Fatty Food Police

Sylkey · 05-11-2007, 11:16 PM

Do you think that there will ever come a day when all food that is deemed bad for our health will be banned "for our own good"? Will we end up sneaking down back alleys to get an "illegal" hamburger, go underground for a doughnut? I bet you think it will never happen.
Think about the anti-smoking campaign and how in some states you can't even smoke on your own property, 20 years ago that would have been laughed at, today it is reality. When that "campaign" is won, then the attention will turn to other things. Unhealthy food, with the battlecry that they cost the health insurance companies a fortune. Alchohol and all the far reaching effects of over-indulgence. When does personal choice and freedoms win?? In the county I live in, it is a "moist" (food sales must account for 80% of sales) county, surrounded by dry counties. I see this as a direct infringement on my rights. I have to drive thirty minutes to even purchase alchohol. Any resturant that has become a "Saturday Night Fun Spot" the local powers that be have basically harranged them out of business by just picking them to death with petty fault finding. Basically our town has become a "No Fun Allowed" town. I am a smoker and I have no problem with not smoking inside, but now it seems that is not good enough, now you cannot even smoke in outside designated smoking areas. What the fuck! When is enough enough. I should not be forced to give up, is that not my right, of course as long as I do not harm others. I have no problem going to a smoking area at all, but leave me alone now. I'm done.

What I am saying is once that has been driven out by do gooders, they will turn their attention on other things, they need a constant campaign to feel worthwhile. Ronald McDonald, watch out, they are coming for you next. They just HAVE to save the overweight people from themselves. Be very careful to of rolling snowballs, they will build and build and you never know if you will be there next target. There you will be, frying a pork chop in your home and wham! the door breaks down with the food police, admonishing you for costing the country money to unblock your hardened arteries in later years. Prohibition happened once, lets not become a police state!

6SpeedTA95 · 05-11-2007, 11:35 PM

There are states where you can't smoke in your own house?

that is absurd if that is true...

I think your point is correct there will always be do gooders. I think that limiting what people can eat is ridiculous. If I want to eat a big mac for each meal that is my right. HOWEVER, with that right comes the consequences for my actions. You should NOT have to pay directly or indirectly (through government healthcare) for my healthcare. That is insanity in and of itself. You have a right to eat what you want and you have a right to pay for those actions. If you choose to be a fatass, ie dont exercise and eat food that is bad for you, then do not expect me or anyone else to pay for your healthcare. If you are bill gates and decide to build a gigantic cake and put big macs in it and eat your way through like dig dug then ok, I'm cool with that and I'm cool with it when you get heart disease because you can afford the meds.

I think there's some sort of line that must be walked, what that is I do not yet know. However, banning TransFats seems ok to me

welcome to the board and this is a great first thread

Donkey® · 05-11-2007, 11:36 PM

I would love if fatty foods are banned. People are retarded by nature and just can't seem to control themselves when it comes to doing things that aren't good for them. That in itself isn't my problem. My issue is when people's actions affect me. The healthcare system in this country is affected a GREAT DEAL by people doing things "to themselves". It affects MY healthcare costs. If an alternative would be a tiered system of payment for healthcare, i'd be ok with that as well. I don't smoke. I don't eat fatty foods or drink caffeine. I don't do drugs. Doesn't mean I will never get sick...but why am I paying for what others are doing TO THEMSELVES? I can't say I am completely without fault. I have been playing basketball for 25 years. It isn't all that good for my body. I have avoided major injuries but I know that I am going to pay for it down the road. I would not mind paying for my actions in higher premiums. I would stop playing too if it were a reality. I don't think people who eat total shit would be willing to drop their food.

6SpeedTA95 · 05-11-2007, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

I would love if fatty foods are banned. People are retarded by nature and just can't seem to control themselves when it comes to doing things that aren't good for them. That in itself isn't my problem. My issue is when people's actions affect me. The healthcare system in this country is affected a GREAT DEAL by people doing things "to themselves". It affects MY healthcare costs. If an alternative would be a tiered system of payment for healthcare, i'd be ok with that as well. I don't smoke. I don't eat fatty foods or drink caffeine. I don't do drugs. Doesn't mean I will never get sick...but why am I paying for what others are doing TO THEMSELVES? I can't say I am completely without fault. I have been playing basketball for 25 years. It isn't all that good for my body. I have avoided major injuries but I know that I am going to pay for it down the road. I would not mind paying for my actions in higher premiums. I would stop playing too if it were a reality. I don't think people who eat total shit would be willing to drop their food.

Wow, I agree with you

well said...

