Sugar tax

[dotti34]

The idea of imposing a sugar tax on sugary drinks has reared its ugly head in Australia. Not sure if such a tax is already on such drinks in the UK yet, I know it was in the pipeline. Has this subject already been discussed on Accyweb?

Putting in my two-bob’s worth, isn’t it time that people accepted some responsibility themselves for what they put in their mouths. The best way to not suffer the consequences of drinking sugary drinks is not to drink them…simple as that! Or is that solution just too simple?

As for politicians, they seem to think that taxes are the answer to everything.

[monkey hanger]

all kids like sugary drinks or pop as we called it then. problem was in the late 40,s and 50,s yer mam bought a couple of bottles a week and had to last you. now its a never ending an amount for em through the day. think if they did cost more there would be a decrease in there untake.

[Less]

Best remedy is to only drink something where all the sugar has been turned to alcohol.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Less

Best remedy is to only drink something where all the sugar has been turned to alcohol.

Only problem wi that less, is the fact "Many" kids are stupid now! giving em alcohol will only make things worse.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I used to like an occasional bottle of 7 Up...This was not something I drank on a regular basis.
It was a drink I enjoyed and until recently had not be contaminated with artificial sweeteners.
7Up proclaims that it now contains 30% less sugar...It has been sweetened with a steviocide.
....one of the better sweeteners...But the taste has been ruined for me.
I now read all the labels of the ingredients on soft drinks....nearly all of them have sweeteners...so I do not buy them.
Even most cordials have sweeteners in them.
I avoid those that contain acesulfame K and aspartame....these are metabolised into a formaldehyde like substance(which is what they use to preserve tissue samples and embalm bodies).
For forty years I have had saccharin in my tea....and I am used to that.
If we use 2lb bag of sugar over the course of the year, then we are going some.

I do not want anyone to decide what I eat or drink.
I am an adult...Quite capable of making my own choices.

The problem of childhood obesity is multi faceted....and a one size fits all approach is faulty.

Remember in the 80's when we were all told that butter and cheese was bad for us....that animal fats were a no-no.
The scientists now know that their studies were flawed and that if we had continued to eat natural foods, rather than chemically concocted margarine, then we may be seeing less type 2diabetics right now.

I eat what I like....and in moderation.
I am active, I get out and about and usually get my ten thousand steps per day...so for goodness sake leave me alone!

[monkey hanger]

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;

I eat what I like....and in moderation.
I am active, I get out and about and usually get my ten thousand steps per day...so for goodness sake leave me alone![/QUOTE]

could not agree more margaret. i,m in my early 70,s, out with my dogs a hour and a half at least every day, still referee sunday morning mens football and will continue to eat what i like too. my mother lived to 100 doing the same thing and my ex mother in law reached 98 with the same idea on life. might be a cynic but i have always wondered if a certain item of food is only good for you if there is a glut of that food on the market and the opposite if its bad for you.

[dotti34]

Think you are on the ball there, monkey hanger. I'm a cynic also and I reckon there's a glut of coffee at the moment as we are presently being told 6 cups a day will stop you from dying early - not long ago too much coffee was bad for you.....

[Less]

I have a bag of sugar in the house, not for me but for the occasional guest that uses it, this isn't a health thing I just don't use it in my coffee.
Most of the time I'm a savoury sort of person when snacking but once in a while I just fancy a purge of toffees and go through a sweet phase, I don't think it does any harm, because I also have the occasional vegetable attack, I suspect that what happens is the body tells you what you are lacking through your taste buds, an example of which is a month or so ago when i went shopping I couldn't leave the supermarket without a bag of Radishes now I don't even give them a glance as I walk down the veg eisle.
Other than that my diet is always alot of what you fancy and stuff the experts and so called 'healthy' diet.

