Korean Job Discussion Forums

[4 months left]

[Moldy Rutabaga]

There's various issues at play here.

1. Cigarettes are harmful in any quantity. Food is not. A tax on fast food also punishes the person who eats the odd hamburger.
2. Has putting warning labels on cigarettes really stopped anyone from smoking them? "Gee whillikers--lookit this--and I thought cigarettes were full of vitamin C!" Are the people who live on big macs going to read this fine print on the box?
3. We always hear the argument trotted out that 'people getting sick from x drive up our health insurance costs'. But this is a slippery slope. Should we punish anyone who drives a car, eats chicken wings, doesn't do pushups, or plays cards on Sundays because it increases health costs? Furthermore, people already pay far more in taxes on cigarettes than they take away in increased health services.

Overall, to me it's a band-aid solution, and broader solutions are needed, such as:
1. Making it possible to walk. Many modern American cities are so built around cars that there's no sidewalks left. Mandatorize pedestrian and bicycle access to all public buildings, including stores and shopping malls. No exceptions.
2. Mandatorize increased physical education classes in schools.
3. Prohibition of soda drinks in public schools.
4. Refusal of business licenses to fast-food restaurants next to schools.
5. A public health campaign.

I haven't eaten at a McDonald's since 1986. But as a Canadian, the idea of paying tax #22,312 on a hamburger sets a bad precedent to me. Butter will be next, and then chocolate, and then donuts.

Ken:>

[SirFink]

Warning labels remind me of the "don't try this at home, kids" you see on so many stunt shows and pro wrestling. If someone's stupid enough to jump off their roof with an umbrella thinking they'll fly, then are they really going to listen to someone on TV telling them not to?

I suppose it's ultimately put there by lawyers hoping it will be good enough to convince stupid jurors when the law suits come pouring in. "Well gee whiz, McDonald's did warn people not to eat their food, so I guess they're off the hook...."

[peemil]

I don't like paying for old people to extend their time through modern technology at the expense of taxpayers.

In my world, if you're too old for the boat and are just a vegetable, its time to get thrown overboard.

If you use that argument about using tax payers dollars to pay for the obese, then we could quite possibly extend it to lots of other things.

It's a slippery slope.

[AbbeFaria]

The comparison of fast food resturants to mom and pop diners and other real restaurants isn't valid. We've had neighborhood eateries for centuries. We didn't start having a problem with obesity until the late 70's. Fast food is not the only problem though. You can actually chart the rise in obesity to the rise in the use of high fructose corn syrup in almost everything we buy and eat. And I bet the lady who lost weight on the McD's diet had cholesterol through the roof. You can be stick thin and have enough cholesterol to choke a cow. She's probably a prime candidate for a heart attack or heart disease.

Also, for those Supersize Me and Fast Food Nation fans, I give you: http://www.fastfoodnation-movie.com/trailer.php

I'm gonna watch. The book almost single-handedly got me off fast food. Sadly I've still got a weakness for Taco Bell, but there's none to be had in Korea so I'm safe.

�S�

[laogaiguk]

[AbbeFaria]

[laogaiguk]

[AbbeFaria]

[Corporal]

[Dev]

No warning labels. Anyone with common sense knows that fast food and cigs are bad for you. Anyone without common sense deserves to die.

What needs warning labels is any food containing trans fats. Trans fats are life threatening and are in many kinds of procerssed foods. People need to know which foods. Even seemingly innocent snacks like cookies could have trans fats.

You've got to give the Koreans credit for one thing. They don't drink all that soda beep that we do back home. When I see customers at the supermarket put 2L bottles of that on the belt at checkout, I just want to smack them!