idea should be ashamed of themselves. The human race continues to blow my mind. The only chance we have to keep the human race alive is helping humanity with out looking through dollar sign eyes. We're just a bunch of out of control primates. Maybe God should have left it all to the monkeys.
Posted by: Ron | Oct 21, 2021 7:31:08 PM
Fat tax? How about we remove Government funding for health care and make it mandatory that Canadians purchase Health Insurance (similar system to Switzerland). I'm sure that the insurance companies can come up with suitable risk factors to adjust premiums. Then we won't only have to deal with 'obesity' but a host of other sins.
Otherwise the purging that will take place just before you submit your T1 may actually spike Health costs. HAHA.
Of course, do we wish to penalize people for their genetic history?
Posted by: Char | Oct 21, 2021 9:05:08 PM
I am in Winnipeg, Eggs 2.89, bread 2.19 and a bag of apples 3.69. Lucky for you, you are able to eat healthy at a inexpensive price. The people in jail eat better than most people do, and are costing us much, much more and in more ways than one. Cooking/baking in schools should be madatory, with most families both parents have to work leaving the kid/kids to fend on their own. There has to be a better way than to tax people, the Government takes enough of my money already.
Posted by: Eric | Oct 22, 2021 1:04:32 AM
I'm a smoker and have been taxed a lot with the so called sin tax. We are told that it's because we cost the system more. I don't see the diference from taxing a smoker or taxing the fat. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. I hope you are not going to tell me fat people don't cost the health care system more then normal weight people. I have had fat strangers walk up to me on the street to 'offer' me advice about smokeing. The last time it happened I agreed with that person that smokeing is bad for me. After he finished I told him that he is fat and that's bad for his health. You should have seen the face he gave me. I have at some times put on a little too much weight and didn't find it as hard to loose it as I do trying to stop smokeing.
Eric
Posted by: FrankTalker | Oct 22, 2021 12:51:26 PM
Adam wrote: "I am wondering who actually thinks McDonalds is cheap. A big Mac combo costs about 6.50$ whereas the other day I bought a kilogram of ground beef (it wasnt lean but medium) for 5.50$. From this I could make 8 - 1/4 pound burgers."
Only suckers buy the Big Mac combos (unless you get coupons). I always buy off the dollar menus. You can get the McDouble (double hamburger with cheese) for only $1.39 (they actually go for $1 in the States). Can't beat that cooking yourself! In my own defense though my frugal fast-food diet isn't as harmful as people may think... I almost never buy fries or drinks (that's really where all the bad calories come from and it's the products that have the worst mark-up).
On the issue of the "fax-tax" however it just won't work. Salads and other "healthy" alternatives are currently selling at a premium not so much because of cost, but because people are willing to pay a premium for them. If you raise the price of unhealthy food to the level healthy food is selling at, restaurants will raise the price of healthy food again because it's a "premium" product. So in the end, all you'll be doing is inflating the price of both healthy and unhealthy food. We'll all be paying more, but we won't be any healthier.
Posted by: Jay | Oct 22, 2021 4:49:45 PM
All that I have to say is be careful what you wish for at all times. A few things that we don't need are
more people, laws, and taxes. The world is over populated with people. It seems that everything
is illegal. Maybe worse of all is that we are being taxed to death. There has to be other ways to
solve problems without it costing the consumer more money.
Posted by: LHE | Oct 22, 2021 7:33:04 PM
Where I live a 3 pound bag of apples cost me 5.98. a loaf of brown bread is about 2.50 and a dozen large eggs is 2.25. Gallon of skim milk 4.00. dont be telling me i can eat healthy for 6 bucks. Healthy food is costly always has been. Have a fax tax? go ahead, but then I better get a refund every month for eating healthy and being within my weight range for my height and bone stucture.
Posted by: RalphsWife | Oct 22, 2021 7:54:25 PM
I agree with the person that said, as a healthy person, why should we be penalized when we choose to indulge in a little junk food? Every now & then, when I have a long drive ahead of me, my copilot is a bag of Sweet Chili Heat Doritos. I'm 50 yrs old, well within my acceptable BMI, exercise regularly, and (usually!) eat right.
