Taxing Saturated Fat

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CindiBryce
CindiBryce Posts: 438
in Food and Nutrition
Denmark recently imposed a tax on saturated fat. Now the citizens have to pay the equivalent of $6.27 per pound of saturated fat. I think it is unnecessary, and frankly, preposterous. While I believe the government should take some measures to improve its citizens' health, such as lowering the cost of healthy food, a tax on saturated fat is absurd.

What do you think?
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Replies

  • hamncheese67
    hamncheese67 Posts: 1,715 Member
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    That's crazy.
  • CindiBryce
    CindiBryce Posts: 438
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    Here's the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/will-a-fat-tax-make-denmark-healthier/2011/10/04/gIQA3D5nKL_blog.html
  • Juana_Pedroza
    Juana_Pedroza Posts: 8
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    I saw the news report about that on tv... it's kind of weird but I don't think it's a bad idea.
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Well considering that saturated fat isnt NEARLY as bad for you as most people think. I find it terrible *facepalm*
  • chuckyp
    chuckyp Posts: 693 Member
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    If it's not a power given to the government in the constitution, they need to stay the hell out of it and let people make their own choices.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Sure if its trans fat, but really? they want to tax the fat in your beef, coconut oil, milk etc? it's not evil, what a world we live in ;)

    Though it doesn't surprise me when government will agree to pay 10x the going rate to utilitiy companies to NOT produce power... something wrong when they make more not producing what they were designed to make. Too much like part of what lead to industrial agriculture for me.
  • CindiBryce
    CindiBryce Posts: 438
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    I saw the news report about that on tv... it's kind of weird but I don't think it's a bad idea.
    Why don't you think it's a bad idea? Restricting freedom of choice isn't a bad idea?
  • Juana_Pedroza
    Juana_Pedroza Posts: 8
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    I hadn't given it that much thought until you put that it way ive had a long day :) well rested i probably would of said just that... the people of denmark should not allow that.. but at the same time you have to think about the reasoning behind the decision they are comparing it to the higher taxes on tobacco and such which is something totally different
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Thank goodness I don't live in Denmark...

    I can understand their misinformed reasoning behind it, not that I agree with any of it...but don't they know that saturated fat ONLY makes you fat if you eat too many calories of it? And even then, so does carbs, so does protein, and so does monounsaturated fat?

    Natural peanut butter has sat. fats in it. God forbid they raise the price on it over here any higher than it already is just for being "natural."
  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
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    Are they taxing the human brain?
  • jesc1234
    jesc1234 Posts: 12 Member
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    It does not actually restrict freedom of choice, does taxing cigarettes actually prevent anyone from using them? No it does not, but it could certainly make using/obtaining the product a bit less hassle free. There are probably better ways to go about making people healthier, like reducing the cost of healthy food options as well. Whoever mentioned the constitution, do you know what is in Denmark's constitution? The U.S. constitution does provide for the government to regulate interstate commerce, and collect taxes so Denmark's probably has similar provisions.
  • it_be_asin
    it_be_asin Posts: 562 Member
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    If they are not taxing sugar also, then why are they bothering?
  • CindiBryce
    CindiBryce Posts: 438
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    It does not actually restrict freedom of choice, does taxing cigarettes actually prevent anyone from using them? No it does not, but it could certainly make using/obtaining the product a bit less hassle free. There are probably better ways to go about making people healthier, like reducing the cost of healthy food options as well. Whoever mentioned the constitution, do you know what is in Denmark's constitution? The U.S. constitution does provide for the government to regulate interstate commerce, and collect taxes so Denmark's probably has similar provisions.
    True, good point.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    It does not actually restrict freedom of choice, does taxing cigarettes actually prevent anyone from using them? No it does not, but it could certainly make using/obtaining the product a bit less hassle free. There are probably better ways to go about making people healthier, like reducing the cost of healthy food options as well. Whoever mentioned the constitution, do you know what is in Denmark's constitution? The U.S. constitution does provide for the government to regulate interstate commerce, and collect taxes so Denmark's probably has similar provisions.
    True, good point.

    But it still provides the stigma that you are doing something "bad." The government says cigarettes are bad, so I am a rebel if I use them anyway...and the govt. is making me pay for rebelling. (NO, I don't smoke, I was typing that as a hypothetical, lol. It looks weird the way I wrote it, I suppose) But anyway, it's like the govt. over there is trying to make you feel rebellious and "bad" if you eat saturated fats...and punishing you for making the choice to be "bad" or rebellious.
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
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    It's like taxing and raising the prices of cigarettes. It hasn't made people stop smoking, it's only made them start whining about their high cost.

    Sorry. Failed to see the post on cigarettes before mine.

    On another note I know where I can get some Cuban Cigars if anyone is interested ;)
  • jesc1234
    jesc1234 Posts: 12 Member
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    If taxes are a way to stigmatize or punish people for making bad choices, then why is the government punishing people for having jobs (vie se vie the income tax)?
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
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    If taxes are a way to stigmatize or punish people for making bad choices, then why is the government punishing people for having jobs (vie se vie the income tax)?
    Curse your logic.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I applaud the concept of making you pay more for unhealthy food, but taxing saturated fat is too simplistic - and it assumes all fats are bad - which is just so 1990's!

    The Australian GST has an exemption for "basic foods" - so that means that you don't pay the tax on meat, eggs, fruit and veggies, milk, etc but you do pay it on prepared foods like frozen pizza, cakes, icecream etc and on takeaway and restaurant food.

    So, you dont pay tax on a banana (thank goodness, they are already $12/kilo!) but you do on a BigMac.

    There is a lot of debate about whether this is a good thing or not, but it seems to make more sense than taxing one macronutrient group.
  • jesc1234
    jesc1234 Posts: 12 Member
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    The fat tax does seem a bit to simple (and very 90's, you are right)
  • Eve1972
    Eve1972 Posts: 297
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    Well I do live in Denmark and the tax really isn't that big of a deal. It's a couple extra kone on foods I don't really eat anyway. Trans fat is already banned in foods here as is high fructose corn syrup. There not taxing meat and stuff like that either. I honestly doubt that it will make much of a difference, those that choose to eat the crap food will just pay the few extra krones and continue on their way. It is certainly nothing to take to the street over! *lol*

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