Taxing Processed and Junk Food

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24

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  • lisabel87
    lisabel87 Posts: 152
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    Groceries should not be taxed in any state. That goes for junk food. I do think that they should raise te overall prices of junk food though. Eating healthy is costs more than eating junk. Not cool.
  • eamconnor
    eamconnor Posts: 130 Member
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    Has smoking been curtailed by the tax? .... While I was a smoker I always said, if the price goes up anymore i am quitting.. yeah right. I ended up paying over 5 dollars a pack and the price had nothing to do with my quitting.

    It seems your personal experience isn't typical. Overall, when tobacco taxes go up, consumption goes down. A lot of factors affect that dynamic, but yes, tobacco taxes do seem to curtail smoking.

    I think the facts that people have become more educated on the dangers of smoking as well as the banning of cigarettes in many places has much more to do with the lower rates of smoking than the taxes do.

    Yes, the things you mentioned are all factors. Which one is *more* or *most* important depends on where, when, how the study is done, what kinds of peole are involved -- all kinds of variables come into play. I agree, though, that you've mentioned some important points. And they are relevent to what we're talking about now -- where and when food is available, for example.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
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    I think it's a bad idea. It's along the same lines of not being able to use food stamps on certain foods. It's none of anyone's business what anyone else eats.

    And who would be the judge of what's "healthy" or not? Some people think that meat and dairy is unhealthy (vegans- Myself included) but I don't think that meat and dairy should be taxed more than any other foods.

    I love diet sodas, some think that those are unhealthy. I would throw a fit if my diet cokes were taxed more, since they already cost about $5 a 12 pack!

    Too much room for error with this, and I disagree with all of it.
  • InaWarZone
    InaWarZone Posts: 35
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    QUOTE In a time where junk foods, junk cereals, processed crap, etc is pushed and marketed to the height it is - people are not going to be personally responsible. UNQUOTE

    Yes, people are too stupid to do the right thing for themselves. Luckily, we have the smart people like you and our government who know better and will make sure you do the right thing... or else. Sorry but we have to tax the crap out of anything that we think isn't good... for your own good, because you're an idiot.

    Why don't you tax unprotected sex while you're at it? TV watching too?

    Where does it end? And for that matter, since when has the government become a master of the people rather than servant of the people?

    I have spent many years in defense of our freedom, ideology like this (and all the coolaid drinkers nodding in agreement) make me wonder if my service was in vain.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
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    I think we are over taxed as it is..., i'll pass.
  • InaWarZone
    InaWarZone Posts: 35
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    Groceries should not be taxed in any state. That goes for junk food. I do think that they should raise te overall prices of junk food though. Eating healthy is costs more than eating junk. Not cool.

    Agree about the taxes but idea of price control is exactly the same thing... comrade.
  • corsayre8
    corsayre8 Posts: 551 Member
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    The issue is bigger than a tax - having junk food taxed at a higher percentage is only going to ad pennies, (at least here in cali where we already have a snack tax).

    It is cheaper to buy a two liter of soda than it is to buy juice or milk.

    It is cheaper to buy frozen fruit and veggies that are filled with sugar than it is to buy fresh produce.

    It is cheaper to buy a loaf of wonder bread than any of the whole grain breads.

    It is cheaper to buy the highly processed sandwich meats than it is to hit the deli counter.

    Pretty much accross the board, the junk food options are cheaper then the healthy options. Adding a tax like suggested is only going to add more of a hardship on those with a fixed income.

    I'm not sure what the soltion is, but it is going to require much more restructuring that simply adding on a new tax.
  • eamconnor
    eamconnor Posts: 130 Member
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    The issue is bigger than a tax - having junk food taxed at a higher percentage is only going to ad pennies, (at least here in cali where we already have a snack tax).

    It is cheaper to buy a two liter of soda than it is to buy juice or milk.

    It is cheaper to buy frozen fruit and veggies that are filled with sugar than it is to buy fresh produce.