[Less]

I think, what I'm trying to say is that the interfering busybodies that tell us what and how we should eat/live our lives should just mind their own business and leave the majority of us alone to get on with our reasonably sensible lives, too many government grants are wasted on idiotic food research that causes panic in the non thinking only for it to be disputed in yet another government grant a few years later.
Most of us eat sensibly, don't interfere with that, just make it difficult for the overfeeding morons to get mobility scooters so they don't run over my foot when I'm having a healthy walk. Then if they have to walk they might watch their diet.

[monkey hanger]

Originally Posted by Less

Other than that my diet is always alot of what you fancy and stuff the experts and so called 'healthy' diet.

who actually are these experts and what is a healthy diet. the latter might be which day of the week you are reading the facts.

[Hill Walker]

Originally Posted by Less

Most of us eat sensibly, don't interfere with that, just make it difficult for the overfeeding morons to get mobility scooters so they don't run over my foot when I'm having a healthy walk. Then if they have to walk they might watch their diet.

They don't take their scooters to the fast food shop - they ring-up and have it delivered. After all what's on 'tele' is too important to have it interrupted.

[monkey hanger]

Originally Posted by Less

Most of us eat sensibly, don't interfere with that, just make it difficult for the overfeeding morons to get mobility scooters so they don't run over my foot when I'm having a healthy walk. Then if they have to walk they might watch their diet.

years ago these scooters were for people who were disabled and only available from places that provided em for these unfortunate people. seems nowadays its a must for any fat sod who takes pleasure into driving into the back of us normally built folk.

[Less]

Originally Posted by monkey hanger

years ago these scooters were for people who were disabled and only available from places that provided em for these unfortunate people. seems nowadays its a must for any fat sod who takes pleasure into driving into the back of us normally built folk.

Ah yes, but we've progressed, the lazy fat slob is no longer the lazy fat slob, we have to sympathise and empathise and understand what they are going through.
We know it's a struggle for them, hell I'd find it a struggle lifting XXXL large underwear off the ground no wonder (by the smell), they only have one pair.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Less, I agree with much of your observations.
I think that we are all old enough to make the choices for ourselves...and if those choices are good one our children usually follow the pattern that we have created.
Personally, I resent the government and the experts who fail to give me the credit for being able to regulate my appetite.

And who is to say that in the not too distant future someone will come up with the idea that is an environmental factor that has cause the obesity crisis....that and an increasing sedentary lifestyle....where much work is not a physical as it was years ago.

As for the 'lazy fat slob' in the wheelchair or mobility scooter....well, I am reluctant to judge because it is a huge generalisation...and it could just be wrong.

My daughter has had a healthy diet all of her life...for much of it she was semi vegetarian...she was active, played sports, walked her dogs... went out to work...then she was struck down with bowel cancer.
The drugs which killed of the cancer have affected her very badly.

She is now seriously disabled and is reluctant to leave her home because she knows that people who do not know of her struggle with ill health will level that criticism at her...without knowing the true reasons.
She can no longer eat the salads she loved, the broccoli, the kale...you know..all that healthy stuff.
She stuggles now to walk...can only eat certain foods that do not irritate her stoma...and of course she has put a lot of weight on...this despite the fact that she eats very little.Not cakes, not biscuits, not sweet stuff.

So before you make the 'lazy fat slob' judgement, give a thought to those who are obese because of the drugs they must take to keep them alive

[Mark2009]

Uk Governments don't tend to ban items that they feel people shouldn't eat/drink/use/own etc, they tax them knowing that many of the people who purchase the item will continue to do so thus raising more funds for the exchequer.

As for the lazy fat slob generalisation and the many kids are stupid one, I cant say that these comments are true or untrue as I don't know the people involved. I suppose an obese person may be that way because they are unable to walk or have limited mobility and have therefore put on weight. I am not sure where "many kids are stupid" comes from, if the writer has decided this by looking at the news reports re offences committed etc, I bet I could find an equivalent number of "stupid adults". My opinion, as the other writers are expressing theirs.
Mark