Denmark levies world's first fat tax

[TotalMayhem]

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark:


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.

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.

Source (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i_TU6RWt2ooNsGc3yCUyY9uc97WA?docId=CNG.24705 85fa131b1c40b1da56694c6f695.311)

Designed to rip off and patronise the people, is what it is.

[Spectabilis]

I was worried there for a moment. I thought it was a tax on fat people.:o

Only butter and stuff? Sure that's grand. It will only hit the poor again. Sure aren't we used to that? Y'know, the people who have to spend a much higher percentage of their income on food. Well done, you idiots.

[unspecific]

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark:



Source (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i_TU6RWt2ooNsGc3yCUyY9uc97WA?docId=CNG.24705 85fa131b1c40b1da56694c6f695.311)

Designed to rip off and patronise the people, is what it is.

It's to make it more difficult for people to eat themselves to death. There is a global obesity and diabetes epidemic.

When a bottle of coke is cheaper than a bottle of water, or a MacDonalds meal is more affordable for poor families than regular nutritious meals then something has to be done.

[Spectabilis]

Meat and milk are part of 'regular nutritious meals' actually.

I'm not sure about this obesity 'epidemic' either. After all it's not catching is it like a communicable disease? The people around Winston Churchill didn't all suddenly balloon did they? It's not as if they were damaged by passive eating?

But there is a mega industry built around weight loss and it includes some very dodgy substitutes for genuine foods like meat and milk. I notice they have not taxed the sugar content of food, and a lot of 'lite' or fat-free versions of foods are sugar-laden.

[TotalMayhem]

It's to make it more difficult for people to eat themselves to death. There is a global obesity and diabetes epidemic.

When a bottle of coke is cheaper than a bottle of water, or a MacDonalds meal is more affordable for poor families than regular nutritious meals then something has to be done.

Yeah, patronise the people as they are obviously too dumb to make rational decisions for themselves.

Did the price of fags ever stop people from smoking? Did the price of booze reduce alcoholism? Of course not, as it was never intended to do so in the first place, those are formidable sources of tax intake and if they can be disguised as measures to improve the general health, all the better, let the stupid fall for it.

[Sam Lord]

I was worried there for a moment. I thought it was a tax on fat people.:o


That was the first thing that came to my mind as well. :)

Then I thought that if they imposed one in the US it would solve their deficit problem overnight.

[concernedparent]

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well. :)

Then I thought that if they imposed one in the US it would solve their deficit problem overnight.

yay reading the heading I thought it was a tax on fat people too.l

As the general populace are obviously totally unable to restrict themselves regarding diet including alcohol and cigarette intake, Big Brother has to take command.

The fact that it is a good source of income is totally irrelevant.:rolleyes:

And yes alot of those so called 'foods' are poisoned with sugar: to compensate for the lack of taste, due to the reduction in fat content.

A little of what you fancy does you good. You are far better off eating a small bit of pure butter and a small bit of fresh meat than processed foods. At least when you cook a bit of meat from the butcher, you know that the only 'extra' in it, is what you have put in it yourself.

Oh but then Europe doesn't like the small butcher. They prefer us to buy our meat pre-packaged from the multi-national supermarkets with deceptive labelling.

I wonder why?

[TotalMayhem]

As the general populace are obviously totally unable to restrict themselves regarding diet including alcohol and cigarette intake, Big Brother has to take command.

Just as the general populace was "totally unable to restrict themselves" borrowing money ("we all partied"), Big Brother had to take command, took away the punch bowl and saddled us the the bill.

[Baron von Biffo]

I was worried there for a moment. I thought it was a tax on fat people.:o

Me too. Bit of a buttock clenching moment as I imagined Noonan following suit. :eek:

[unspecific]

Meat and milk are part of 'regular nutritious meals' actually.

I'm not sure about this obesity 'epidemic' either. After all it's not catching is it like a communicable disease? The people around Winston Churchill didn't all suddenly balloon did they? It's not as if they were damaged by passive eating?

But there is a mega industry built around weight loss and it includes some very dodgy substitutes for genuine foods like meat and milk. I notice they have not taxed the sugar content of food, and a lot of 'lite' or fat-free versions of foods are sugar-laden.