    It is cheaper to buy a loaf of wonder bread than any of the whole grain breads.

    It is cheaper to buy the highly processed sandwich meats than it is to hit the deli counter.

    Pretty much accross the board, the junk food options are cheaper then the healthy options. Adding a tax like suggested is only going to add more of a hardship on those with a fixed income.

    I'm not sure what the soltion is, but it is going to require much more restructuring that simply adding on a new tax.

    I think your experience is borne out...junk food calories ARE cheap to buy. Soda is cheaper than real juice or milk, and so on. I think in the original article, Mark Bittman makes the point that right now, junk food can be cheaper because food policy has us *subsidizing* it. Imagine if we subsidized fresh fruit and vegetables instead!
  • mamashatzie
    mamashatzie Posts: 238 Member
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    I strongly agree with the sentiment that healthier foods should be cheaper and more accessible than junk foods, I very strongly disagree with government taxation of junk food. The phrase "nanny state" sums up my feelings pretty well. The government does not need to monitor what we eat.

    Find a way to make fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, and whole grains cheaper, yes. But do that without passing judgement on foods that are arbitrarily deemed unhealthy.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    While I agree with the sentiment, I disagree with the implementation.

    Taxes and subsidies just give the government permission to reach further into our lives and dictate our decision. Education is still the best route. If more people begin to chose healthier options there will be less junk on the shelves. It is simple supply and demand.

    The reverse side of this though, is that we, as a nation, do not have the resources to feed every American fresh meats and produce. So as less and less junk food is being sold, the prices of fresh meats and produce would increase because the demand would increase but the supply cannot. So in reality, the people buying all the junk food are keeping the meat and produce prices lower for you and I.

    Me, too. But what next? Cheese? Butter? Whole milk? Fatty cuts of meat? Things will just cost more if people buy less. They already are sky high.

    We just met a guy from New Zealand this year who said he was totally blown away by the sheer number of extremely obese individuals and whole families that he saw here in CA. He was beside himself because he said in NZ he is considered very overweight and an oddity and yet he would be considered "normal" here. Probably 6'1" and 235 pounds. I asked him what he thought was different. His reply was obvious to me: "We don't have 4 different fast food restaurants to choose from at every single intersection." His culture is that people "make dinner". It is from actual food, not packets or cans.

    I don't know what the solution is. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. The info is out there. We all got it some how. We were all fat and eating junk most likely, yet we are just a small handful of people that is actually doing something about it for any number of reasons. Congratulations, guys! I guess it is live and let "live".
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    No way.

    Nanny state taken to the extreme. People have to be free to eat what they like.

    No one is saying they can't eat it. It just says they should have to pay more for food that isn't real anyway.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    QUOTE In a time where junk foods, junk cereals, processed crap, etc is pushed and marketed to the height it is - people are not going to be personally responsible. UNQUOTE

    Yes, people are too stupid to do the right thing for themselves. Luckily, we have the smart people like you and our government who know better and will make sure you do the right thing... or else. Sorry but we have to tax the crap out of anything that we think isn't good... for your own good, because you're an idiot.

    Why don't you tax unprotected sex while you're at it? TV watching too?

    Where does it end? And for that matter, since when has the government become a master of the people rather than servant of the people?

    I have spent many years in defense of our freedom, ideology like this (and all the coolaid drinkers nodding in agreement) make me wonder if my service was in vain.

    I also spent years of my life in defense of this country. Adding a tax is not taking away anyone's freedom - it is making them pay more for the crap and junk they want to stuff their faces with.

    However, I have had enough. I did what I was supposed to do to get off all medications and control my health through diet and exercise..............have I lost all the weight I want to lose yet? No, but I am still working on it as I am going to get down to my military days weight again.

    If I did the right things and got off the medications, so can anyone else. Especially those suffering from complications from Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, etc.

    For the most part people think I can eat anything I want..............I don't need to control my high blood pressure.........why??? Because there are pills for that.

