Obesity Tax

[titletownclown]

With the healthcare debate raging, many new "sin" taxes are being discussed as a means to pay for whatever healthcare bill ultimately gets passed. We've heard politicians talk about taxing candy, juice, cola, and numerous other junk food items. The sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco are already incredibly high.

 

I've read several studies that claim obesity may actually be a greater danger to our nation's health than smoking.

 

So...............

 

In the interest of upsetting as many people as possible, I propose an obesity tax be imposed on all adults aged 18 and over. This tax could be assessed in numerous ways. One method would be to require people to show up at their local health departments twice a year (for instance) for a weigh in. Their weights would then be compared to an AMA prepared chart showing ideal weights based on age/frame structures/sex/etc. For every pound in excess of the ideal weight, a tax would be assessed to the violator. The data would be recorded by health department personnel and forwarded to a new federal department in charge of tracking the tax assessments. This department, like the IRS, would operate under the guidance of the Treasury Department. This department could be called the Obesity Assessment Administration. A new line on the 1040 could be added to record the Obesity tax based on the records you received from the weigh-ins at the health department.

 

Similar penalties would also apply to underweight individuals if it is considered to be dangerously lower than the ideal weight.

[Hearsay]

See, you thought you were jesting, but its already been proposed before:

 

http://www.taxfoundation.org/blog/printer/1705.html

 

I would be in a very high tax bracket.

[Clyde]

The sentiment is fair. The application is problematic. Current definitions of "obese" are not realistic.

 

I am 5'11 and 215 pounds. My BMI is 30. 30 is obese. While I could stand to lose some weight "obese" is not what you think when you see me. Good-looking. Yes. Obese. No.

[woodsrider]

The sentiment is fair. The application is problematic. Current definitions of "obese" are not realistic.

 

I am 5'11 and 215 pounds. My BMI is 30. 30 is obese. While I could stand to lose some weight "obese" is not what you think when you see me. Good-looking. Yes. Obese. No.

I agree. The BMI is a horrible measure to use. I am 5'9" and currently weigh about 178-180lbs. My body fat % is 15. I'm not rock hard by any means but overweight I am not. If you look at my BMI measurement, I am at a 26.5 and classified as overweight. A few years ago I entered a weight loss contest and got down to 165lbs. My body fat % was 8% and according to the BMI I was just barely not overweight.

[Clyde]

I agree. The BMI is a horrible measure to use. I am 5'9" and currently weigh about 178-180lbs. My body fat % is 15. I'm not rock hard by any means but overweight I am not. If you look at my BMI measurement, I am at a 26.5 and classified as overweight. A few years ago I entered a weight loss contest and got down to 165lbs. My body fat % was 8% and according to the BMI I was just barely not overweight.

 

Cedric Benson would be considered "obese."

[PutMeInCoach]

The sentiment is fair. The application is problematic. Current definitions of "obese" are not realistic.

 

I am 5'11 and 215 pounds. My BMI is 30. 30 is obese. While I could stand to lose some weight "obese" is not what you think when you see me. Good-looking. Yes. Obese. No.

 

Same here, I'm 6'1 245. I'd be out of luck in this instance.

[titletownclown]

The sentiment is fair. The application is problematic. Current definitions of "obese" are not realistic.

 

I am 5'11 and 215 pounds. My BMI is 30. 30 is obese. While I could stand to lose some weight "obese" is not what you think when you see me. Good-looking. Yes. Obese. No.

 

:lol:

 

6'2" and 212 here, and I'm also considered to be overweight according to most of the info i've seen.

[Plato]

Taxing the purchase of cigarettes would be equivelant to taxing the purchase of foods that would cause obesity - high sugar and high fat foods.

[ladiesbballcoach]

I think fast food and other unhealthy choices deserve a higher tax.

 

No tax on foods that are healthy but a food is blatantly unhealthy, doughnuts, potato chips, non-diet soft drinks, etc, etc, and leave them as a choice but there is a financial cost to purchase these items and we could use any additional funds to offset the costs of choosing those items.

[RebelK]

With the healthcare debate raging, many new "sin" taxes are being discussed as a means to pay for whatever healthcare bill ultimately gets passed. We've heard politicians talk about taxing candy, juice, cola, and numerous other junk food items. The sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco are already incredibly high.

 

I've read several studies that claim obesity may actually be a greater danger to our nation's health than smoking.

 

So...............

