Sugar tax to be imposed in UK

punkrockgoth wrote: »

I am enjoying the initiatives that the UK is taking to battle obesity. I realize that it comes with its downsides, but it makes my life easier. It's nice being able to buy a can of tomato sauce without tons of high fructose corn syrup. It's nice to be able to choose brown rice or wholegrain pasta without paying twice as much. I am dreading going back home for that reason.

I live in the US and it's no difficulty at all to buy tomato sauce without added HFCS or added sugar (I personally buy plain canned tomatoes instead, as I like to make my own sauce), and brown rice and whole grain pasta are also available for the same price as comparable white options.

People spread so much misinformation, it's annoying.

yarwell wrote: »

brower47 wrote: »

yarwell wrote: »

I doubt you can find anyone that has not heard the message about eating less and moving more.

Doesn't really answer the question. You think hearing that over simplified line is the extent of education required?

Personally I think people know exactly what to do, but choose not to do it. I don't know if there's a coherent credible message either, as banging on about sugary drinks in the context of a 55% carbohydrate diet seems futile. The obese are more likely to be drinking diet drinks, so it does little for them.

When I became serious about stopping laziness and getting control of my weight, I started by exercising. I did eat less, too, but cutting back portions wasn't entirely enough as I was still consuming too many calories and didn't know of the simple calorie deficit fact. Mostly I kept hearing about appetite suppressants, methods like intermittent fasting, and other diets / ways of eating which at the time all sounded miserable to me. Calorie restriction at that time for me was extreme dietary rigidity, or just plain sadness. It seems like everyone who figures this thing out wants to put it into some sort of meal plan and market it. But what happens if I find none of the food items appealing, or if I don't even know what they are? Anyway, that's all history for me

fishccer wrote: »

I work in operating theatres, every 2 weeks we have a dental list where children between the ages of 2 and 10 are having teeth out because of sugar. We took 16 teeth out if a 2 year old! 16!
Obviously, this is not the child's fault, they eat and drink what they are given. I don't know the answer though, like a previous poster said, cigs and booze are taxed ridiculously but people still use them. The information is out there for parents to access, and let's face it, common sense plays a part, we all know from an early age too much sugar rots your teeth.
I think a ban on advertising sugary drinks on children's channels may help. Kids don't see it on TV so don't ask for it.

Letting kids go to bed with a baby bottle is a big offender be it sugary sodas or fruit juices or even chocolate milk. It just ruins their teeth. We call it baby bottle mouth.

Pinkylee77 wrote: »

People act like eating sugar is a modern issue. Has anyone read about the sugar consumption of Queen Elizabeth I, her teeth were said to be black from eating so much sugar. Sugar was quite popular in that era. Even during the American revolution sugar was a black market item and sold buy privateers. They were not over weight. People now sit on their backsides way too much and eat fast food daily and this is what is a big issue with over weight. Kids need to get out and play and have parents that cook real food, then they would be thinner.

Sure there was a problem way back then in Elizabethan times.
"Sugar was quite popular in that era."- Sugar was a luxury item for the noble folk and very expensive.
"They were not over weight"- King Henry the VIII was no twig!
"eat fast food daily" - isn't soda a part of fast food package.

We all sound like sugar drug addicts that are in denial having withdrawal issues. Sugar is the Elephant in the room that no one can see it seems.

6pkdreamer wrote: »

Pinkylee77 wrote: »

People act like eating sugar is a modern issue. Has anyone read about the sugar consumption of Queen Elizabeth I, her teeth were said to be black from eating so much sugar. Sugar was quite popular in that era. Even during the American revolution sugar was a black market item and sold buy privateers. They were not over weight. People now sit on their backsides way too much and eat fast food daily and this is what is a big issue with over weight. Kids need to get out and play and have parents that cook real food, then they would be thinner.

Sure there was a problem way back then in Elizabethan times.
"Sugar was quite popular in that era."- Sugar was a luxury item for the noble folk and very expensive.
"They were not over weight"- King Henry the VIII was no twig!
"eat fast food daily" - isn't soda a part of fast food package.

Not necessarily -- I expect diet soda is a common beverage, and I don't think anyone gets fast food for the sugar.

We all sound like sugar drug addicts that are in denial having withdrawal issues. Sugar is the Elephant in the room that no one can see it seems.

Eh, in that the proposal (which I'm not against -- worth trying as an experiment and we tax all sorts of things) singles out soda, that seems the opposite of true. (Personally I do think soda is a particular problem today for some and probably on a societal level, based on the stats, although I'd say it's cultural, not because of the nature of soda. When I was a kid it was available and yet people exercised much more restraint, because it wasn't yet culturally normal to drink soda constantly, especially for kids.)

6pkdreamer wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

6pkdreamer wrote: »

Pinkylee77 wrote: »

People act like eating sugar is a modern issue. Has anyone read about the sugar consumption of Queen Elizabeth I, her teeth were said to be black from eating so much sugar. Sugar was quite popular in that era. Even during the American revolution sugar was a black market item and sold buy privateers. They were not over weight. People now sit on their backsides way too much and eat fast food daily and this is what is a big issue with over weight. Kids need to get out and play and have parents that cook real food, then they would be thinner.

Sure there was a problem way back then in Elizabethan times.
"Sugar was quite popular in that era."- Sugar was a luxury item for the noble folk and very expensive.
"They were not over weight"- King Henry the VIII was no twig!
"eat fast food daily" - isn't soda a part of fast food package.

Not necessarily -- I expect diet soda is a common beverage, and I don't think anyone gets fast food for the sugar.

We all sound like sugar drug addicts that are in denial having withdrawal issues. Sugar is the Elephant in the room that no one can see it seems.

Eh, in that the proposal (which I'm not against -- worth trying as an experiment and we tax all sorts of things) singles out soda, that seems the opposite of true. (Personally I do think soda is a particular problem today for some and probably on a societal level, based on the stats, although I'd say it's cultural, not because of the nature of soda. When I was a kid it was available and yet people exercised much more restraint, because it wasn't yet culturally normal to drink soda constantly, especially for kids.)

"soda is a particular problem today for some" And fast becoming a majority. Drinking soda is probably just a sign of a sweet tooth that's becoming the norm.

Nope -- soda is a classic issue of some (at the moment, unfortunately, mostly young people and minorities) who drink a ton and most who drink little, and there's no reason to think the base will increase. I think the key is the cultural ideas that discouraged excess when I was a kid.

"I don't think anyone get the fast food for the sugar" Its the combination of the two fat and sugar. Why not offer a bottle of water-probably not a big seller.

Water is available and some grab it. I simply don't think the appeal of fast food has a thing to do with sugar. It's salt and fat. I haven't liked fast food for years, so may not be a good example, but when I did soda had nothing to do with it (I could have got it cheaper elsewhere). It was all about fries -- fat and salt. Over Christmas I participated in my parents' fast food preferences, and it had nothing to do with sugar (they drink diet, didn't get soda, get the soda they want from their frig, since cheaper), but enjoy their purchased meal because of meat plus carbs plus salt.

This turns out being not that different from my old Indian food habit (which never involved soda), and isn't from classic fast food but their local burger and fish and chips places (they are in the Portland burbs).