    All the while the Big Pharma, food companies all get richer while the people of this country get sicker and sicker. This is the reason that health care is out of control.

    I am tired of paying for everyone else's sickness through my high premiums, co-payments and co-insurance. The bottom line is the subsidies lie in the wrong spot.

    Why not start subsidizing brocolli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, hell, even potatoes and sweet potatoes (even though I am not a fan).

    Why not give extra tax cuts to the local farmer who humanely raises and grazes his cattle and then humanely slaughters them ?

    Maybe no one else cares about what is happening to our food supply - but I do.
  • Dkenny74
    Dkenny74 Posts: 26 Member
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    Bad idea,
    What happens when big ag lobbies the government to change what gets classified as junk food?

    What about bad science? Remeber when the Egg was bad? Would it be taxed? Remember when all Fat was bad? Should it have been taxed?

    The taxes collected would be wasted any way.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Bad idea,
    What happens when big ag lobbies the government to change what gets classified as junk food?

    What about bad science? Remeber when the Egg was bad? Would it be taxed? Remember when all Fat was bad? Should it have been taxed?

    The taxes collected would be wasted any way.

    We are not talking the foods in the outer perimeter of the store. We are talking the packaged, boxed, frozen "convenience" foods...............

    Boxed cake mix
    Hamburger Helper and other meals
    Uncle Bens rice with the fake vegetables
    Chips
    Soda
    Packaged Cookies

    Things like this.................
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
    Options
    Bad idea,
    What happens when big ag lobbies the government to change what gets classified as junk food?

    What about bad science? Remeber when the Egg was bad? Would it be taxed? Remember when all Fat was bad? Should it have been taxed?

    The taxes collected would be wasted any way.

    Well that is where WE as a country come in.......................

    We vote for the type of food we want every time we shop. if we stopped by the crap and bought wholesome foods from the outer perimeter of the store.............

    Better yet, frequent your local farmers markets or farms for meat, eggs, raw dairy, fruits and vegetables.................make your bread from scratch. Buy dried beans...............

    if you want cake, cookies or ice cream - make it from scratch at home. Be local and sustainable.

    That is the only way to stop the corn industry, Monsanto, Cargill and the likes of these Big AG companies.
  • Dkenny74
    Dkenny74 Posts: 26 Member
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    You really want our government to decide what is and isnt junk food? The usda recomends you eat 250 grams of carbs a day.
  • Dkenny74
    Dkenny74 Posts: 26 Member
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    Has smoking been curtailed by the tax? .... While I was a smoker I always said, if the price goes up anymore i am quitting.. yeah right. I ended up paying over 5 dollars a pack and the price had nothing to do with my quitting.

    It seems your personal experience isn't typical. Overall, when tobacco taxes go up, consumption goes down. A lot of factors affect that dynamic, but yes, tobacco taxes do seem to curtail smoking.

    Consumption doesn't go down. People just avoid the tax. They go to a neighboring state and buy up.
  • starwhisperer
    starwhisperer Posts: 367
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    In a utopian society we could possibly get away with this, without losing all semblance of control. But when you hand something over to the government that is not how it works. So you say, "we want the food not on the perimeter of the store taxed." they say, "great we are on the same page!" Then in a few years when another road needs to be paved, or china is demanding we pay up, they would start to creep into the foods you think are healthy. Why? Because the government like any organization is run by flawed people with flawed ideals, and flawed desires. The more we "hand" over to them the less control we retain. Someone on this thread reminded us that the government is suppose to be the servant of the people.... when we slowly hand things over, we become the servants. Look how it is already. Doesn't matter what party you are with, no one feels like anything is getting done who we the people want it done.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    I think the problem is people aren't educated about what's in their food and that although some food are low in calories, they aren't healthy per say.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    You can't just tax a problem and hope it goes away, look how much gas costs, people still drive. Look at cigs, people still smoke. They will cut spending on other things.
    I think lowering the price of healthy food would be more beneficial. Produce is high sometimes.

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