Originally posted by JakiusFogg
Really it is a slippy slope.

This slippery slope is why many Americans did not want healthcare to be put in the hands of the government in the first place. Putting all your eggs in one basket (making everything the government's responsibility) comes with some pretty bad catches once you get people in there that don't really have your best interests at heart. It seems Americans are much more paranoid of their government than people in the UK are. Whether or not you are paranoid seems to have little impact on how corrupt our leaders all are anyway. Our leaders are not reminded often enough where their loyalties are expected, by duty, to reside.

People on welfare can't afford to eat healthy. They can either eat cheap processed food that makes people overweight or they can starve.

Not right...I mean who decides if a person is not eating properly according to current nutrition standards? I'm overweight not because of poor eating habits but because of health issues that wrecked my thyroid. If I was on welfare would I get a pass or suffer additional consequences beyond the medical condition?

I'm all for encouraging weight loss/proper diets but lets do it through education or incentives rather than threats.

Although we currently live in a society and system that is failing and is obvious that it does not work and something does need to be done. I think it is also obvious that the current system that we live under will soon change in one way or another. That being said, whatever is done, the only system that works is one where everyone pulls their own weight which does not happen in the US with all the entitlements.

I do not think it is fair to necessarily fine people, but at the same time I do not think it is fair for healthy people to have to pay for unhealthy people when it is by choice that they are unhealthy. I believe in natural consequences and those that choose to eat McDonalds everyday should be the ones that suffer the consequences whatever they may be. What happened back in the day when people did not work or do their part before all the government handouts, they did not eat, fair enough for me. The same should apply today and if an individual chooses not to take care of themselves, then that person and that person alone is responsible for their choice, they were warned, now they can pay the price.

For situations where people have medical issues that cause obesity is something else, and should be open for discussion as to how best to handle it. But only after it is proven that the individual has made all the appropriate lifestyle and diet changes first.

Sometimes people are fat because of the medications they take. Ever try to diet when you spend more time on prednisone than you do off of it?

Not to mention this is just a way for the FAT beast of a Government we have
to keep feeding itself!

Someone has to pay for the gluttonous beast!

As long as they can find a way to make new fines, new taxes to stuff in
the mouth of the bloated obese monster, they will.

It seems to me if they are going to enforce it on one group of people.....in a certain financial status....then...they should pass a law that includes everyone (not just poor people on welfare).....

All fat people have to lose weight or...their taxes will go up!....lol

Originally posted by MikeyBones
You also mentioned that everyone makes their own decisions and therefore is responsible for them, but again this is not necessarily true. For example, I didn't start making decisions on my diet until my teenage years. Most people are forced by their parents to eat what they eat. So if you are raised off of garbage, you most likely have built up an addiction to such crap and may need assistance be withdrawn from the world of junk food.

This is a touchy subject because it is dependent upon a lot of circumstances. Small children are subject to choices, for better or worse, by their parents, etc. For this reason it's hard for some people to be able to effectively take responsibility of certain situations in their lives. But as far as still trying to do something about it, we eventually do have to take some responsibility, or else we would never have any say at all. We have to get creative and use everything at our disposal, and in accordance with our own judgment. This is where "knowledge is power" comes into play. The more we know, the more options we see that are available to us, and the more comfortable we are. My heart goes out to those who are not in a situation to exert any power on their circumstances. But for those of us who have gotten to the stage of realizing our problems and wanting to do something about it, we will have to find some entry point, some way of getting leverage and taking control of whatever we can, to change things for the better. I can't offer any more specific suggestions than that due to how widely circumstances vary.

Originally posted by FanarFanar
People on welfare can't afford to eat healthy. They can either eat cheap processed food that makes people overweight or they can starve.

Sounds like we are heading toward a "Twinkie Tax" for the portly like the smokers have on their cigs. People eat unhealthy foods because they are more affordable? Then the people that consume them will have to start paying high taxes on them. Let's then see if those taxes get back to the systems that are overburdened by the problem that the tax money should be subsidizing.

That would not make healthy food any more affordable but it should eliminate the need to eat poorly because one cannot afford to eat otherwise. And those who do not eat do not gain weight. Win-win.