Should the government make our choices for us?

[Missing]

Instead of worrying about sodas, maybe they should instead focus on things like about six months ago, auditors visited 31 of the cities elementary schools and not a single one were in compliance with state physical education requirements. They either had none, or were way under the acceptable levels.

And I wonder if kids didn't spend hours in front the tv, computer, ect., how much that would effect obesity rates?

How about taking the expenditure of enforcing soda laws and set up after school/work fitness programs for people?

There are unhealthy people protesting right now in New York over the small ban taking place on selling sodas larger than 16oz. If the government decided to enforce new soda laws, who knows what crazy shenanigans people will get into to stop it. Furthermore, setting up after school fitness programs will not work in my opinion. Most students I know cannot wait to go straight home to their computers after school. In fact, students are even playing games secretly on their laptops in class when they're supposed to be doing actual work.

If the government wants to stop obesity so bad they should consider inspiring overweight people into being healthy. Enforcing laws on what they should eat is only going to make them grumpy and it won't stop anything. They'll only work hard to lose weight if they're inspired to do so on their own. Sad, but true.

[Hole69]

People should be left alone with minimal overall supervision. You get fat and diseased, your fault, your mess. The government didn't feed your fat distended mouth now did it? You paid for it it was your decision. Sure the government encourages you to spend but you gave in didn't you, you fat bastard? Simple.

[mjmacky]

People should be left alone with minimal overall supervision. You get fat and diseased, your fault, your mess. The government didn't feed your fat distended mouth now did it? You paid for it it was your decision. Sure the government encourages you to spend but you gave in didn't you, you fat bastard? Simple.

The issue at hand is that the government ends up footing the medical costs for the diabetes and other weight related illnesses of the overly obese. The general issue at hand is that it is more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat poorly. Thus, food-related decline of health more proportionately affects the poor, and they are the ones that end up needing government assistance, directly or indirectly (through hospitable forfeiture of patient recompense). For this very reason, there's a governmental budgetary incentive to act in preventative fashion.

[HeavyMetalParkingLot]

Instead of worrying about sodas, maybe they should instead focus on things like about six months ago, auditors visited 31 of the cities elementary schools and not a single one were in compliance with state physical education requirements. They either had none, or were way under the acceptable levels.

And I wonder if kids didn't spend hours in front the tv, computer, ect., how much that would effect obesity rates?

How about taking the expenditure of enforcing soda laws and set up after school/work fitness programs for people?

There are unhealthy people protesting right now in New York over the small ban taking place on selling sodas larger than 16oz. If the government decided to enforce new soda laws, who knows what crazy shenanigans people will get into to stop it. Furthermore, setting up after school fitness programs will not work in my opinion. Most students I know cannot wait to go straight home to their computers after school. In fact, students are even playing games secretly on their laptops in class when they're supposed to be doing actual work.

If the government wants to stop obesity so bad they should consider inspiring overweight people into being healthy. Enforcing laws on what they should eat is only going to make them grumpy and it won't stop anything. They'll only work hard to lose weight if they're inspired to do so on their own. Sad, but true.

You skipped over the part where auditors visited 31 schools and not a single school met state physical education requirements. If every school they visited is not in compliance, chances are good the other 670 schools in NYC are not in compliance either. Meeting these requirements would have more effect than banning sodas.

Students have been playing games on computers longer than you think. We were writing and playing games in school way back when schools had Apple II's.

[mjmacky]

I know I spent an inordinate amount of time playing Oregon Trail.

[HeavyMetalParkingLot]

People should be left alone with minimal overall supervision. You get fat and diseased, your fault, your mess. The government didn't feed your fat distended mouth now did it? You paid for it it was your decision. Sure the government encourages you to spend but you gave in didn't you, you fat bastard? Simple.

The issue at hand is that the government ends up footing the medical costs for the diabetes and other weight related illnesses of the overly obese. The general issue at hand is that it is more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat poorly. Thus, food-related decline of health more proportionately affects the poor, and they are the ones that end up needing government assistance, directly or indirectly (through hospitable forfeiture of patient recompense). For this very reason, there's a governmental budgetary incentive to act in preventative fashion.

I agree, but the problem with this soda ban is that it is not a ban at all. It says places affected by it (as opposed to places like grocery stores who can continue to sell large bottles of sodas) can not sell drinks larger than 16 oz. There is nothing written in it where you can not just buy more drinks. All it does is make people pay more and in turn raise taxes collected for the city.

Another problem arises if other places adopt this. In most restuarants in NYC, you do not get free refills, but in most other places you do (soda is an extremely cheap product for the sellers). What would the point of the ban be if all you had to do was walk up to the soda machine and get more?

[mjmacky]

I agree, but the problem with this soda ban is that it is not a ban at all. It says places affected by it (as opposed to places like grocery stores who can continue to sell large bottles of sodas) can not sell drinks larger than 16 oz. There is nothing written in it where you can not just buy more drinks. All it does is make people pay more and in turn raise taxes collected for the city.

Another problem arises if other places adopt this. In most restuarants in NYC, you do not get free refills, but in most other places you do (soda is an extremely cheap product for the sellers). What would the point of the ban be if all you had to do was walk up to the soda machine and get more?

The ineffectual point of getting people to realize how much soda they're getting down their gully. 16 oz. limitations are an odd choice since 20 oz. bottles are pretty standard.

[HeavyMetalParkingLot]

I agree, but the problem with this soda ban is that it is not a ban at all. It says places affected by it (as opposed to places like grocery stores who can continue to sell large bottles of sodas) can not sell drinks larger than 16 oz. There is nothing written in it where you can not just buy more drinks. All it does is make people pay more and in turn raise taxes collected for the city.

Another problem arises if other places adopt this. In most restuarants in NYC, you do not get free refills, but in most other places you do (soda is an extremely cheap product for the sellers). What would the point of the ban be if all you had to do was walk up to the soda machine and get more?

The ineffectual point of getting people to realize how much soda they're getting down their gully. 16 oz. limitations are an odd choice since 20 oz. bottles are pretty standard.

Sodas sold by grocery stores and convenience stores are not effected.

[mjmacky]

Sodas sold by grocery stores and convenience stores are not effected.

That's the point I was making, there's very little external awareness in its design.

[999969999]

I know I spent an inordinate amount of time playing Oregon Trail.

Oh God! Stay away from Oregon. I don't want you to come here.