The biggest loser is one of my favorite TV shows. I think its inspiring and amazing how dramatically people can change their lives through just diet and exercise. Today, while I was watching a rerun they gathered students from two different high schools so that they can learn how to diet and exercise before their condition becomes extreme and causes them to have medical problems.
I think it’s obvious as a country we have a huge problem with obesity and it reminded me of a bill that was purposed a few years ago that would impose a “fat tax” on people that are overweight. I think that this is a very interesting idea. People that are overweight have more health problems so they will be charged extra on their health insurance to make up for the additional costs they will cause.
But is implementing a “fat tax” a form of discrimination? I think that it is very similar to taxes that healthcare providers put on smokers. I feel that since being overweight cause’s people more emotional distress and is more of a social stigma than smoking law makers are very sensitive to addressing it.
While I also think that family life is very important to how we learn to take care of ourselves, I don’t think that it has been working well. Childhood obesity has tripled the past two decades. In most states a taxes on cigarettes has been extremely effective. And although I don’t like the government having a control over my life, but I think that if they are doing it to save us from ourselves, then maybe it is for our own good.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Do you mean literally a tax on being fat, like smokers pay a tax on cigarettes, or do you mean it would be fair for them to have to pay higher health insurance rates? Do health insurance companies make smokers pay a higher rate? If so, how much? This is one of those topics where more facts would give people a firmer idea of what to discuss or argue about.
ReplyDeleteI think you have to ask one question in the first place. Is being fat, for all people something you can prevent or is it something that you really can't help, like being tall or short, ugly or pretty? Being fat is a characteristic of your body, you couldn't tax me more because I am tall could you? I think you're right though, and in most cases being fat can easily be prevented.
ReplyDeleteI actually think this is very interesting. The issue of obesity in the United States has become a very big problem over the last few decades and is only progressing downward.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Andrew’s comment on this subject I tried to understand his view on obesity being like a characteristic such as being tall or short. But I don’t think those can compare with the point of being taxed for being over weight. Being tall or short does not cause any other health problems, therefore does not cause healthcare to pay more for your medical bills. On the other hand, being extremely over weight can cause many problems such as heart disease and diabetes. These kinds of health problems cause healthcare companies to have to pay more for the obese people’s medical bills. In this case, I think it would be reasonable to make these people pay some kind of a “fat tax.”
I feel horrible writing this because I do feel as though I am discriminating against these people, but in the end, it is necessary for the healthcare companies in order for them to survive.