tax the obese

rosa_luxembourg

My father-in-law has a long history of heart disease. Twice (before I knew him) he has had open heart surgery. Recently he has had balloon angioplasty. He is on the V. Expensive Wafren. (sp?)

Yet, when I visit him, he continues to smoke (cigars - cos they're OK) stuff his face full of cheeseburgers. Recently bought a new deep-fat fryer. 'Doesn't like' low-fat spreads. Salad 'gets stuck in his false teeth' etc etc. Thinks macaroni-cheese is 'healthy' (cos no meat).

Recently he's had some radiogamma-scan of his arteries, with a view to seeing whether he's suitable for ANOTHER bypass. I was very tempted to ask him how much he thinks he's costing me.

mbga9pgf

You could do us all a favour and pass him some castor beans.

rosa_luxembourg

mbga9pgf wrote: »

You could do us all a favour and pass him some castor beans.

That's a bit harsh. I don't want him dead. The OH would be most upset. I just wish he'd take responsibility for his own health.

As he will not (despite the mortal danger he continues to put himself in) it's not a policy of taxing the obese which would help (improve his life and reduce the cost to society), it would be a policy of taxing saturated fat, subsidising salad and dietary fibre, and an outright ban on tobacco.

ukcarper

Alcohol and fags are highly taxed it doesn’t stop people smoking and the high streets being full of !!!!ed people at the weekend

FATBALLZ

ukcarper wrote: »

Alcohol and fags are highly taxed it doesn’t stop people smoking and the high streets being full of !!!!ed people at the weekend

Yes but it does lower the tax bills for the rest of us.

ukcarper

FATBALLZ wrote: »

Yes but it does lower the tax bills for the rest of us.

Does it though just how much does all that policing and trips to hospital cost us

elfen

Because I don't think I should have to spend my time doing an activity I would find pointless. I don't do running, I have never and will never do it. However, I enjoy cycling and down resistance training as well as ab work. I also do an aerobic circuit twice/three times a week and do toning at home as well.

However, I just don't want to be doing it on my own, there is no motivation for me to do it alone, so by going to the gym and getting help, I'm doing a program that's right for me.

Why don't you waddle off your high horse, put down your pint and put out your fag so I can smack you in the mouth?

The_White_Horse

tax labour voters 80%. they are the ones to blame for the mess we are in.

if you want to tax obese people more that is fine, provided they get a rebate at the end of the year if they don't use the nhs for obeseity related illness.

really we should tax the anorexics. not only do they use nhs facilities, they don't even pay vat on eating out or buying luxury foods.

PrivatisetheNHSnow

elfen wrote: »

However, I just don't want to be doing it on my own, there is no motivation for me to do it alone, so by going to the gym and getting help, I'm doing a program that's right for me.

me me me - you sound like someone on benefits

FATBALLZ

ukcarper wrote: »

Does it though just how much does all that policing and trips to hospital cost us

I don't have the figures for that, but it's a better state of affairs than not taxing booze and fags and having the consequential costs lumped on all the people not involved.