And that basketball hopefully will never catch up with you. I had what appeared to be a pretty good college situation lined up when I demolished my knee my jr year

Donkey® · 05-11-2007, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Wow, I agree with you well said...

And that basketball hopefully will never catch up with you. I had what appeared to be a pretty good college situation lined up when I demolished my knee my jr year

I can say I have been pretty lucky. But I do take care of myself. Eat right, exercise regularly...stretch a lot. I have had various issues: tendonitis in my heels, knees and elbows. Various scopes to my knees, ankles and elbows. One elbow surgery and one ankle surgery. The joints are just going to be an issue. Arthritis is a sure thing. Hopefully i've done enough to avoid replacement surgeries.

Sylkey · 05-12-2007, 11:58 AM

So Donkey you have no problem with the Government dictating what you can eat, hmmmm , interesting. So if you want to give yourself a treat and have a doughnut for breakfast, because for the most part you take pretty good care of yourself, BUT, the government have decided that it is bad for you and you cannot have one, that’s ok with you? Be careful what bandwagon you jump on, history has shown us that governments have started out with doing things “for our own good” and ended up completely trampling human rights.
Example:
China’s government, in order to stem the rising population, made a law that couples were only allowed one child, hmmmm sounds reasonable, I’ll back that.
*What’s that white thing rolling down the hill*
China’s government placed “watchers” in all areas to make sure nobody broke that rule….. Big brother, is that you?
*That white thing is getting bigger and heading this way*
Women who broke the rule were forced to have abortions no matter how late term they were.
*OMG run! It’s a snowball*
In Ireland, the religious right Government decided that contraceptive should be made illegal, even to married couples.
http://www.stolaf.edu/courses/2003sem2/Women's_Studies/399/Projects/Novotny_Research/argument.html
And we are all familiar with Hitler and how he slowly came to power, first Jews were not allowed to own businesses, then not allowed to own property…… we all know how that ended.
You said, and I quote
“[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']People are retarded by nature and just can't seem to control themselves when it comes to doing things that aren't good for them”[/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']So the Government should then control them? CONTROL???? Scary word to me. Kinda irked by your use of the term “retarded” Maybe you meant to say “ill informed”?[/font]

Scrum · 05-12-2007, 12:28 PM

The government should stay out of my kitchen just like it should stay out of my bedroom.

I don't need big brother telling me what I can and can't eat.

05-12-2007, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Donkey®

I would love if fatty foods are banned. People are retarded by nature and just can't seem to control themselves when it comes to doing things that aren't good for them. That in itself isn't my problem. My issue is when people's actions affect me. The healthcare system in this country is affected a GREAT DEAL by people doing things "to themselves". It affects MY healthcare costs. If an alternative would be a tiered system of payment for healthcare, i'd be ok with that as well. I don't smoke. I don't eat fatty foods or drink caffeine. I don't do drugs. Doesn't mean I will never get sick...but why am I paying for what others are doing TO THEMSELVES? I can't say I am completely without fault. I have been playing basketball for 25 years. It isn't all that good for my body. I have avoided major injuries but I know that I am going to pay for it down the road. I would not mind paying for my actions in higher premiums. I would stop playing too if it were a reality. I don't think people who eat total shit would be willing to drop their food.

I disagree with you. Most things in moderation are fine. If I eat healthy 6 days out of the week and have Mcdonalds on the 7th, how much will that truly affect my health?

Fatty foods alone do not affect your healthcare costs. People who do not take care of themselves in general, do.

RMNIXON · 05-12-2007, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Sylkey

So Donkey you have no problem with the Government dictating what you can eat, hmmmm , interesting.

I don't have a problem if Donkey wanst the government to control what he eats. I have a problem with Donkey and the people he votes for telling me what to eat! It is far more than interesting. Look at the quote again "People are retarded by nature....." and think about that? Obviously he did not include himself and like minded people. So that becomes the authority for them to control evryone elses behavior. Otherwise we would have the retared in charge of the rest of us. And why should it stop with what we eat? It is just more Elitist Nanny State crap wrapped carefully up to look like it is all good intentions because your to stupid to have real freedoms.

Now to your question. Yes, it can happen. But I fear the legal system more than the government at the moment. It was the lawsuit money and taxes that drove the anti-smoking hysteria, not just the law makers do good attitude. If serving the food you like gets more costly the government won't need to ban it. All of it will slowly go away just like that great old movie theater popcorn made with coconut oil that I loved. It will be all about choice at first and then the choice will get harder to find, and then it goes away.

