Tax on Sugar

Why is it that if something is unhealthy they put TAX on it? With the exception of fags, which harm people around the smoker too, surely it's down to the individual isn't it? But how far do you go with that? Legalize drugs?! However, when people go over the top we all pay through the NHS. I know of two people who ate to much and became diabetic. They didn't cut back on sugar so ended up on pills. They still didn't cut back and now inject. Guess what, at least one of them eats sugar still (I guess they think they can just take more insulin to compensate).

This is a very difficult subject. It is also a case where those that abuse these things ruin it for the rest of us eg alcohol. By taxing though all they are doing is making more things a luxury just for the wealthy. Someone on R2 yesterday said about taxing manufaturesrs instead but they would just pass the costs down to us IMHO. IMHO the only way is to restrict sugars, and fats coloring's etc, in the foods that don't actually need them.

One more thing. Why would anyone drink Coke anyway when Diet Coke tastes soooo much better ;)
 
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Raptor Mike said:
when Diet Coke tastes soooo much better ;)
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To quote a friend of mine, it tastes like witches p*** Can't say I disagree TBH.
The only sugar free drink that I have tried and actually liked over the "proper one" is Monster absolute zero.
 
Raptor Mike said:
Why is it that if something is unhealthy they put TAX on it? With the exception of fags, which harm people around the smoker too, surely it's down to the individual isn't it? But how far do you go with that? Legalize drugs?! However, when people go over the top we all pay through the NHS. I know of two people who ate to much and became diabetic. They didn't cut back on sugar so ended up on pills. They still didn't cut back and now inject. Guess what, at least one of them eats sugar still (I guess they think they can just take more insulin to compensate).

This is a very difficult subject. It is also a case where those that abuse these things ruin it for the rest of us eg alcohol. By taxing though all they are doing is making more things a luxury just for the wealthy. Someone on R2 yesterday said about taxing manufaturesrs instead but they would just pass the costs down to us IMHO. IMHO the only way is to restrict sugars, and fats coloring's etc, in the foods that don't actually need them.

One more thing. Why would anyone drink Coke anyway when Diet Coke tastes soooo much better ;)
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I wonder if they will put a high tax on all comfy sofas in the future? :rolleyes:
 
jonbeeza said:
I always thought he had a very angelic looking face o_O
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I always thought it looked like one of those you would just love to slap!
:D
 
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Irony meter reaches 11.

Jamie Oliver is sponsored by Uncle Ben's. So what you ask?

They are owned by Mars Inc....
 
Rapscallion said:
Irony meter reaches 11.

Jamie Oliver is sponsored by Uncle Ben's. So what you ask?

They are owned by Mars Inc....
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Amazing what you can find, when you do a little digging. Best to keep the squeaky clean image, and keep your head down :rolleyes:
 
nilagin said:
You do realise the amount of sugar in one canned drink is beyond moderation.
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Yes, I know the amount of sugar, but a can every so often as part of a balanced diet is fine. Yes if you have 5 cans a day its not going to do you any good, but the same for most foodstuffs.
 
The problem is I actually agree with his message, even if there is a little hypocrisy.

Regarding cans of coke. The last can I had was over a year ago, and it gave me bad headache for the afternoon. The level of sugar in those cans cannot be good for you, even if they are drank infrequently.
 
cambsno said:
Yes, I know the amount of sugar, but a can every so often as part of a balanced diet is fine. Yes if you have 5 cans a day its not going to do you any good, but the same for most foodstuffs.
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But it wouldn't be a balanced diet if you consumed that amount of sugar in one hit. You'd have to be taking small sips all day long to try to balance it out.
 
Really? If you want to be pedantic then in that microcosm of 5 mins then yes, but that applies to all. That jumbo pack of crisps you may polish off or those 6 pints are bit balanced if looked at I isolation but over a week it's fine. Not all of us want to live on lentils and broccoli. We sometimes want treats and I am more than happy to buy my kids the odd can or sweets or ice cream. Does no harm
 
cambsno said:
Really? If you want to be pedantic then in that microcosm of 5 mins then yes, but that applies to all. That jumbo pack of crisps you may polish off or those 6 pints are bit balanced if looked at I isolation but over a week it's fine. Not all of us want to live on lentils and broccoli. We sometimes want treats and I am more than happy to buy my kids the odd can or sweets or ice cream. Does no harm
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None of which I consume.
You're not getting the point, subjecting your body to so much sugar in one hit, still isn't good. Your body can only process so much the rest it will store up. Spread the intake, as with any food, over the course of a day and it will be fine.
 
If you eat to much sugar in one hit the body produces extra insulin and converts it to fat 8 believe which is why a lot if americans have fallen fowl.
 
Sorry but I refuse to take diet advise from someone fatter than myself..

Shut up Jamie and hit the gym rather than shoving your bile down my throat at every opportunity.
 
TCR4x4 said:
Sorry but I refuse to take diet advise from someone fatter than myself..

Shut up Jamie and hit the gym rather than shoving your bile down my throat at every opportunity.
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Its OK you are among friends, no need to be shy, just say what's on your mind instead of beating about the bush :D
 
Interestingly, he advocates using sugar to sweeten a poisonous concoction on his website...

