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Are we talking “overweight” people, which applies to a lot of the population and whose health is not adversely affected by being a stone over the ideal weight or are we talking clinically obese people who, even after treatment, will simply revert to a lifestyle which is incompatible with a healthy wellbeing.
If someone has a heart attack brought on by self inflicted actions (as opposed to hereditary causes) they will expect to be treated via the NHS, and when discharged, will often return to the same lifestyle that created the heart attack in the first place.
Tax the fat may be a tad (no pun) excessive but certainly people should be advised that continuing to live that lifestyle will move withdrawal of further support and treatment.
Have to strongly disagree with American Woman, it is about time people started to take responsibility for their own actions, including diet and not expect other people to pick up the pieces- has nothing to do with being “happy” and more to do with being irresponsible
I agree with Slayer but at the same time so many life styles are risky and cost TAX payers money. So why not TAX fat,thin,drunks,druggies and the list is endless. Dont single out 1 fault there are so many. As the list i just put cost a lot of money and all should be taxed if thats the way it goes.
@becky wrote:
I agree with Slayer but at the same time so many life styles are risky and cost TAX payers money. So why not TAX fat,thin,drunks,druggies and the list is endless. Dont single out 1 fault there are so many. As the list i just put cost a lot of money and all should be taxed if thats the way it goes.
I wouldnt disagree- smoking, drinking and drug taking should be included in this- but I feel there is a slight difference between a risky lifestyle, especially involving work, where the choice is not so clear cut and where the individual has every choice- however those who undertake risk in sport or recreation should have insurance which will cover them-
what you eat, drink, or put in your body is down to the individual- with the extreme medical exceptions, no one is forced to smoke, drink or eat 10 pizzas a week- as I said, tax may be excessive but are we not penalised now for our actions in other areas- we pay more in insurance if we have a drink driving conviction we cannot get credit as easily if we are bankrupt etc etc- there should be some penalty for those whose actions cause their conditions
I work in the NHS and to most employees, it is frustrating to treat conditions which you know will be a short term fix as the lifestyle will ensure the individual is seen again and again.
I heard on the radio when this “Tax the fat” came out. What about rugby players? They are overweight but fit healthy? No one on the radio could answer it and a health minister or whatever i cant remember now said they would have to be taxed if it came out as they are overweight!?!?! Now to me its stupid full stop but rugby players are fit healthy and muscle is their weight problem!
My point is where do you draw a line?@gyps wrote:
Ok, I’ve tried really hard to ignore this thread (sorry Rubes….) but I cant.
My beautiful 16 year old daughter has suffered with Anorexia since she was 13. She has had many ups, and believe me, many, many lows. No one can pinpoint the exact reason for the onset of an eating disorder, but she will tell you that part of her wants so hard to conform to what society deems acceptable, i.e. slim women not fat.
(She has never been overweight, even before her eating disorder.)For the past three and a half years, she has attended hospital and been assigned her own dietitian and therapist for her disorder. I, as a mother, felt I was in someway to blame for not being able to control this disease. I wanted to make her ‘well’ again but I couldnt. Subsequently, I had to attend therapy in order to make me realise that no one is actually to blame.
My younger daughter and husband also had to attend sessions in order to help us understand what was going on with Katie.
Therefore, in this instance, a ‘thin’ person has cost the NHS quite a lot of money.
Thin people also cost a lot of money, and thin people lose lives as well.
Therefore, should she be taxed for being thin?
Live and let live. No one person has the right to judge another until they have walked in their shoes and understood their circumstances.
