The fat tax
The growing obesity epidemic is nothing new, and I’ve written about government-imposed food restrictions in elementary schools before, but I’m pretty disappointed that the government would charge non-dieting, overweight Americans: State’s Obesity Risk: Lose Weight or Lose Insurance
To summarize this article in a couple of lines:
Alabama is giving its employees roughly a year to start getting in shape or state employees will be charged $25 a month for insurance that would otherwise be free.
Some states offer benefits for healthy living, but Alabama is the first state to punish those not trying to slim down.
How many studies need to be published to show that dieting is not the answer? And why is the government not taking medical conditions and eating disorder into consideration? Are we giving the general population the necessary tools to improve overall health? How exactly does Alabama suggest that these individuals go about losing the proposed weight?
We already live in a society that encourages negative body image and an unattainable physical ideal (note: I do not blame society for eating disorders. still, it doesn’t help). How awful is it to not only be receiving the “you are too heavy” message from the media, but from the government as well? Maybe you are already struggling with weight, food issues, emotional eating, medical problems — who knows… and now you are going to be punished by paying an additional fee for weighing too much? How shameful.
Shame doesn’t solve anything (and certainly won’t help the obesity epidemic). Shame will lead to more emotional eating (you have to compensate for those awful feelings!), which will just dig people deeper into that hole. I’m not saying I know how to fix things… but I’m pretty sure that this is not the correct direction.
I must say this is a great article i enjoyed reading it keep the good work
wow, this is sickening. I agree with you 100%
Every time I hear/read about this I become completely infuriated. I keep thinking When is this going to happen in more states, Will we do something, enough, then? and what now?
It makes no sense to me at all and I have a very hard time understanding any of it.
Wow, this is unbelievable. Rather then simply try to shame people into doing drastic things like yo-yo dieting that have been shown over and over not to work, they should sit down and think “what can be do to promote healthier habits across the board?” What about giving people time during their work day to exercise, or making sure that catered lunches are healthy? Those steps would benefit everyone, not just people who are overweight. Also, studies have shown recently that people who are technically overweight (by BMI) and exercise are healthier then people who weigh less and don’t exercise. So again, weight is not a measure of anything! People can have eating disorders at any weight and can be fit or unfit at any weight!
here in Philippines, obesity is also becoming a problem. More and more children are getting obese due to a lifestyle that is not fully of physical activities. most kids just wants to watch TV, play computer games and surf the net.
I think this is wrong! I have done low-carb in the past to lose weight and it works for me, as long as I make it a lifestyle change, not just a diet! Thing is, many don’t accept this as a healthy way to lose weight, even though I have seen my cholesterol levels drop, my diabetes improve and avoided high blood pressure by doing so! Is the state going to regulate how these people are to lose the weight? Like low fat, low calorie, or what? I think this will lead to more crash diets, diet pill abuse and possibly use of illegal drugs to lose weight! How sad!
People with eating disorders feel helpless…..that’s part of the disorder. However, people do find ways to recover and people need to be encouraged to act on finding the way to live a healthy life. I have lived for more than 9 years keeping a 65 lb weight loss. It was a lifestyle change and a food plan. Before I found my way out, few people did anything to push me in the right direction and that includes doctors at annual physicals, friends, colleagues at work. I would have resented paying extra for my health care. But I felt helpless and resentful about most things. Being gravely overweight is a sign that something is wrong. Ignoring the social, as well as the personal, consequences, is not doing anyone any good.