Will You Be Taxed Extra Because You’re Overweight?
I just saw an interesting article posed online from amednews.com. The crux of the article was:
Should we treat obese individuals like we treat smokers, to get them to change their habits? Here’s an excerpt from the article:
"Using tactics that have helped to reduce the number of smokers, states
increasingly are considering bills that are designed to influence
people’s weight and to curb the obesity epidemic."
The full article can be found online at: http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/03/24/hlsa0324.htm
One of the (albeit not really serious) suggestions brought up was banning obese people from being served at a restaurant. Now that bill died a swift death, but it’s been brought up once…will it be brought up again?
Now as to the taxing part of all this — some 17 states have placed a special tax on what they term junk food, as well as on soda. Now supposedly this extra money will go to finance child obesity programs, but I’ll believe that when I see it. Money raised from taxes tends to get, um, waylaid at times.
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There is also a special tax being considered for TVs and gaming consoles. Again, to fund child obesity programs.
Don’t get me wrong — I know only too well how big a problem obesity is. And how many people it effects. As a nation, it’s killing us. We do need to lose weight.
I just don’t like even the faint whisper of a law to outlaw obesity. Smacks me as being too "Big Brother"-ish.