Doctors demand soft drinks tax

A demand that sugary soft drinks should cost 20% more was made by the The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents Britain's 220,000 doctors, to tackle the UK's obesity crisis. 1 in 4 adults in the UK is obese.

Its 10 recommendations include:

• An experimental 20% tax on sugary soft drinks for at least a year, like that in operation in parts of the US, to see what effect it has on sales. The potential £1bn annual tax yield could help fund an increase in weight management programmes.

• Local councils to limit the number of fast food outlets allowed to operate near schools, colleges, leisure centres and other places where children gather.

• NHS staff to routinely talk to overweight patients about their eating and exercise habits at every appointment and offer them help, under a policy of "making every contact count".

The Guardian

So in other words, anything the medical profession thinks is bad for us should be taxed beyond our means? What gives the government the right to tell people what they can and can't eat.

Fat people, every time they go to see their doctor about something else, get harassed about their weight? That doesn't seem right to me.

If someone is on food stamps, I can understand increasing the cost on "unhealthy" items, but for the general public? That's crap.

I only drink soft drinks when I mix it with alcohol and I am smoking cigs or other things you can smoke.

Bullsh...! like if a price raise of sodas would stop people "abusing" them...
It's not like if their prise never raised...
It's a pure excuse to get more money, no more no less..

oh, and yes, doctors always harass you for something else than what you're asking for, not necessary weight, but there is always something... that's also an excuse to have you to visit him more often and so bring him more money in.

The medical domain just disgusts me. and it has been that way for years... I avoid going to the doctor as much as I can mainly because of that kind of things.

Canada has been taxing junk food for years now.
It doesn't cut back eating or drinking junk food, it just makes it cost more.
Ours is only taxed at 5% though. 20% is crazy.
Just a money grab.

Sure, make it 80%, 33%, 19.95%, 45%, what's the point? I was carrying some extra weight when I was like in my 30-40's, when I was working in IT, then I went to a manual labor job, lost the weight. Every single person on the planet is different, but if there is an 'obesity' problem in the UK, is it because they are main-lining Fanta? or is it because they just can't put down the PS3 controller, or because....... the possibilities go on, an on, an on! But if your fat, and you stay that way, then it's because your input exceeds your output! Why can't people just stay the hell out of other peoples lives? We already have enough crap to worry about!

But of course, taxing solves every problem known to man; too fat? Tax unhealthy food. You smoke? Tax tobacco. You drink? Tax alcohol. You drive a car and cause pollution? Throw a 40c a litre fuel excise at the pump, which is meant to go to fixing the appalling roads but instead over 75% of it goes to balance a budget for appearance sake.

Whatever happened to people taking responsibility for themselves? For their choices, their health, their lifestyle. Taxing things is just a pathetic, lazy shortcut which does little more than increase revenue. Education is the key, not increasing prices. It’s clear obese people are not switched on whatsoever when it comes to diet, health and exercise. Teach them. Educate them. That’s all it should take. They probably believe chips are healthy because they’re potato, but little do they know that potato isn’t exactly the poster veggie for health and wellbeing.

Educate these nuffies on what to eat and drink. How to cook healthy meals - forget about frying. Steam, poach and oven bake. Cut out bread, gluten, unneeded carb sources. Cut out refined, processed food altogether. It’s not hard. The only excuse they have is laziness. In terms of low income as a reason to ate unhealthy foods; surely the price difference between heathy and unhealthy foods isn’t great, or at least the method of cooking said food. Surely it’s cheaper to eat healthy and exercise than do the opposite and end up with all sorts of health problems.

You only have one life, why waste it with ignorance and ill education of important, life altering subjects - like food, nutrition and exercise?

reply to post by dc4lifeskater


SOLID ! ! ! !

Shouldn't doctors etc. be advising patients on healthy eating and appropriate exercise anyway?
Isn't that kind of like, their job?

I would support limited fast food places in school areas etc - but a soda tax is silly. Soon it will be your couches and TVs!

LOL, FOR MEDICAL REASONS


please this will just make them millions more per second, people addicted to pop will switch to a cheaper brand but they wont stop drinking

reply to post by ollncasino



well my opinion is simple why not i support the system and honest people trying to make the system work and take that as far as you can throw it soft drinks be taxed hell yes end of story you pay taxes on your damn homes why not soft drinks maybe it will eleviate all the BS coming from the big govs and corporations people should think more about these things...

medical reasons well idk about that everything is unhealthy nowadays but oh well if it gets it across the finish line lol i know im bad

Originally posted by GRS1234

well my opinion is simple why not i support the system and honest people trying to make the system work and take that as far as you can throw it soft drinks be taxed hell yes

But is the solution a tax? Making the consumer pay more?

There is no doubt that there is too much sugar (and corn sugar at that) in soft drinks.



The question is, why is it always a tax that the little man pays that is the solution?

reply to post by ollncasino


ahh you transcended my thought well simply the only way i can answer that question is with a simple irrefutable statement and THAT my friend is GREED period been that way forever good thread a legitimate concern

Im all for it. If you drink soft drink you are obviously not smart enough to have money; so instead of all that you spent on these poisons going to the body corporate making and marketing this poison, some must go to the health system that will be treating you health problems caused by ingesting such.

Seriously, adults drinking "soft-drink"? grow up and grab a beer ya soft-c****

Originally posted by cartenz
Im all for it. If you drink soft drink you are obviously not smart enough to have money; so instead of all that you spent on these poisons going to the body corporate making and marketing this poison, some must go to the health system that will be treating you health problems caused by ingesting such.

Seriously, adults drinking "soft-drink"? grow up and grab a beer ya soft-c****

If you drink soft drinks your obviously are not smart enough to have money?

That is a bit harsh.

First it was the soft drinks they came after. But I said nothing because I drank beer.

Originally posted by ollncasino ...

If you drink soft drinks your obviously are not smart enough to have money?

That is a bit harsh.

I dont think it is harsh--there people are voluntarily consuming know poisons and are happy to pay for it. I consider that to be a rather grand act of stupidity.

Before you go on about beer being as bar or worse for you, beer is already taxed quite highly, and really that wasnt my point--my point was adults should be smart enough to know what is good and bad for them; if they are unable to understand simple concepts like that, then let them bear that extra tax burden.

First it was the soft drinks they came after. But I said nothing because I drank beer.

Really that analogy does not apply here, as mentioned beer is already taxed higher than soft-drinks (well here in AU it is)

Again: Adults drinking soft drinks??? That's a serious crime here in Western Australia.

Jolly good to know that we obese Yanks aren't alone in the western world.

Looks like Europe's waist line is catching up with us fat Americans.

Cheers mates, and have yourself another plate full then.

Originally posted by homeslice
Shouldn't doctors etc. be advising patients on healthy eating and appropriate exercise anyway?
Isn't that kind of like, their job?

I would support limited fast food places in school areas etc - but a soda tax is silly. Soon it will be your couches and TVs!

edit on 17-2-2013 by homeslice because: (no reason given)

The problem with that is 99percent of docs don't know what healthy eating is... they still think low fat is healthy.

Tax is the 'answer' to everything!

Look how CO2 taxes cured the planet of 'global warming' !

TaX, tax, tax! But into whose pocket do these 'taxes' go when all services are declining and what are they using the money for?

Originally posted by Elliot

TaX, tax, tax! But into whose pocket do these 'taxes' go when all services are declining and what are they using the money for?

Jobs for the boys?

The potential £1bn annual tax yield could help fund an increase in weight management programmes.

The Guardian

Highly paid weight management experts, consultants and coordinators overseeing weight management programmes.

That will do the trick...