Denmark introduces "fat tax"

[longfingernails]

news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16081190

We should do the same - and use the money to pay for an income tax cut.

If it is really true that the Danes are putting a tax on saturated fat, then I think it is bonkers. There is growing evidence to suggest that fat is not the issue - no one gets chubby pigging out on saturated fat. From what I can tell, it is more likely that vast amounts of sugary drinks & high sugar & high carb, nutritionally poor food is what makes people turn into porkers. I'm not a rabid low-carber (in fact I don't low carb at all), but I know that sugar (including corn syrup) & carbs are cheap & relatively easy to turn into very addictive (& I don't use that word lightly) food. There is a far greater mark up on a box of cereal than a pack of butter. I would have a HUGE issue with a tax on foods containing saturated fats here in the UK.

Sad reality is that there are a lot of unhealthy thick people staggering about the world. We are an obese nation because we eat the wrong food and don't use enough calories. Most people are selfish and just chuck everything in the bin without much thought and then blame everyone else for their stinking overflowing bin and their overflowing bellies. Supermarkets are to blame for much of the laziness in shopping and cooking. Yes, I do use supermarkets but get so fed up with the aisles of crisps, biscuits, ready meals, frozen meals and pies. French, Spanish Portuguese supermarkets are miles ahead because they don't have these aisles in abundance. Feeling peckish so might just go and see what high salt/sugar/fat ready meal I can bung in the oven and pretend it tastes good ( it's ok I've got no teeth so they are perfect most don't need any chewing)...
Going to pick my day for the trolley run though - too many people on mobility scooters last time - all obese.

I would support a tax on the manufacturer on ingredients like hydrogenated fats, modified corn starch, modified corn syrup, xanthan gum, MSG, fake food colourings/flavourings, aspartame, etc.

Yes of course that would probably end up passed on to the consumer. But it might also encourage manufacturers to find ways of making food without all of these grimnesses in.

They'd find other grimness. When butter was declared 'bad' they invented transfats to replace it. When fat was declared 'bad' they removed the fat from products but replaced it with gum, sugar and thickeners. When sugar was declared 'bad' they introduced sweetners. When it comes to formulated foods, it's really easy to reformulate and get around any kind of restriction, and then splash how much healthier it now is! Which is why it's a little unfair to pick on butter. Try as you might, you can't reformulate butter.

I don't think they should be taxing unprocessed food. And does this new tax catch oily fish and avocadoes?

The amount of publicity given to this story here is a bit embarressing. It is a bit of a non-story in denmark. There have been no stories about Danes stocking up, or anything like that. It reminds me of the marmite story, when Britain was going crazy claiming denmark had banned marmite, even though this was not true at all.

Bugger me it's not Marge! Would that catch on do you think :o

OMG - I can't get past the fingernails in the photo either! [puke emoticon]

Who the fuck are the planners?

No, it's rubbish. We need saturated fats. They transport vitamins, convert micronutrients and support the immune system.

'Who the fuck are the planners?'

That is the question on everyone's lips. They make the decisions that influence our lives.

Yes, but who are they? MPs, The Royal Family, um... lizards?
I'm just not getting your point.

None of those.
Social engineers, social planners and thinktanks are just a subset of the planners who make the decisions. You don't think that John Prescott actually makes teh decisions over climate change at Kyoto, do you? He is presented with plans.

I vote lizards.

Why do you think that John Major put forward the tuition fees policy, Labour carried it through, then the Coalition increased the fees and now students face £9,000 tuition fees. The planners plan and politicians of all parties often implement those plans.

It's the same with the trade union reforms started by Thatcher, but not overturned by Labour.

Even though the unions provide so much funding for Labour, they often get little joy from a Labour government. The script must be followed, the plan enacted.

Miliband even told them it was the wrong thing to strike. They don't really have much representation.

'fatty horrible mince> £2 good quality lean mince? £5.'

Quorn mince is £2, often less.

Ah, the thread has moved on.

We all voted for lizards!

You don't eat Quorn do you?
Look it up.

Yep I do claig - hasn't killed me yet.

Although tbh, I have been using cheaper things like lentils for protein as costs have been going up.

Lentils are very good. But do yourself a real favour, look up Quorn. Don't believe all teh messages the planners sell you. Pasta, rice, red meat, butter, eggs, dairy are all good for you. The 5-a-dayers won't tell you about GM food, aspartame etc. etc. Look into Quorn.

fair enough they tax cigarettes I'm happy to carry my considerable weight with a fat tax

You should tax processed foods, not just high fat foods. Tax colas, diet cokes, chocolate, sweets, etc etc Claig is right that the whole unprocessed foods which are often those without much mark up or profit for those selling them are the best for you.