Weird Denmark levies world's first fat tax

[The Helper]

Denmark on Saturday became the first country in the world to impose a fat tax after a week in which consumers hoarded butter, pizza, meat and milk to avoid the immediate effects.

"We have had to stock up with tonnes of butter and margarine in order to be able to supply outlets," Soeren Joergensen of Arla Distribution told AFP.

The new tax, designed by Denmark’s outgoing government as a health issue to limit the population’s intake of fatty foods, will add 16 kroner ($2.87, 2.15 euros) per kilo (2.2 pounds) of saturated fats in a product.

This means an increase in the price of a pack of 250 grammes of butter, for example, by 2.20 kroner to more than 18 kroner.

Denmark levies world's first fat tax

Denmark Saturday became the first country in the world to impose a fat tax after a week in which consumers hoarded butter, pizza, meat and milk to avoid the immediate effects.

phys.org

 

[shinami]

Couple of years back, I would of thought "Wow they're really exaggerating this fatty problem", but nowadays I walk through the streets and see all the little kids - the future generation - and holy shit are they fat. 5-10 year old kids already looking like blobs. I don't mean regular chubby, that's fine, but you know when a person gets so fat they stop looking like humans, more like big round balls? Yeah, that kind of "fat".

A lot of it is the parents fault - either they control too much and force feed their kids (this was my case of why I became chubby, but I've lost the weight, wasn't too hard), or they let them do too much and cater to their every whim - "Mommy I want that chocolate cake" - says a fat grizzly bear of a 7 year old and the mommy says "Ok, fine sweetie". That's just stupid on the parent's behalf.

Obviously another problem is less physical activity. Nowadays little kids would just rather play computer games at home, and teenagers would rather jack off at home. Another thing is the tolerance teachings of today. What I am going to say now doesn't apply to people who are obese because of REAL medical conditions. Tolerance. Great Idea, when it isn't taken to the extremes. Chubby is fine, no one gives a shit about people being chubby and it doesn't have any real medical problems. However, the ones who look like the previously mentioned ball, rather than human - that's a problem. However, nowadays this gets labeled as: life style choice, or "T'is my body and I'll do whatever I want with it". I'm fine with you wanting to stay ridiculously fat, but I expect you to move out of my fucking way in a public bus and not *sigh* in annoyance when people try to walk past your fat ass (my personal beef). Basically the problem with this, is that people obese people want to be treated equally on a social level, but on a practical level they become goddamn hypocrites. If your fat ass takes up two seats in a bus/plane/whatever - pay for the two tickets.

 

[sqrage]

I guess it's a good thing. Although the fattest foods tend to be the best tasting, people obviously go overboard and this will hopefully discourage them...

It's not that bad anyway, just 32 cents more for a 250 gram stick of butter.

 

[FireCat]

They're taxing butter and milk but not "high sugar" products eh? That's kinda hilarious

 

[phyrex1an]

So this is the reason for the butter shortage in Sweden (true story). The Danes are buying it all!

Btw, FireCat, there already is a tax on high sugar products in Denmark.

 

[Bronxernijn]

This is bullshit. People do not get fat from eating fatty foods, they get fat from eating too much and mainly a lot of refined and sugary carbo-hydrates. Also, saturated fats are essential to the body.

Furthermore, most products do not contain a lot of saturated fats. A bag of crisps of 200 grams, for example, contains 5 grams of saturated fat, which leads to a price increase of a single cent. Crisps are, on the other hand, one of the worst foods to eat. They are high in refined carbo-hydrates and high in salts, which means the body will get fat from it more quickly and retain more water. A single cent isn't gonna stop anyone form buying a piece of junk.

This will just turn out to become another milking cow for the Danish government. Also, since saturated fats hold no health threat and are in fact essential, when taken in moderation, I find this measure borderline justifyable.

 

[Vestras]

It's a good idea, but they're taxing the wrong things I think. Should rather be candy, chips, high sugar products, etc., not essential cooking products such as butter. They'll learn with time though, in conclusion I think this law is good with some modifications.

