Taxing Saturated Fat

Well considering that saturated fat isnt NEARLY as bad for you as most people think. I find it terrible *facepalm*

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.

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

Are they taxing the human brain?

If they are not taxing sugar also, then why are they bothering?

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.

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)?

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.

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*

The tax on saturated fats aims at increasing life expectancy. Most Danes don't have a weight problem, probably because they consume so much butter and lard. There is, however, a high incidence of heart disease, probably because they eat too much omega-6 industrial seed oils, refined grain products, and added sugars. A diet rich in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates is vastly different from a diet rich in saturated fats and vegetables.

Taxing saturated fats should have little effect on lifespan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32NZHY