When will the madness end?

[sparroa]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/10/23/obesity-tax-oma.html
Graphic warning labels on your potato chips, anyone?
Pretty soon a trip to the grocery store will be a macabre and traumatic event...
I'm not saying to ignore the health risks of a poor diet, and I am all for an improvement in our food supply but this is not how we should go about it.
When will we start to take personal responsibility for our actions once again?
Want greasy food every day for forty years? Fine, but it comes with coronary bypasses or heart attack deaths for most people. Them's the breaks...
First it was tobacco, now it is junk food, next it will be alcohol...
Perhaps in the not so distant future all new cars will sport gruesome decals with skull & crossbone hood ornaments to warn us of the perils of impaired/reckless driving...
Perhaps books and movies labeled "disturbing" by the government will require one to undergo psychiatric evaluation before they can be exposed to such dangerous content...
Really, when will the madness end?

 

[captainsousie]

When will it ever end? The ideas in the article are beyond idiocy.

 

[numbersix]

It is madness.
These are the type of people I sometimes refer to as "do-gooders". Well-meaning but seriously misguided people who try to save the world by forcing everyone else to conform to their ideas of right and wrong. To tax someone because they are overweight is beyond ridiculous, but that seems to be the way society is headed.
In the UK you can be fined and even go to jail for saying mean things on Facebook. In San Francisco you can be fined for not recycling.

 

[captainprophesy]

It will end when WE the people put an end to it!

 

[doctorthoss]

I don't care if the government puts warning labels on things, so long as they don't outright prohibit it or try to tax it out of existence. Allowing customers to make informed decisions is basic ethics to me -- but trying to force someone to be "good" is crap.

 

[lankfordjl]

There is no end to power seeking, money hungry people; that's the real problem! I don't believe these people care about our health; they simply want to control the system - whatever it is - it ensures their own income.

 

[crazypipe]

Just eat ,get all you can in ya ,and then think thin :rofl:

 

[rd02sir]

I say good. Everyone needs to be aware of the risk of dangerous eating. If my cigarettes have a warning, then the corn-syrup based soda drink should have one too.

 

[sparroa]

Sorry, CAP, but I think that's like cutting off your nose to spite your face...
You have nothing to gain from that approach, but plenty to lose.
I don't think the government can be all high and mighty about food safety by slapping warning labels on "junk" when their lax practices allow serious issues such as the latest E. coli contamination to happen in the first place.
We also have to remember that its not the soda that makes us fat; we make ourselves fat by consuming it with abandon.
Fruit juice is not popularly considered unhealthy, but if you drink fruit juice around the clock, then yes it will contribute to weight gain - probably just as much as soda - because it is loaded with sugars.
Should fruit juice have a warning label? Who decides? If it doesn't have a warning label, does that mean it is safe to consume however much we want?
Let me put it this way: what if the government decides caffeine is the next drug that needs to be controlled? It can have an outsized effect on vulnerable people; that much is true. It makes my heart flutter and apparently 5 deaths have been linked to excess consumption of Monster energy drinks. So would you support a tax on coffee and cola that triples its cost just because it can cause harm and be misused? Do we really need warning labels to tell us not to drink X pots of coffee, or can we be responsible adults and control our own consumption?
Approving warning labels on food is just a few steps away from the idiocy that is occurring in NYC that bans large servings of soda. (Meanwhile, an equivalent amount of soda is allowed to be sold in separate servings, increasing costs AND completely inconveniencing the customer) At this rate, governments will be attempting to regulate restaurant menus beyond the expected food safety considerations and they will be delving into our calorie counts and sodium levels...

 

[jsiddle]

Maybe if the fast food places made the damn salads the same prices as the shitty burgers, more ppl would eat salads.

 

[bentmike]

I'll be 42 years old in a few weeks. By the end of December I will have logged 1000 miles on my bicycles for the year not counting bicycle commuting 2 or 3 days a week to and from work. I also lift weights to prevent muscle loss as I age and keep my bones strong. When the weather is bad I get my cardio on an elliptical machine.
I try to eat healthy but I'm not fanatical about it. I enjoy a burger and fries once or twice a month, pizza and beer and mexican food. Most meals are lean meats like chicken, pork and fish grilled. Frozen vegis like the "steam in the bag" variety are quick and easy. Fresh fruits and oatmeal for breakfasts. It's not hard nor particularly expensive.
The fact is people are Lazy. There is no denying it. When I was a kid in school there was one chubby kid. Like Spanky from the little rascles. Now when I go to a function at my son's school half or more of the kids are fat. One thing I hate is the political correctness BS concerning this matter and childhood obesity especially. My wife works in healthcare so I am very familiar with that side of the coin. Don't get me started there! People's poor lifestyle choices are the number one reason we have the crisis in healthcare that we do.
To me it seems pretty obvious that people chose not to care or are simply ignorant as to how to take proper care of themselves. I don't have the answer to problem and I don't really care about labeling as I've got the good sense to know what to eat and excercise moderation in all parts of my life.
Lankfordjl makes a good point above also.

 

[spartan]

Hey OMA.