 

[The Helper]

I don't see a bunch of huge kids like you read about. When I look at the kids at my kids schools I don't see a bunch of fat kids. Must be something in the water or the neighborhood.

 

[Slapshot136]

and I thought they would tax the people who are obese without any medical condition - oh well

 

[Sim]

It's a good idea, but they're taxing the wrong things I think. Should rather be candy, chips, high sugar products, etc., not essential cooking products such as butter. They'll learn with time though, in conclusion I think this law is good with some modifications.

See post #5 for more information.

 

[Varine]

If this happens in the US, I severely hope that the majority of those in Congress are assassinated.

 

[xPass]

Better not tax us more in Singapore; we've got enough.

 

[azareus]

Three problems:
1. We will just go to Germany or Sweden to buy fatty foods.
2. The government won't make anything on it. It will all go up in administration.
3. It won't help. See Bronxernjin's post. (BTW, Danes are not really that fat at all. The US is FAR worse)

 

[Wummi]

I remember from an article that I read from a scientific journal, these are the habits of almost all obese people:
1) They barely exercise and possibly jerk off too much
2) Their sleep cycles are messed up, and they get too little sleep
3) They're depressed and have mental pressure
4) They have a more negative outlook towards life

Surprisingly, "eating too much" did not come up on the list, although it IS one of their habits, but it is actually caused by most of these habits. Sleeping less makes your brain unable to release the "happy hormone" that your body needs, so your body wants to eat more sweet stuff, or high calorie food to make up for it. Depression leads to increased food consumption, and having a negative outlook towards life messes up your hormonal cycles and metabolism, which in turn makes people obese or sick.

I remember reading a quote from some famous guy, and it went something along the lines of "There can be a thousand things coming at you in life, but they can only come one at a time" so whenever you feel pressured, as if your world is crashing down on you because there are so many things to do, analyze the situation and take one thing on at a time because they only come one at a time. Then they won't feel overwhelmingly difficult to deal with. Any man can deal with one thing at a time.

I know quite a few obese people, and almost all of them have these habits. Doing the opposite should make you lose weight. Hope everyone can do the opposite of these 4 bad habits! Even if you don't lose weight, you will live a better, fuller life full of energy. Good luck everyone!

 

[Varine]

Yeah, almost none of that is true.

 

[camelCase]

I remember from an article that I read from a scientific journal, these are the habits of almost all obese people:
1) They barely exercise and possibly jerk off too much
2) Their sleep cycles are messed up, and they get too little sleep
3) They're depressed and have mental pressure
4) They have a more negative outlook towards life

The only exercise I do is moving my fingers on the keyboard, sex, carrying my bag around all day (which holds all my heavy stuff) and going to the arcade to play that basketball machine and Pump it Up.
My sleep-cycle is definitely messed up =/
No depression, thankfully.
I'm not sure about my outlook o.0

2/4 symptoms; not bad, not bad.

 

[Accname]

Yeah, tax butter, i guess there are alot of people who really like to eat a whole chunk of butter as it is; that must be the cause for obesity.

I think they should not raise taxes on milk and butter but rather on "luxury" food to which i would count crisps, chocolate and alike.

 

[Varine]

Yeah, tax butter, i guess there are alot of people who really like to eat a whole chunk of butter as it is; that must be the cause for obesity.

I think they should not raise taxes on milk and butter but rather on "luxury" food to which i would count crisps, chocolate and alike.

My cat does. I have to cover it now, because I'll leave it out and there will be a big hole where he licked it. They're also deep frying butter now... don't know what's about, but I don't really think that's a good idea. But hey, if you want to eat it, you're choice. I think it should be like that with everything, no government should be capable of intervening with what you want to do with your body. If you want to get fat by eating deep fried butter, chased down by a couple liters of diet Coke (to counterbalance it, you know?), with a Cinnabun on top of endless pancakes for desert, no one should be able to say "No." Well maybe your parents if your minor... but once you're of age, do whatever the f*ck you want.