JaJae · 05-12-2007, 02:10 PM

Having the government dictate what I can and can't eat just moves the mentality closer to socialized healthcare. You can't stop people from eating unhealthy or not taking care of themselves. I take pretty good care of myself and if I want to enjoy some french fries every now and then as an American citizen I should have that right. I shouldn't be told what I can and can't do because other people can't control their eating habits. Eventually the country will wisen up and there will likely be healthcare premiums for smokers/non-smokers, obese/non-obese, etc. But limiting things and making it a collective problem just moves us closer to a collective healthcare system which I disagree with.

ballz2wallz · 05-12-2007, 03:22 PM

Fatty foods are not bad for you if not eaten in excess. The government should not be able to dictate things such as this.

Thorgrim · 05-12-2007, 05:36 PM

I think we should have a national healthcare program and in the distant future you should have to pay more in healthcare taxes if you do dangerous activities because it's costing the country money

Even now it's costing our country money when a guy comes in with a gunshot wound that could be fatal and is behind in line to a guy with a heart attack because he eats big macs 3x a day everyday because that guy needs treatment now or he will die

JaJae · 05-12-2007, 05:38 PM

How would they know who is eating big macs and who isn't? They'd have to tax the Big Mac, call it a fat tax or just ban Big Macs altogether... Universal Healthcare is a major step towards a socialist society. I prefer living in a capitalist society.

Thorgrim · 05-12-2007, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

How would they know who is eating big macs and who isn't? They'd have to tax the Big Mac, call it a fat tax or just ban Big Macs altogether... Universal Healthcare is a major step towards a socialist society. I prefer living in a capitalist society.

by then everyone would be using cards to pay for their meals (actually i already do except when I'm in the ghetto) and on the card would be embedded with a reporting chip on your eating habits ONLY IF you apply as someone who deserves a discount for good eating habits

no mandatory reporting on food consumption, thats private

JaJae · 05-12-2007, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

by then everyone would be using cards to pay for their meals (actually i already do except when I'm in the ghetto) and on the card would be embedded with a reporting chip on your eating habits ONLY IF you apply as someone who deserves a discount for good eating habits

Which is why I don't want to go down this slippery slope.

Thorgrim · 05-12-2007, 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Which is why I don't want to go down this slippery slope.

If you don't want the discount for healthy eating, you wouldn't get the extra chip, its that simple

ballz2wallz · 05-12-2007, 05:55 PM

Big Brother Is Watching

Ardentfrost · 05-12-2007, 06:09 PM

Having any sort of government induced bias against fatty food would be mostly retarded b/c not all fatty foods are bad. Nuts, for example, are all fat, but they are good for you. Good fat. It's processed oils and rendered fat (transfat), refined sugars, quick-carbs, etc... that are so bad for you. The highest glycemic index/load food item you can eat is a freakin' potato. As another example of a food that could be seen as bad for you, without being prepared with cal (calcium hydroxide), corn has almost zero nutrition (just ask all the dead spanish peasants after Cortez returned with the stuff).

What should be made illegal? Anything that can kill you? Because that is EVERYTHING. Eat too little or much of something, and you die. We cannot go making things illegal just because when misused they can cause someone problems. We SHOULD NOT base laws on irresponsible people hurting themselves, no matter what they're hurting themselves with. This goes for things that are currently illegal as well as things like foods which isn't completely unimaginable to be made illegal.

But I have NO issue with insurance companies basing what they charge people on their fitness as well as other metrics such as how accident prone they are, how often they require hospital visits, family history, job, hobbies, where they live, etc... Someone who eats well, stays in shape, rarely needs doctor visits (for problems, not check-ups), lives in a decent neighborhood, drives a safe car, and works in an office should not pay as much in insurance as someone who is fat or often breaks their limbs/needs stitches or works as an under-water welder, or drives unsafe (or drives an unsafe car, like without air bags or whatever). All that shit should be taken into account.

6SpeedTA95 · 05-12-2007, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

by then everyone would be using cards to pay for their meals (actually i already do except when I'm in the ghetto) and on the card would be embedded with a reporting chip on your eating habits ONLY IF you apply as someone who deserves a discount for good eating habits

no mandatory reporting on food consumption, thats private

Dude you've been a HUGE aggressor towards bush for tapping phones of potential terrorist and now you want the government to monitor what we buy and eat?

Scrum · 05-12-2007, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by 6SpeedTA95

Dude you've been a HUGE aggressor towards bush for tapping phones of potential terrorist and now you want the government to monitor what we buy and eat?

I think in his example it would be voluntary.

I could see an insurance company setting up a system like that to lower costs in the future.