Denmark levies world's first fat tax

imagine if America did this, world financial problems solved and enough left over to fund a Mars station.

Welcome to the Nanny state.

You are not equipped to think and choose for yourself, you must be prodded with taxes, and decrees in order to make "the proper" decisions...

What ever happened to government just fixing roads and infrastructure?

You are not equipped to think and choose for yourself

Rising obesity is proving that contention correct.

If you want to declare that a tax is not the way to go about changing it though, I think we could have a discussion.

I would prefer some hard core food education in schools, going so far as to cover breakfast, lunch and dinner and having kids make their own meals. But that would just be another variation of the belief that you are not equipped to think and choose for yourself, and I advocate brainwashing from childhood to fix that.

So is the population to survive on lettuce and lentils because some consumers eat surplus to their bodies rquirements? Milk, butter, eggs cheese ect if consumed in moderation form part of a healthy diet

Welcome to the Nanny state.

Well stated Pamelot. Apparently the people of Denmark are too stupid to think for themselves.

Rising obesity is proving that contention correct.

No, it proves that meddling in legal personal choices has been made Denmark's government's business, and they mean to impose punitive taxes, to attempt control and profit from it.

spuds - Har!

No, it proves that meddling in legal personal choices has been made Denmark's government's business

What you said does not contradict what I said, so no need for your "no".

FYI governments have been interfering in personal choices for a long time, and determining what is legal what is not and changing their minds etc. I would rather marijuana be legal and untaxed and fat illegal or taxed. They could also crack down on the legal person choice of having foul breath while they are at it.

But one problem with having a poor diet is that those people make their kids suffer too. That makes it something less than a personal choice. The government is also charged with the general health of the people. You might not agree with that, but that is the state of things.

And I say again, I don't like this method. Its knee-jerk and it won't work. Its a band-aid on a bullet wound.

Evidently this is called a "Pigovian tax" - and not for the reason you think either.

Socialists give capitalists a golden opportunity and fuller employment. "Hey, buddy. Want to buy some "grease." Headline, "Hundreds of security officers hired to stem the flow of contraband butter." Where is the Elliott Ness of Denmark.

Obese people cause massive expense to those modern states that have healthcare for everyone. I'm not surprised our right-wing American crowd fail to grasp the premise that being a Fatty Fuller means health problems which means hospital bills.

Moderate your lifestyle or pay your extra share. Just like smoking, you choose to fxxx your health up via addiction then don't whine at 10€ a packet, since we'll be footing the collective bill for your chemio later on.

Um, where's the science in this?

Eating fat doesn't make you fat. Eating sugar and grains do.

Saturated fats can be really good for you. Short and median-chain triglycerides will essentially be used directly for energy and won't be stored as fat.

When you take fat out of foods, you have to add more sugar to make it taste better, so I think we can all predict people to get a lot fatter due to this law. This is what happens when unscientific children run the world.

Will obese documentary makers who are all about social justice call for a boycott of Denmark over this blatantly discriminatory legislation?

Mr. Bill: having kids make their own meals.

Now that's a smart idea.

pamelot: Welcome to the Nanny state.

Not if the money actually goes towards paying for the increased health care costs of a lifelong bad diet. Seems pretty smart to me.

Weed legal but un-taxed?

Bill?

I'm the leading voice for legalization, but only for the tax revenue, and to deny the supplemantary income to low life dealers who live off weed revenue, twined with social security bennies, that allows them to drive around in new Beamers.

I was infuriated the other day to get shafted on excess baggage at the airport. Here I am, a non-smoking, tax paying, fit 30 something year-old getting shafted for bein four kilos over-weight@20€ per kilo, whilst the obese bloke weighing 250 pounds to my rear is wearing 2 coats in 33 degrees C, carrying his excess baggage shrewdly in his pockets!

Political correctness is killing us. These taxes are a good start, but more is needed. MacDonalds to start with. Hit em hard all these junk food outlets and give breaks to thoise proposing fresh and healthy meals. It's just common sense.

America became shamelessly flabby in the 70's and 80's. Here in Europe we've caught the trend. It's time to deny the PC activists their stupidity and say it how it is. Being obese is just wrong. And by the time these obese people begin to be seriously ill, we're picking up the tab again, as we have all their lives when they've been declared to fat to work and claim bennies.

Hit 'em where it hurts. Tax un-healthy, fattening foods. And redcuce VAT or charges on outlets promoting value, healthy foods.

Madverts; No, you didn't get shafted, you breached your contract with your carrier and tried to have to heavy luggage. very obese annoy me but i don't blame them for my own mistakes. Maybe the obese man ha d abit more savvy than you.

Food is cheap these days and that's what consumers want. many farmers live on the breadline while the shupermarkets make ever bigger profits, It is a big problem that taxing cannot resolve,and that's a wrap.

Madverts, if I say I would rather have a needle in my eye than have a finger cut off, did I just invite you to stick a needle in my eye? No. Weed should be legal and taxed. I was just presenting my choice of two bad choices.

And yes, you did get shafted. People should pay a surcharge if their own weight plus that of their baggage goes over a limit. And there should be a body fat tax levied on anyone who cannot provide a medical problem for obesity. Odds are they will get that money back due to impending health problems anyway, just like this saturated fat tax will be returned to those who eat too much.

“It has been a chaotic week with a lot of empty shelves. People have been filling their freezers,” Christian Jensen of an independent local Copenhagen supermarket told AFP.

The panicked hoarders. Reminds me of the queue at the filling stations when the fuel prices go up 2 yen per liter. People save 60 to 100 yen! How much butter can you store in an average freezer? Saved a few $$$? Wow, it must have been worth the energy spent. (sarcasm - sorry)

Yes steve, had I read Ryanair's T+C's it was clear that as a budget airline they accept less acceptable hand-luggage weight. As a first time flier, I failed to realize that my bag was taking up the space of three live chickens. And if I'd have known their flights were aking to a bus in rural India, I'd have gladly spent a few hours in the bar and flown Air France for the same price.

I think your savvy fat man should pay more than me, and my 4 kilos extra baggage (like I travel with weighing scales!) When he was the same height as me and weighed at least a sweaty 50 kilos more.

Bollocks to the politicaly correct crowd, obesity is a disgrace in the UK.

Bill,

I have rarely smoked the weed but it doesn't bother me as long as my employees don't do it in work hours. The whole point of my desire to see it legal is for the stuff to be taxed. But I guess at least here the nanny state is petrified of you growing your own.

I'm trying to work out which is the lesser of evils as a drain on the state - small time dope dealers or obese people.

Back on topic please.