My question: why not surcharge the unhealthy (and I would suggest ALL the unhealthy, such as smokers, drug users, chronic alcoholics, etc.) through their medical billing? There wouldn't be any point in initiating a co-pay type system at the doctor's office - some of these folks just wouldn't go! But since most of us in Canada, and certainly in BC, have to pay for our medical, tag their bills with a surcharge until the negative behaviour turns around. Although I must admit, I haven't quite figured out how to determine who these people are so they'd be billed accordingly! Anyone?
I realize that some obesity issues are a result of underlying health problems. But, having said that, I'm aware that these issues can be addressed with your physician and through a proper diet with regular exercise.
I just don't see a tax on junk food as being manageable or fair. I agree with taxing cigarettes, simply because only the smoker feels the pinch. But more than just the obese person will feel it if you tax junk food. I just can't picture a healthy salad & a yummy mound of tofu at a child's birthday party, for example!
And Mike? I lived in Calgary in the early '90s. I couldn't buy all that for $6 back THEN, let alone now! I'd sure love to find out which stores you shop in..... ;-)
Posted by: norma b | Oct 22, 2021 8:05:44 PM
Russell , I just bought eggs bread and 3lb of apples at a Foodland Store in southwestern Ont. I paid $5.97 for them
Posted by: Tanya | Oct 23, 2021 12:20:56 AM
If the price of healthy food was more reasonable, we wouldn't eat as much junk. Example 2L milk is $3 while a 2L of pop is usually about $1.50. Also try buying fresh produce on a budget.
Posted by: Fatty McGee | Oct 23, 2021 12:25:48 AM
Meh. Put an additional tax on Pepsi, pretzels, pizza and chocolate bars, and I'll still buy them. A slight cost increase won't detour me from what I enjoy. Taxes are always going up, so another marginal increase won't hurt if the proceeds will benefit the community.
Posted by: James Wakulchyk | Oct 23, 2021 12:34:43 AM
"In Canada, where health care costs are absorbed by government, taxpayer money is funnelled away by the millions to treat conditions brought on by something largely avoidable..." Oh, good grief! Another ignorant yankee slamming the Canadian system!
Let me tell ya, I am a Canuck, and what we have here for health care is light years beyond what is in the USA, or ever will be! Is it expensive? Absolutely! Can we (Canada) afford it? Yes. Can the US? Nope, and not ours (Canada's) problem... so stop slamming what you do not know or cannot comprehend.
As for fitness between the US and Canada? I have been south of the border 5 times this year for extended periods. Canada (in general) is far, FAR fitter!! On the street, there are maybe 3-4 out of 10 "fat" people where I am from. In the US, between Seattle to Virginia, I would say 6-7 out of 10 people are "fat". Nothing scientific here, just an average observation (OMG I remember Vegas...)
So, please do not use Canada as any kind of example in your silly American health care debate. Every objective organization, statistic, and study has conclusively proven that Canadians live longer and are generally healthier than you "fatso" Yanks". Please thank our universal health care system for that...
Posted by: MoK | Oct 23, 2021 12:37:30 AM
Don't mean to boost Mike. But you CAN get all three of those for $6, $7 max. I actually just did.
Posted by: nobody | Oct 23, 2021 12:43:27 AM
okay yes skydiving and such are bad but if you mess up you die what cost is that. our health care syatem in canada is plagued with chronic problems related to things like obesity and smoking. so yes taxing things like potato chips and fast food is a good idea. if this tax would affect your wallet to much then look at it as a wake up call - your eating to much junk abd are probably fat. we all like it every now and then but once and a while doesnt hurt that much. the money from this would also help support our currentlt struggling health care system; which i might add is in need of ddcotors and nurses because most leave canada because they areny paid as much as elsewhere. while we are at it i think a tax should be put on certain drus that are commonly perscribed to treat things like colds. i get colds all the tiem you know what i do eat soup and ride it through. incase you didnt know the government subsidizes certain drug costs and the over use of these drugs also hurts so hey why not??? lets face reality our society needs help and in a monet driven world taxes is teh answer.
Posted by: Amy | Oct 23, 2021 12:45:19 AM
Hello? Last time I checked at the grocery store here in ottawa it was $3.99 for eggs, $2.99 for a loaf of bread (white, whole grain is more expensive) and about $3.50 for a bag of apples.Is this really considered healthy? Eggs are fattening and high in colesterol, white bread if fattening and has little to no nutritional value and all fruit and veggies nowadays are covered in pesticides. There is no such thing as healthy eating unless you can afford organic produce and meat and %100 whole grain products. Last time I checked, these things were rediculously over-priced.