 

In the interest of upsetting as many people as possible, I propose an obesity tax be imposed on all adults aged 18 and over. This tax could be assessed in numerous ways. One method would be to require people to show up at their local health departments twice a year (for instance) for a weigh in. Their weights would then be compared to an AMA prepared chart showing ideal weights based on age/frame structures/sex/etc. For every pound in excess of the ideal weight, a tax would be assessed to the violator. The data would be recorded by health department personnel and forwarded to a new federal department in charge of tracking the tax assessments. This department, like the IRS, would operate under the guidance of the Treasury Department. This department could be called the Obesity Assessment Administration. A new line on the 1040 could be added to record the Obesity tax based on the records you received from the weigh-ins at the health department.

 

Similar penalties would also apply to underweight individuals if it is considered to be dangerously lower than the ideal weight.

As a former health department employee (retired) why don't we just give them some more tax money to waste:irked::irked::irked: Here's how it goes....we have to give them tax money in order to have an RN to weigh people and we have to give them tax money for a clerk to check them in and we have to give them BIG TAX money for a director to tell those people what to do and how to do it and then report back to the board on how great of a job he's done in regulating this new FAT TAX MONEY. Trust me....if this should ever happen (LET'S ALL HOPE NOT - OR ELSE I WILL BE TAXED TO THE MAX):lol: Let's just go on the honor system and let each citizen report their own. :D Because if you don't and the more government agency you get involved it would have been less expensive to have left it alone to start with.

 

Seriously, I don't think this is too far off....why not..they tax everything else they might as well tax my big BUTT:D

[PepRock01]

I think fast food and other unhealthy choices deserve a higher tax.

 

No tax on foods that are healthy but a food is blatantly unhealthy, doughnuts, potato chips, non-diet soft drinks, etc, etc, and leave them as a choice but there is a financial cost to purchase these items and we could use any additional funds to offset the costs of choosing those items.

 

Why should "diet soft drinks" be exempt? They aren't inherently healthy anyway, they are just less unhealthy. That's like arguing that smallpox is better than bubonic plague.

[Hearsay]

We need to tax apples and orange juice, because the acid is bad for the enamel on our teeth and contributes to the cost of those uninsured who use public dentistry.

 

We need to tax beaches and Holiday World because their allowing us exposure to the sun contributes to the public cost of skin cancer treatments.

 

Baptist Churches should be taxed for always serving artery-clogging fried chicken at their Baptist feeds.

 

All youth sports associations should be taxed because of the cost of treatment of sports-related injuries, particularly knee injuries, the leading cause of juvenile physical disability.

 

Anything that we choose which imposes a cost upon society needs to be taxed to offset that cost.

 

Lunacy. This country is going stark-raving mad.

[ladiesbballcoach]

Why should "diet soft drinks" be exempt? They aren't inherently healthy anyway, they are just less unhealthy. That's like arguing that smallpox is better than bubonic plague.

 

I don't believe it is. The point of the thread is obesity. I was arguing obesity and you threw out another argument.

 

In the debate on obesity, it is a consistent position.

[ladiesbballcoach]

We need to tax apples and orange juice, because the acid is bad for the enamel on our teeth and contributes to the cost of those uninsured who use public dentistry.

 

We need to tax beaches and Holiday World because their allowing us exposure to the sun contributes to the public cost of skin cancer treatments.

 

Baptist Churches should be taxed for always serving artery-clogging fried chicken at their Baptist feeds.

 

All youth sports associations should be taxed because of the cost of treatment of sports-related injuries, particularly knee injuries, the leading cause of juvenile physical disability.

 

Anything that we choose which imposes a cost upon society needs to be taxed to offset that cost.

 

Lunacy. This country is going stark-raving mad.

 

So, we should just allow everything and never make a judgement as a society on what is right for society and what is wrong. That would be equal lunacy.

 

AND it seems that the liberal Democrats are going to get their way and you and I are going to pay for Health Care for everyone. So, if I am paying THEIR WAY, than there should be conditions on what they do and they don't get a free ride to do whatever and raise the costs that they are not going to participate in paying but is going to be on our shoulders to pay their way.

[bballfamily]

I think fast food and other unhealthy choices deserve a higher tax.

 

No tax on foods that are healthy but a food is blatantly unhealthy, doughnuts, potato chips, non-diet soft drinks, etc, etc, and leave them as a choice but there is a financial cost to purchase these items and we could use any additional funds to offset the costs of choosing those items.

 

 

 

 

The power to tax is the power to destroy to control people, to take away their freedoms. Tax 1 item today to control individual action and tomorrow you tax something else. Where does it stop?

 

I believe people should take care of theirselves, but they get to live their lives without government interference. People act as if you stop these bad habits everyone will live forever. People will die sometime whether of bad habits or old age, it does not change the cost of your last days, whether your young or old. Just how much time your here on earth.