Tuesday, June 24, 2003

I got so busy yesterday, I forgot to check the Progress Prompt:

The issue of obesity is back in the headlines yet again. This time it's "fat tax". What are your thoughts?

I don't think that the issue of obesity is ever out of the headlines. I can find a story about it everyday pretty much. I have said this before and will say it again, the government needs to spend more money on educating people about healthy choices and healthy lifestyles. They need to put more money back into the schools so that physical education programs don't get cut, so that teachers in this province aren't on work-to-rule and can do after-school sports and fitness programs again.

I think that if anyone is going to be taxed highly, it should be the corporations (like Mickey D's, BK, A&W, etc.) who get banged. There is too much profit to be made by peddling crap to the masses. Companies like Subway have it right, offer a healthier (not healthy) fast food option. The fast food kings need to re-evaluate their own "lite" menus too. If you get right down to the nitty gritty, a lot of the salads or chicken salads have as many, and sometimes more, calories than a burger.

Taxing fast food for consumers isn't going to stop folks. Taxation has not stopped people from smoking. What has, is aggressive ad campaigns that get to the root of the problem and address why folks are doing something that is bad for them. It's like this weight-loss journey that we're all on. It's not going to work until we figure out why we over eat or why we don't exercise. Get past that and it'll work. Education is the key!

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