 

[rd02sir]

They should put warning labels on EVERYTHING. That way, people can't say shit, that no one warned them.
To be completely honest, I really dont care if they put warning labels on food products.
We all know smoking kills, unhealthy and causes various diseases. Same could go for foods.
I get that some people would get annoyed by the labels, but some people are just to stupid to make a conscious decision and they need to be informed.
Juice could very well be wanrning labelled. If you drink juice all day, the acid from the juices deteriorate your teeth. Not to mention the plethora of added sugar in your diet. Some people have no clue, and then their teeth rot, and they gain weight. BUT WAIT "I thought juice was healthy for you!?!". Yes, but there can be side effects.
People are getting more and more obese these days. Do i agree that the gov should tax junk food? No. But will that make someone think twice about their next snack choice? Yes.
I understand that it's "your own" decision as to what you put in your body, but there are some people that just have no idea.

 

[captainprophesy]

@Simenon... I dont think you understood me... what I meant about WE need to put a stop to is that fact that the government is getting more and more involved in our daily lives... and WE need to put an END TO IT! after all arent we supposed to be the government, arent they supposed to be working for us?... not the other way around?

I for one believe that anyone has the right and freedom to eat, smoke, drink, or do whatever they want as long as they dont harm or endanger others.
I have been doing Muay Thai for almost 20 years now, I run up to 20 miles and do a boat load of strongman/crossfit style workouts, I run obstacle courses that range from 3 miles to 18 miles... I eat very clean and healthy and supplement with loads of vitamins... NOW, should I TELL you that you should eat and live like me? hell no... I dont have that right... so why should the government?
I think that some labels are ok... people need to see what they are getting into I guess :roll: ... but in the end your life is your responsibility. You want to eat cheeseburger after cheeseburger with large fries and a diet coke, hey thats your life no adult should ever tell another adult what they should or shouldn't do.

There is no end to power seeking, money hungry people; that's the real problem! I don't believe these people care about our health; they simply want to control the system - whatever it is - it ensures their own income.

I agree with this... I feel that a person that WANTS to be leader... shouldn't!

 

[baronsamedi]

When will we start to take personal responsibility for our actions once again

You are clearly one of those hating hatemongers who don't think of the children.

Maybe if the fast food places made the damn salads the same prices as the shitty burgers, more ppl would eat salads

I ain't eating no damn salad unless there is steak or fried chicken in it.

 

[captainsousie]

I have a great idea. Let's give food an even greater stigma and cause/worsen as many eating disorders as we can!!! Then, as doctors, we would have a larger clientele to work with.
Sounds like something that was said while planning for this stupidity.

 

[sparroa]

captainprophesy,
I hear your message loud and clear - but I am not the one supporting these jokers and their message, nor do I support politicians who espouse this kind of thinking.
How does one effect this kind of change? It is difficult in this day and age. Disengagement is a huge problem on the whole, but even those who are vocal are silenced by the powers that be. I'm all ears when it comes to suggestions. I'm not trying to wade too deeply into politics here, just saying that it is difficult to stem this tide of excessive regulations and government interventionism. (Even though this isn't a government agency promoting these changes, it is not farfetched to see them endorsing such measures in the future)
CanAsianPiper,
I guess my point is that common sense and education goes a long way. You can't force people to make the "right" choice and if one believes in rights and freedoms then you shouldn't force people to make the "right" choice.
Warning labels belong on that bottle of paint thinner that can and will kill you on the spot if you decide to throw it back on your head some night. I don't think warning labels belong on fruit juice or cola or any other potable liquid because who's to say what is good or bad? Should I stop drinking beer because somebody else has celiac disease? I just think that we should "get our own houses in order" before we selectively preach to the masses about what is harmful and what is not...
I don't agree that taxes on junk food will make people second guess their choices. In fact, they will probably rob Peter to pay Paul and some other aspect of their lives will suffer.
Nor will taxation on junk food make healthier foods less expensive. Companies will probably raise the price of healthy foods to recoup the loss of profits from their more expensive junk foods... Tax breaks seldom work the way they are supposed to...
Some people make terrible diet choices, some people make terrible choices in general - an all powerful government can't solve either of these problems with heavy handed measures.

 

[numbersix]

The fact is people are Lazy

This may not be totally untrue, but overall I have to say that I disagree. Many people these days simply cannot afford to eat well. A person can fill their bellies easier and faster and most importantly, cheaper on crap that is mass produced.
It's been demonstrated that corn syrup not only makes a person crave what they are eating, but it causes a person to gain weight much more quickly. And corn syrup is a main ingredient in these low-cost, mass produced foods. IMHO, crap food that is very cheap to make is a much bigger culprit than simply saying "people are lazy".

 

[rhogg]

there will come a time when being you, will not be good enough. your dna will be an obstacle for you. you will have an inferior gene. your gene will not be acceptable. your makeup will prohibit you from carrying out the original destiny that could have been. the next evolution will be controled eugenics and the generation of today will merely be the failure of a bygone era.

 

[lankfordjl]

Freedom includes the right to make a bad decision that will result in failure. Freedom also includes accepting the consequence of that decision...
(Junk food doesn't cause people to be fat! Eating too much results in obesity...eating too much healthy food results in obesity just the same...the problem is more psychological than physical.)
Laws do not stop people from making bad decisions. Only education and wisdom can lead to better decision making. (I agree with simenon completely.)
U.S. laws were not suppose to take away the rights of citizens, but they were to preserve rights and protect the innocent from the reprobates of society. Increasing taxes on what the oligarchy deems as "bad" choices, only further takes away our individual liberties.

@rhogg

You are referring to GATTCA, right?