Weighing in on the obesity tax proposal
Ha-ha. Get the headline pun?
Anyways. A fellow ECM writer alerted me to the fact that New York City Governor David Paterson has proposed an “obsesity” tax.
At first, I thought Paterson was going to somehow tax overweight and obese people (which I would be against), but instead, it’s a 15 percent tax hike on non-diet drinks.
This means, a regular Coco-Cola ($1.15) would be more expensive than a Diet Coke ($1). The tax would not go toward things like milk, juice, water and diet pops, however, as 13wham.com (great name!) points out, it’s unclear how sports drinks would be rated.
At first, this idea did seem a bit ridiculous to me. But then I started weighing the pros and cons.
OK. As far as cons go, it just seems a little over the edge to me. Like, I really don’t think a 15 cent difference is going to push someone over the edge to a healthier decision. Also, I’m a firm believer that artificial sugars aren’t good for people to consume. I say, everything in moderation. If you want a soda every now and then, go for it. Just don’t make it your main staple. But fake sugars? No way. There’s even scientific evidence now linking weight gain to fake sugars, so I don’t think they should be promoted as a “healthy” option.
But really, that’s the only con I could think of. More of a mislabeling con.
Then I thought of the pros. This “obesity” tax would generate about $404 million, which in these hard economic times, is surely needed.
There’s also the fairness factor. Think about it, the government has been taxing smokers at higher and higher rates for some time now. And why? Because smoking is unhealthy, and in the end smokers cause the rest of us money due to higher medical bills. And I hate to compare obesity and smoke-related diseases and illness, but I’m pretty sure obesity is now considered an epidemic in the U.S., which means it too is costing Americans a lot of money.
So all in all, I actually agree with the “obesity” tax, however, would like to see all pop, diet or not, considered a higher tax purchase.
But what would really help, is if the government stopped nickle and dimming people for a healthier lifestyle. Why not offer more incentives for working out? Put money in to more walking trails? Maybe offer the healthier options at a significantly lower price.
I think that if we’re experiencing an “epidemic” of unhealthiness, we need to start providing resources and encouragement to getting fitter and making better choices, not punishing Coca-Cola drinkers with a 15 cent hike.
Oh, and energy drinks? Doesn’t it seem a bit ridiculous if we start charging athletes more money for drinking Gatorade and replenishing lost electrolytes?
I completely agree that they are targeting the wrong issue here. Sure it puts more money in the government’s pocket, but I’m sick having to wait for Lean Cuisine Paninis to go on sale before I’m willing to buy one. But 5 for $10 is worth it to me, and $3.29 each is not. Yet, you go across the isle and the generic brand frozen pizza is ALWAYS 5 for $10. Now, as a college student or a low-income family which am I going to choose?
We need to get a grip on the problem as a whole, and not just focus on the taxable taxable solutions.
(Oh, and thanks for responding to the request, Liz)
…government has been taxing smokers at higher and higher rates for some time now. And why? Because smoking is unhealthy, and in the end smokers cause the rest of us money due to higher medical bills.
I object to this sentence. Why? Because it is like other things, such as, “global warming is killing the planet,” that gets repeated so often people just come to believe it. Do you know this for certain? Or, are you just repeating something you have heard again and again from the anti-smoking lobby?
According to the New England Journal of Medicine:
“If people stopped smoking, there would be a savings in health care costs, but only in the short term. Eventually, smoking cessation would lead to increased health care costs.”
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/337/15/1052
Ultimately, if smoking were eradicated, health care costs would be higher than they are now with a mixed population (and without those precious extra tax dollars). Will you then be an advocate of taxing non-smokers, since their health care costs will be higher? Of course not.
Lifestyle taxes are shameful. Prices should be decided by the markets willing to pay, not our desire to ussuage societal guilt and modify behavior. It doesn’t work anyway.
Taxing cigarettes and food indirectly affect the poor. So, basically what an obesity or cigarette tax tells the poor is that you want to make them even more poor because it’s “good for them,” and, after all, you know what’s best.
And then, on the flip side, you want to give people who can afford a healthy lifestyle a tax break.
Government’s bottom line, and yours apparently, is that this will be great because it will generate more money. Is that how we do things now? Foist unfair taxes on groups small enough they can’t fight back? And, is it moral for government to profit from something it is ostensibly trying to eradicate?
If society had any spine whatsoever, it would simply make things it disagrees with, like smoking and unhealthy food, illegal. But since that is such an insane abuse of civil liberties and nanny state-ism, instead it settles for finding ways to profit off the things it despises.
And we lemmings all applaud a “government that cares.”
That is sick. Leave people alone and stop using the “health care costs” excuse to dictate behavior. Leave them alone for Pete’s sake. If they want to sit on their couch and process chocolate over a lifetime what do you care? If the tables were turned, how would you like it if your lifestyle were constantly being dictated to you by people who don’t know you, don’t care about you, and despise your choices?
You wouldn’t. You would remind anyone who would listen that this is a free country. Well…it is. Let’s remember that.
After looking at the some of the comments Taxes Taxes and more Taxes.
With all my bad habits (smoking, chewing, drinking, and way too many soft drinks) I pay my share of so called health tax.
If every smoker quit, as some of the TV commercials claimed increased your life, what would happen to Social Security when everyone lived 10-20 years longer? And that same includes the same for Medicare? The cure being more Taxes or a later retirement of maybe 75.
What about all the doctors and nurses that would have to be laid off if lets say, cancer and diabetes were eradicated.
Oh I forgot, running to get rid of the extra weight might cause unusual joint problems and some broken bones.
What does a balanced budget mean? To most people it means that you can’t spend money before you have it, as in – money must be in the bank before you write the check. With that theory in mind, how can the state have a balanced budget before April 15th or longer with extensions before they get all the money from income taxes and know for sure?
How about a new tax???
A politician tax of 85% on their income over the average of all people in their district over the age of 18 (total income of district divided by total number of people over 18 in the district). Or better yet, there pay should be a set percentage of that same formula, lets say 120% for example, plus per Diem consisting of mileage and lodging for one at the Super 8 when they are there. Their spouse didn’t run for election nor does anyone else pay for my food when I’m out of town, Why should we the tax payers pay for lobster when we have to eat PBJ sandwiches.
Just food for thought while having my cigarette and a drink (Pepsi) at home because they say its so bad for me that they didn’t ban them, just threw me out of the bar, (more income gone) and besides, Minnesota wants there taxes.
Hi,
Great site!!!! Obesity is the cause of many diseases. There are a lot of American’s that are over weight. We have to stop eating FAST FOODS it is killing us. Good health is our greatest asset without good health we are doomed to die. We need to eat right, exercise and drink plenty of water to help maintain good health and well-being
So should marijuana be legal smokestack? Because there is certainly a market willing to pay, and that could fund health care reform.
lots of americans and europeans are getting obese these days because of over-eating. people should be controlling what they eat or they should workout their body to burn fat.
Obesity and diabetes is a growing problems nowadays. It is caused by todays lifestyle which does not involve lots amount of exercise. Most people are just happy sitting in their office chair and they do not even want to sweat.
Obesity is a growing health problem these days because people are too lazy to do some extra exercise and they eat too much. i always exercise and do cardio regularly to maintain a healthy weight.
Obesity is really an epidemic these days. People have become very lazy and does not want to exercise anymore. I do a lot of jogging and brisk walking everyday just to be fit and healthy.
more people are becoming obese these days because of too much junk food and too much sugar in snacks and fast foods. .