(OK, the poisonous concoction is Sloe Gin but he does include sugar in his recipe and Ethanol is a poison!!!)
 
Nod said:
Interestingly, he advocates using sugar to sweeten a poisonous concoction on his website...
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Like the above poster I just think he's a jumped up little tit TBH.
 
Just think of all the money they could make out of the sloe gin enthusiasts(y):p
Alcohol and sugar :D
 
Gremlin said:
Just think of all the money they could make out of the sloe gin enthusiasts(y):p
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Shhhhhh or they'll be making home brew ( of anything) illegal, or taxable soon enough ;)
 
Haha - just realised these comments were aimed at Jamie Oliver, not Bump (who obviously, is not called Jamie). It's been a long week... o_O
 
Llamaman said:
Haha - just realised these comments were aimed at Jamie Oliver, not Bump (who obviously, is not called Jamie). It's been a long week... o_O
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I was wondering what on Earth you were on about and why you were getting so annoyed on behalf of Jamie Oliver :thinking:

FTR I don't know what the official TP view about Mr Oliver is, but by my reckoning that's now 2 of the 3 mods currently online that intensely dislike him ;)
 
SarahLee said:
I was wondering what on Earth you were on about and why you were getting so annoyed on behalf of Jamie Oliver :thinking:

FTR I don't know what the official TP view about Mr Oliver is, but by my reckoning that's now 2 of the 3 mods currently online that intensely dislike him ;)
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Now, now - shouldn't RTM's be in confidence? (Really quite embarrassed :oops: :$) I blame Kendo - he accused me of being always right the other days - was bound to lead to an Epic Fail. :help:
 
Llamaman said:
Now, now - shouldn't RTM's be in confidence? (Really quite embarrassed :oops: :$)
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I don't mean to add to the embarrassment, but I was referencing your post #71 "Is that the official view of TP, Mr Moderator?" . . . but now you've gone and brought RTM's into it too :LOL:

Here, have a mod hug :hug: and a :jaffa:


Llamaman said:
I blame Kendo - he accused me of being always right the other days - was bound to lead to an Epic Fail. :help:
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Yeah, yeah find a scapegoat llama.
 
I'm against a sugar tax for a number of reasons...

- It affects the relatively poor more than it affects the relatively well off.
- It affects those with the least power to change anything.
- It affects those who don't need to be affected. ie ME!

I'm not fat and I don't see why I should pay a single penny more just because someone else can't stop shoving Mars Bars or whatever it is into their flabby over weight chops. Maybe counter staff should size people up and charge me the normal price, or indeed give me a discount, and impose the tax when fat people turn up at the checkout with Mars Bars?

IMO the information is already out there for anyone who wants to consume less fat / sugar or whatever the panic is about today and feed less to their children but of course many don't bother to think and read the labels and instead blame junk food / the manufacturers / the world at large for a problem that's easily avoided but avoiding it takes personal responsibility and there's none of that these days.

If there is genuinely a need to alter what's in the food on sale maybe the manufacturers and retailers are the ones who need to implement changes rather than bypassing them and imposing a tax on the consumer who is in the least powerful position. All a consumer can do is not buy but of course they wont do that.

I was watching the parents picking up their little darlings today (er... I'm not a pervy old man... I just live near a school) and of course there were quite a few overweight parents and not just by a few lbs. Growing up with grossly over weight parents what chance have the kids got but being cruel and selfish for a moment that's their problem, not mine and I don't see why a tax should be imposed on me because other people don't take enough interest in their and their childrens health and aren't willing to show any restraint or responsibility.

And of course there's alcohol, that's why many are over weight. Is there going to be a (further) tax on that too?

As someone who doesn't have a weight problem it annoys me that what I see as natural but maybe full fat food is being forced off the shelves by bland or even horrible low fat stuff.
 
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woof woof said:
I was watching the parents picking up their little darlings today (er... I'm not a pervy old man... I just live near a school).
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I swear it's the truth, your honour.
 
I feel for Jamie a bit. On the whole, just from the evidence of my eyes as I walk around, the country is in pretty poor shape (Jamie himself included it must be said....). At least he is trying to do something, to raise awareness, and from that aspect I think his heart is in the right place and I applaud him.

Where I disagree is this tired old approach of taxes and/or bans. It's the assumption that he knows better than everyone else, and has the right to dictate what must be done. As has been pointed out earlier in the thread, not so long ago it was fat, then it was salt, today sugar - take an hour and delve into nutritional research, and you'll find what is healthy and unhealthy is simply not known just now. Personally I don't believe a lot of sugar is healthy, but I'm also aware of research done by Walter Kempner with his famous 'sugar diet', where patients ate huge amounts every day and in general did marvellously. Context matters a lot, and if researchers don't know, Jamie sure as heck doesn't know.

So I applaud him for raising awareness and voicing his opinion - putting himself out there and trying to do something. But please stop with taxes - just raise awareness and let people exercise free choice.
 
Llamaman said:
Is that the official view of TP, Mr Moderator?
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As the admin say, Member first Mod second :p

Llamaman said:
Haha - just realised these comments were aimed at Jamie Oliver, not Bump (who obviously, is not called Jamie). It's been a long week... o_O
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The poster above was actually Tom ( who was berating) JO not Paul.
I hope you are feeling better this morning? :D
 
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