The idea of a fat tax is not to ban meat and milk, but to make excessive, dangerous consumption - ie. more than what you need/gluttony - a less appetizing proposal. I don't know the particulars of this new Danish law in particular, but the concept is correct. Lower demand in the West might also mean that people in the developing world won't be priced out of food markets, which is beginning to happen again. The proceeds from the tax could be used to help local sustainable farming.

Epidemic may have been a poor choice of word and I didn't mean to offend, but it is a ballooning crisis that has to be tackled.

I take your point about the weight-loss industry and how insidious it is. That should equally be tackled, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything to about the causes of obesity.


Yeah, patronise the people as they are obviously too dumb to make rational decisions for themselves.

Did the price of fags ever stop people from smoking? Did the price of booze reduce alcoholism? Of course not, as it was never intended to do so in the first place, those are formidable sources of tax intake and if they can be disguised as measures to improve the general health, all the better, let the stupid fall for it.

I wouldn't say it's patronising the people, it's a measure to level the playing field. If the advertising and marketing budgets for organic carrots was equal to Coca-Cola's then I would agree it's patronising.

I agree it is an unfair regressive tax measure that does affect the poor proportionately more, but it is not designed to eliminate consumption of high-fat goods but moderate them. Its not the perfect solution, but in a capitalist system there isn't much more lee-way.

[Spectabilis]

That was the first thing that came to my mind as well. :)

Then I thought that if they imposed one in the US it would solve their deficit problem overnight.

If they decide to tax fat people, maybe they would become Heroes of the Republic, rather than pariahs, for their contribution to the coffers. There could be medals for the most rapid weight gain or the biggest collar size, street parties, statues in their honour in a Stakhanovite style, 'The Shock-Eater'- think of the amount of bronze! :cool:

[TotalMayhem]

I agree it is an unfair regressive tax measure that does affect the poor proportionately more, but it is not designed to eliminate consumption of high-fat goods but moderate them. Its not the perfect solution, but in a capitalist system there isn't much more lee-way.

Taxation as a means of moderation or theft or enslavement (whatever floats your boat) is limited to capitalist systems?

[Spectabilis]

The idea of a fat tax is not to ban meat and milk, but to make excessive, dangerous consumption - ie. more than what you need/gluttony - a less appetizing proposal. I don't know the particulars of this new Danish law in particular, but the concept is correct. Lower demand in the West might also mean that people in the developing world won't be priced out of food markets, which is beginning to happen again. The proceeds from the tax could be used to help local sustainable farming.

Epidemic may have been a poor choice of word and I didn't mean to offend, but it is a ballooning crisis that has to be tackled.

I take your point about the weight-loss industry and how insidious it is. That should equally be tackled, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything to about the causes of obesity.



I wouldn't say it's patronising the people, it's a measure to level the playing field. If the advertising and marketing budgets for organic carrots was equal to Coca-Cola's then I would agree it's patronising.

I agree it is an unfair regressive tax measure that does affect the poor proportionately more, but it is not designed to eliminate consumption of high-fat goods but moderate them. Its not the perfect solution, but in a capitalist system there isn't much more lee-way.

Great post Unspecific, and I love your term 'ballooning crisis':)
I think people agree generally on the merits of good diet but like most things knowing and doing are different.
Have you noticed that 'real' foods rarely have to be advertised? With few exceptions, the most advertised foods are the most synthetic, processed and most deserving of the 'junk' label.

Unfortunately, food is such a complex issue that a tax is not likely to be the most powerful way of changing behaviours.

[Starfire]

[QUOTE=Spectabilis;187558]I was worried there for a moment. I thought it was a tax on fat people.:o


Now there's a thought :D

[TotalMayhem]

On Prime Time soon, fat tax for Ireland. :D

[Baron von Biffo]

On Prime Time soon, fat tax for Ireland. :D

If there's a clip of me walking down the street I'm suing the arse of RTE.

[TotalMayhem]

The dairy cow says: fingers off of our butter and milk, we should have a sugar tax instead. :D

[Andrew49]

If there's a clip of me walking down the street I'm suing the arse of RTE.

RTE needs to lose a bit of fat.

Ireland is already groaning under the weight of these kinds of taxes. Before this tax is introduced, my gut tells me a new study on obesity should take place, only this time they should look for a larger test group - that said - there is a growing body of obesity research already.