Should Thailand tax junk food to help fight obesity?

[Sayonarax]

What is this obsession with health, and why is it the state's business?

Doesn't the state have more pressing matters than getting caught up worrying how much soda-pop kids are drinking?

I believe it matters to the government and may be the state's business because many Thais are on social security, i.e. 30-baht health care, so the fewer Thais that self-inflict obesity related problems, the less cost to the government, and the way that Yingluck S. wastes and p*sses away money every little bit they can save helps.

I have read only a few of the posts, but if we're voting on this, I vote YES, it should be taxed higher. Because I eat so little of it, the extra taxation won't affect my budget.

Split the money collected between health education, medical costs, and subsidizing the price of healthy, whole food, making it bargain priced and more appealing to buy.

lol social security.

IE. your just silly

[mogandave]

....the extra taxation won't affect my budget.

Typical...

[jdinasia]

Seems as if fat people want a fat tax. Frankly nutrition education and continuing fitness programs would be far better and be more than one step removed from creating a nanny state.

[mogandave]

Honestly, is there anyone that does not know that laying around drinking soda-pop and eating Twinkies makes you fat? If so, would those be the same people that don't know smoking is bad for you?

Do you really believe the problem is lack of knowledge?

[Brevity]

What is this obsession with health, and why is it the state's business?

Doesn't the state have more pressing matters than getting caught up worrying how much soda-pop kids are drinking?

I believe it matters to the government and may be the state's business because many Thais are on social security, i.e. 30-baht health care, so the fewer Thais that self-inflict obesity related problems, the less cost to the government, and the way that Yingluck S. wastes and p*sses away money every little bit they can save helps.

I have read only a few of the posts, but if we're voting on this, I vote YES, it should be taxed higher. Because I eat so little of it, the extra taxation won't affect my budget.

Split the money collected between health education, medical costs, and subsidizing the price of healthy, whole food, making it bargain priced and more appealing to buy.

lol social security.

IE. your just silly

I assume you mean 'you're' (you are) instead of 'your'.

But instead of just posting something immature and insulting, why don't see if you can put a few semi-intelligent words together here and tell me what's wrong with my assumption that Thais have access to health care through social security?

Edited January 29, 2014 by Brevity

[BKK Blues Brother]

Is Sugar the new cigarettes?

I think it should be.

Ciggies cause cancer.

Excess sugar causes obesity which causes cancer, heart disease, depression, etc.

http://www.laweekly.com/publicspectacle/2014/01/20/is-sugar-the-new-cigarettes-a-new-sundance-film-thinks-so

Sugar increases insulin, insulin increases fat storage. And it's addictive. In a study Soechtig quotes, 93 percent of lab rats chose sugar water over cocaine.

Of course it is and one only has to look at the pattern in China to see what is coming for Thailand. One child policy ( now being tweeted) , both parents working, grandparents looking after the kid and spoiling it rotten ( almost force-feeding), more so if male, huge increase in child obesity....kids under 10 at morbidly obese levels....completely unheard of for obvious reasons prior to this generation. Changing demographics, increased wealth, junk food, westernization....exactly the same thing will happen in Thailand. Absolutely preventable.

Preventable how? With the leaden foot of social engineering and the rapacious claw of the revenue?

Perhaps a thin-child policy? That might work in China, where they take their government slightly more seriously...

SC

For those with a genuine interest in this subject.....

Americans obsession with sugar V Britain's obsession with fat.

Two twin doctors embark on a one month study for the BBC......very interesting and worth watching....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03t8r4h/Horizon_20132014_Sugar_v_Fat/

BBB

[Jingthing]

Speaking of good documentaries.

The four part U.S. documentary "Weight of the Nation" is now fully available on youtube:

Edited January 30, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Pretty horrific report recently out from the WHO.

About global cancer in general, but that is including OBESITY related cancers.

Also noted the massive increases of this in ASIA.

The WHO is clearly on the side of more PREVENTATIVE ACTION from governments (as am I):

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/04/health/who-world-cancer-report/index.html

The report said about half of all cancers were preventable and could have been avoided if current medical knowledge was acted upon. The disease could be tackled by addressing lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet and exercise; adopting screening programs; or, in the case of infection-triggered cancers such as cervical and liver cancers, through vaccines

...


The report's authors suggested governments take similar legislative approaches to those they had taken against tobacco in attempting to reduce consumption of alcohol and sugary drinks, and in limiting exposure to occupational and environmental carcinogens, including air pollution.

...

The report said the growing cancer burden would disproportionately hit developing countries -- which had the least resources to deal with the problem -- due to their populations growing, living longer and becoming increasingly susceptible to cancers associated with industrialized lifestyles.

[Jingthing]

This LABELING thing Chile is trying sounds great. Assuming it proves helpful why wouldn't countries like Thailand be interested in copying it?

http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2014/02/19/Latin-American-countries-taking-aim-at-obesity-and-unhealthy-foods-while-the-US-sits-on-the-sidelines.aspx

Chile, worried about expanding waistlines, has a new labeling system that comes into effect this year. The legislation forces food makers to emblazon packages with warning labels if their food is high in sugar, salt, calories or fat. There will also be a ban on advertising unhealthy products to children.

"This is absolutely astounding," Marion Nestle, the influential food blogger and professor of food policy at New York University told the Christian Science Monitor. "I've never seen anything like this before."

[NeverSure]

I want a huge tax on liquor. Say 5,000 baht per liter for all kinds. How many people impact the health system due to drinking related diseases and road accidents?

I want a huge tax on cigarettes. Say 5,000 baht per pack. Look at all of the smoking related illnesses from smoking and second hand smoke. Emphysema, cancer... It all has to be paid for by society.

I want a huge tax on scooters. They are deadly. I think about 100,000 baht per year for license would be about right.

I want a huge tax on condo balconies. They cause a lot of deaths and I think they should be taxed at 15,000 baht per month per balcony railing.

However, anyone who eats too much food is simply going to be full of shit.

[brit1984]

This LABELING thing Chile is trying sounds great. Assuming it proves helpful why wouldn't countries like Thailand be interested in copying it?

http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2014/02/19/Latin-American-countries-taking-aim-at-obesity-and-unhealthy-foods-while-the-US-sits-on-the-sidelines.aspx

Chile, worried about expanding waistlines, has a new labeling system that comes into effect this year. The legislation forces food makers to emblazon packages with warning labels if their food is high in sugar, salt, calories or fat. There will also be a ban on advertising unhealthy products to children.

"This is absolutely astounding," Marion Nestle, the influential food blogger and professor of food policy at New York University told the Christian Science Monitor. "I've never seen anything like this before."

maybe because most of what they eat in Thailand doesn't come packaged with a label

[Jingthing]

This LABELING thing Chile is trying sounds great. Assuming it proves helpful why wouldn't countries like Thailand be interested in copying it?

http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2014/02/19/Latin-American-countries-taking-aim-at-obesity-and-unhealthy-foods-while-the-US-sits-on-the-sidelines.aspx

Chile, worried about expanding waistlines, has a new labeling system that comes into effect this year. The legislation forces food makers to emblazon packages with warning labels if their food is high in sugar, salt, calories or fat. There will also be a ban on advertising unhealthy products to children.

"This is absolutely astounding," Marion Nestle, the influential food blogger and professor of food policy at New York University told the Christian Science Monitor. "I've never seen anything like this before."

maybe because most of what they eat in Thailand doesn't come packaged with a label

Are you having a laugh?