In percentage terms, anorexia is far outweighed by obeseity, we are fast behind the americans I fear. Obviously it couldnt be cut and dry, there would have to be lines to draw. If someone is suffering from a physical illness such as cancer then weight is something that cant be controlled and in that instance there is no justification for taxation. If someone is just plain ignorant, after being given advice and help then tax should be another way to deter people from gorging themselves. I watched a program about the fatest teenager in britain the other day and he litterally had 5 years left, he had a large operation which took longer than normall because of the fat layers, to shrink his stomach and make him sick if he ate more than he should, and even then with his mum and girlfriend supporting him he still ate till he was sick, with the attitude that if you’re meant to die young then so be it!! In the end he managed to control himself. People say they are fat because of stress, which I take as an excuse for lack of self control. As for your daughter its very sad that she is in a black hole I have been in a similar hole before and it was the strength of the people around me that helped me. I was rescued I suppose!! And now I am strong, and see the world in a new light.
@slayer wrote:
Have to strongly disagree with American Woman, it is about time people started to take responsibility for their own actions, including diet and not expect other people to pick up the pieces- has nothing to do with being “happy” and more to do with being irresponsible
I honestly don’t think that anybody would like to live in a society where you’re told to loose or gain weight or you’ll be taxed. I think it’s plain ridiculous. Would you truthfully like to take away Free Will? If I wanted to have 10 pizzas I should be able to have 10 pizzas. As far as them being “irresponsible” we all reap what we sow. If the person is over weight, believe me, they are paying for it, just not monetarily. All I’m saying is let people live their lives, especially if it’s not affecting you.
@American Woman wrote:
@slayer wrote:
Have to strongly disagree with American Woman, it is about time people started to take responsibility for their own actions, including diet and not expect other people to pick up the pieces- has nothing to do with being “happy” and more to do with being irresponsible
I honestly don’t think that anybody would like to live in a society where you’re told to loose or gain weight or you’ll be taxed. I think it’s plain ridiculous. Would you truthfully like to take away Free Will? If I wanted to have 10 pizzas I should be able to have 10 pizzas. As far as them being “irresponsible” we all reap what we sow. If the person is over weight, believe me, they are paying for it, just not monetarily. All I’m saying is let people live their lives, especially if it’s not affecting you.
Ah, but over here we have a “free” at source National Health Service- in other words, it is accessible to all (ok everyone, please don’t lecture me on how well it works)- over there you have to be insured to access health care, if you aren’t insured, you don’t get it. So maybe the argument has a different inference
If someone wants to eat 10 pizzas a day, self inflicts their condition, and then needs a heart transplant, but will continue afterwards in the same lifestyle- should that person have the same right to a new heart as someone who has been active in keeping themselves healthy but for other reasons (ie hereditary or clinical) needs a heart.
You have every right to eat, drink and inject what you want- what you should not have the right to assume is that your actions will be dealt with by others that then enable you to carry on exercising your right.
You make a solid point regarding the Heart Transplant issue. I can’t make a rebuttal regarding it :roll: Dang – You got me :x
Anything we do in life has consequences. What about boy racers/small willy men who crash and cost the emergency services alot of money being cut out of their car and hospital treatment. Ditto motorcycle riders who are very vulnerable to accidents. Shouldn’t they be charged for their treatment? People who have accidents crossing the road away from the crossing? Their choice – this could get ridiculus.
We all pay for our medical care through our national insurance contributions. Fat people also pay the same VAT and tax as everyone else & if they do die younger, will save the NHS money on geriatric care.
@madcat wrote:
Anything we do in life has consequences. What about boy racers/small willy men who crash and cost the emergency services alot of money being cut out of their car and hospital treatment. Ditto motorcycle riders who are very vulnerable to accidents. Shouldn’t they be charged for their treatment? People who have accidents crossing the road away from the crossing? Their choice – this could get ridiculus.
We all pay for our medical care through our national insurance contributions. Fat people also pay the same VAT and tax as everyone else & if they do die younger, will save the NHS money on geriatric care.
It already happens Mad, drivers who are involved in road traffic accidents and treated in A/E will receive a bill from the hospital (last I heard it was about £60).
But we’re (or rather I’m not) talking about “fat” people- I’m talking about people who are clinically obese through their own actions, refuse to take responsibility for their actions, yet expect others to pick up the pieces and treat them just to enable them to carry on as if nothing had happened.
Their has to be a line drawn where people take responsibility for what they do
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