Please read...

I was going to start a petition and send it around to be signed by everyone - my petition mentioned a "health tax" to attach to unhealthy foods to encourage healthier eating habits - however, the first two comments I got on that convinced me to cancel the petition I had posted here... 

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/572 02.html Read the article in this thread and tell me if you honestly believe that someone needs to step up - and say something.

We all know that the responsibilities for children lies on the sholders of the parents - who will then be responsible when the parents know better and just don't care?

For the sake of the future of America - should we not stand up and demand a change?

If we all stand up together and speak out - those fast food giants will have no choice but to listen.

You're asking the government to require that fast food chains change their pricing so that burgers are more expensive and salads are cheaper?

And to tax unhealthy foods?

so... I'm thinking you REALLY have a lot of trust and faith in the Congress and President Bush to ask them to do this... 

*envisions the calorie patrol enforcement team (C.P.E.T.) the hapless younger sibling of S.W.A.T*

I don't think I agree with this...

But I wholeheartedly applaud you for caring and for making the effort!

:)

It's kind of a cute idea but I feel the government already has waaay to much power and influence in our daily lives.  I believe in less government not more.  And no I don't want a tax on fat stuff, because the restaraunts would just turn around increase their prices on everything to be able to pay the taxes. 

Read my lips, no new taxes.  :)

I edited my original post as I deleted the petition I had started - mostly due to the negative feedback I received in the first two posts.

While i thank you for your opinions.  I'm still going ahead with my efforts.  If you will not stand up with me - that is your choice.  But I will stand up and speak out for the sake of the children whose parents know better and just don't care.

For clarification - the Health Tax I was suggesting is not something you would pay like your income tax return - it would be in addition to the sales tax on things like soda or potato chips - people who smoke or consume alcohol already pay a similar tax so it's not such a far fetched idea.

 

Another thought to chew on.. (pardon the pun)

If you were to go to any sit down restaurant and order a burger - it would be $6.00 MINIMUM!  If you were to order a salad at the same sit down restaurant - the salad would be $3.00...  Why is it that McDonalds can reverse that and charge you $.99 for a burger and $5.00 for a salad???

TO be honest - the only reason McD's sells salads is because of the lawsuit that they recently went through - they won - but they were told they would need to start offering healthier options.

The healthier options they have are the most expensive items on the menu. 

Technically they are already taxed, right?  At least in TX.  Things like Doritos and Coke are subject to sales tax, but tomatoes and apples (produce) are not.

I like the idea of subsidizing the healthy food rather than taxing the unhealthy food. Although I think we do not pay enough for food, particularly meat, to truly cover the costs of growing it in a healthy and sustainable way, a lot of people could not afford to pay more. Then again, yeah, tax the beef. We need different options that are truly less expensive on every level, and most Americans eat too much meat anyway.

I am not saying the government should necessarily take more control. I think if they stopped subsidizing the beef industry (cheap grazing on public lands at the expense of our nation's wildlife and wildlands, for example), then maybe the rest would even itself out.

I think a lot more thought would need to go into this idea, but I think this could be part of a larger plan to restructure the way that food is grown, priced, and transported in this country. There should be a way to do it so that the industry itself is more or less self-sustaining but the government can still step in with things like the grain reserves to keep prices level enough and provide some programs so that people can still afford to eat.

'Eh. I don't really think that is fair. I mean, yes we should promote better eating but not everyone is affected by fast food. My boyfriend doesn't have much choice on some days other than to stop and get a cheeseburger. He's very fit and works very hard at his job. He shouldn't be punished for taking a quick lunch break and eating something that he can properly burn off. Don't tell me he can bring a turkey sandwich. With his line of work you never know where you are going to be or what you are going to be doing and when. You stop when you can, which rarely happens. I'm not trying to attack this or anything but I think it's time to stop blaming companies and starting making people become responsible for their own decisions. Plus I don't believe in any more taxes, either. It's bad enough I barely get a check as it is. I know taxes are needed to keep this country running and that's totally okay, but no new taxes just to punish us fatties.

What some of you keep missing is that I'm not blaming the companies.  I'm pissed off that their f'ing salads are the most expensive things on the menu!

First off - men burn more calories and burn them faster than women - so even if your boyfriend (speaking to mandi 35) was driving a desk all day - he could still get that burger and burn it before the end of his work day.

Missing the big picture - These companies are making money hand over fist by feeding americans fattening, grease soaked, artery clogging burgers and they've got their healthy foods priced so high to encourage the continuted sales of their key product - the heart attack in a sack - the burger.

Fair is not the issue here - and I'm severely overweight myself.  (as of today 219 - 26lbs lost)

But if you're truely and honestly trying to make a healthy lifestyle change - you should not be buying the foods that I've mentioned to be taxed (potato chips, cookies, sodas, ice cream, candies, etc...)  If that's truely the case - this tax will not affect you - so stop crying the "no new taxes" thing...

People complain until they are blue in the face because of this or that or one excuse after another - when someone actually stands up to try to make a change for the good - those same whiners sit and push that person down and tell them to shut up  - well this is one little chubby you will not be able to push down.  I spent my whole life acting as a welcome mat for people and I refuse to do it.  I honestly in my heart feel like there needs to be a change and if I have to stand up alone to demand a change, I will.  Your help is not needed.

And what would this "unhealthy tax" revenue be used for?  If there's one thing I don't trust the government with, it's my money.  They can't responsibly spend what they're taking now....

How about helping cure the obesity epidemic we face in america.

