Alabama "Fat Tax" Causes Furious Debate

It's about time they added a twinkie tax to the sin tax roles. I am tired of being descriminated against for my poor heath choices, when others are doing the same thing with Mega Calorie Goodies and portions large enough for 3 people to live on for an entire week.

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I disagree with the so-called "fat tax" because obesity is a disease just as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. These diseases are hereditary and they can also develop from an unhealthy lifestyle. There are instances where some develop these diseases from the side affects of medication. I am over weight as a result of taking medications with serious side affects. Should I be punished because I developed a disease that required taking medications that cause serious weight gain. Also, what those individuals who have a diet because they cannot afford those foods that promote a healthy life style. Has anyone seen the prices of food lately? Everything that is healthy is too costly for the average working family with children while the fatty, poor foods are cheaper and affordable. Wake up America not every obese person you see got that way because they couldn't push themselves away from the table. Let's face it. We live in a society where everyone is judged by the way they look and not by there character.

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This country was founded by people who rebelled when thier tea was unjustly taxed. You think the men and women who are descended from those people are going to put up with being told by any government that they "must" get fit or pay a tax? Get real.
If the Alabama government wants to save some cash they can have every overpaid politican and "city manager" take a 10% pay cut. They can then put that money towards paying the healthcare benefits of the underpaid, overworked city employees who don't have the time to cook themselves a healthy meal or the money to buy healthy foods, which also happen to be more expensive.

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It's not a tax at all it's an incentive benefit for self-discipline impaired bureaucrats. Obesity may be a "disease" but it's a disease largely of choice or should i say a pattern of poor choices. Many countries of the world have very few fatties - nobody forces people to eat too much or stop exercising - I'm sickened at the way some workers expect the taxpayer to pay for their stupid decisions- government health care should be prevention oriented not for people who fail to maintain their health; look at how John McCain wants to ration care for veterans...there is a model to inspire savings

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This is a state mandated diet and a terrible way to cut down their costs. When you force people to give up more of the same pay that they earned the same way as other employees, it is discrimination. Had Alabama offered discounts in insurance for good health instead of charging people more, that would sound less arrogant and cruel. Or better yet, spend money on better health and physical fitness programs to try to instill good habits while Alabamians are young. And being a resident in Alabama, I can say that it is VERY expensive to try to eat healthy foods here since the cultural diet consists of anything deep fried. Just because Jared lived off Subway doesn't mean the rest of us can since there are many towns in Alabama that do not serve healthy foods. Even the salads here are bad. It would be better if companies that sell food get tax breaks for offering healthy menus at prices that match or are lower than the higher fat menus instead of blaming the by-products of centuries-old food culture.

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This is so horrible. I never thought I'd see the day when America, home of the free and the brave is acting like Germany did when Hitler was in reign. First we don't like muslims, then we go to war killing innocent people, then we are taxing people for being who they are. Not to mention the Japanese americans we put in concentration camps when pearl harbor was bombed. America is not living up to her name. I am ashamed to be called an American, if this is what its all about.

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What makes people overweight?

1. overeating
2. lack of activity
3. eating processed foods
4. eating foods that are pure sugar, salt and grease.

Why do people make so many excuses?

Yes, there are those with thyroid problems. But does 60 percent of our population become obese because the European, Asian and African genome dealt them a bad hand?

Go to Africa, Asia and Europe . . . Do you see a large percentage of the population that are so fat that they need to be pushed around in electric wheelchairs? Do you go to schools and see children who are twice as heavy as they should be?

So ... these are nothing more than excuses. For example, Children inherit a predisposition for being fat from their parents ... They are victims of their parents' lack of attention to nutrition. They have been fed burgerking invitro. But with proper education and good eating habits, kids will have a healthy weight ... if they go out and play.

Obesity costs a lot of money. Who pays for it when a morbidly obese low income person goes to the doctor about hypertension, diabetes, aches and pains, asthma? The Tax payer ... and when the doctor asks them what they eat? Twinkies, cheetos, soda ... Medical professionals pull their hair out over the fact that they are given sound medical advice, and sooner or later, they are back in their office, asking for another bottle of tax-payer supported medications, not having changed a bit ....

Looked at your paystub recently? Your social security and medicare .... that is what it pays for. Yes, they have the freedom to eat themselves to death, as long as they aren't doing it on your dollar.

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I think the tax is a good idea. Over eating is no different from smoking in the sense that a person understands that both of these acts are indulgences that give comfort or pleasure while aversely affecting health. Given the high cost of health care, it is incumbent on each person to do all he or she can to preserve vitality. Continued indulgence in food and other health wrecking acts is as wasteful and inconsiderate as any other selfish act. It's the "I can do what ever I want and someone else will mop it up for me, after all, I paid my premium" way of thinking.

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Wait why aren't the people who are complaining about it take themselves off the employers health plan and pay for their own!? Solves their problem right? I think they'll take the $25 hit if it means dipping into the company's money pool. Seriously, somebody argue that its 'taxing' them, are they not taxing the company? Don't think they want it changed that bad.

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