Earlier - someone was complaining about their "tax dollars" being wasted on a 400lb woman in a wheelchair scarfing down a mega kit kat and super sized soda...  Why not set up some sort of program that this "unhealthy tax" would go into to pay for treating/curing specific and extreme cases of obesity.

It would be interesting to see a proposal for government addressing a personal/societal vice (unhealthy food consumption) that wasn't completely overrun with bureaucrats and big business lobbying.

The government has spent years and billions of dollars on the "war on drugs" to "cure" the epidemic of drug use, yet just the other day I read an article about how easy it is for teenagers to get meth. 

Why would the government be any more successful with addressing obesity?

I have to say, I really REALLY admire you, cj, for your caring and for the amount of thought that you're putting into what we all agree is a pretty major problem.

Usually, in most industries, my belief is that companies try to provide what consumers demand.

Actually, big fast food has been seeing declining sales while places like Subway, Quizno's, Panera and the like have been doing extremely well -- this, as much as anything, has forced Wendy's, McD's and Burger King to at least offer salads... and I think Wendy's came out with some kind of deli sandwich (which if I recall wasn't actually healthier, but it looked healthier)

So what this teaches us is - when enough consumers say they want something, businesses try to provide it.

Sometimes they do a good job - sometimes they don't but with their marketing departments, they convince us that they have.

So, what I would suggest to you is... find some healthy options - maybe a growing regional chain like The Pump in NYC - and start demanding a location in your area.  Get your neighbors to sign a petition saying that you want that restaurant and why.  Find a businessperson in your area who might be interested in opening a franchise near you, if this isn't something you'd be able to do yourself.

Real concrete action at the grassroots level is going to be more effective than a tax proposal any day.  And really, what you CARE about is that people have

• better knowledge
• better options
• the ability to afford the better option

right?

*hugs*

*Sings* Don't stop! Believing!

Thanks, Nomoreexcuses - I appreciate the kudos. :)

I'd love to see a Jamba Juice around here - there have been days that I was craving a razmataz or chocolate moooooo'd smoothie.  I've emailed them - actually I did over a year ago and nothing.  The closest one is in Milwaukee - 45 miles from my house. but that's the only one in Wisconsin...

I originally started just thinking small, my state senator, state rep and governor - then I thought - this would benefit EVERYONE - why not forward copies of this letter to my congressmen and even the president - even if the tax is not enforced or even thought to be a good idea - it's an eyebrow raiser and at least I got in their face about it.

And it doesn't hurt to ask.

The world (or at least the world of some) has gone a-muck.  Whatever happened to going to the grocery store, bringing home the groceries, cooking dinner and spending an evening with the family?  Mom and Dad can cook while the children play in the yard or do their homework.

I dare say I could go to the store right now and buy a pound of hamburger, a pack of buns, a gallon of milk, a pile of fresh vegetables (or a bag of potatoes) and a cantaloupe and spend the same $15 it would take to feed 5 people a burger, fries and soft drink at a fast food chain.

It would be healthier and there might at least even be some leftover milk and potatoes for tomorrow (plus 3 buns for a packed lunch).

Yes.  I'm over 50!!

Nomo's suggestion about starting at the grassroots makes total sense and is attainable.  You can even start with malls in your area.  You can send messages, letters to the directors in local malls and suggest business they can bring into their food court.  I work for a mall and some of my coworkers and some of our customers did just that and we are getting a subway in part because of those suggestions.  The person here in charge of bringing in tenants to the mall actively courted healthier option restaurants.

I agree with Kathypk...and I'm only 25 :)

But really.....where does the accountability start?  It's not the fast food industry's fault that americans are obese, it's the people that chose to go to McDonalds instead of the farmer's market.

Kathypk - That's what I'm trying to get at!!!!  It's a shame that more people dont see things like that.

There are so many parents out there who just ship their kids off to school - they get educated and nurished there and come home to sit down in front of mind numbing cartoons and stuff themselves full of whatever junk food they can get their little hands on.  Then there are people who give in to their nagging children and give them the snacks junk and fast food just to shut them up.

 

I can describe this so accurately because that was pretty much what most of my childhood was - yeah - nearing the end, my mom realized she needed to be involved in my life - but it was too late for me - I was already out of the house - I am just happy to know my mom is losing weight (via gastric bypass) and is making healthful meals for my little sister who will be 14 next month and is still living at home.

I adapted to that lifestyle - the junk and fast foods and to be honest - some times I don't have time to do the shopping or energy to do the cooking so I run through McD's looking for that healthy option - my salad. But when $5.00 could buy me the ingredients to make 4 salads - I can only get one from McD's...

Mind you - At this point in my life - I'm 25 - will be 26 in December - No kids - just me and my husband - half the time he doesn't like what I cook so I just pretty much do the frozen dinners thing.

I have been thinking for years that we needed to tax unealthy food. just like cigarrettes. You dont have to have a candy bar you want one. You dont have to hae a cig you want one. Both kill people. a cig doesnt kill people complications from it does. obesity doesnt kill people complications do.Plus obesity is quickly starting to rival for the number 1 killer of people in the US. If you have a 99 cent salad and a four dollar soda ou will probaly go for the salad.

AMEN - Angel-Eyes - YOu are after my own heart!!!

That's what I'm getting to - if the "unhealthy tax" is applied to things like Candy bars, potato chips, soda and other non-essential junk foods (like cigarettes and alcohol) it may just help encourage a healthier america! Otherwise - those who want that shit can pay an extra $0.03/bag of chips or supersized soda!!!