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Chat => General Discussion => Topic started by: Serious on February 23, 2009, 15:31:37 PM

Title: One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Serious on February 23, 2009, 15:31:37 PM
http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/single+gene+may+hold+obesity+key/2981457

Anyone think it would be reasonable to force people to have gene therapy, or an implant, to reduce their fatness?
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Quixoticish on February 23, 2009, 15:37:12 PM
QuoteAnyone think it would be reasonable to force people to have gene therapy, or an implant, to reduce their fatness?

Hell no. Thats the start of a slippery slope that no-one wants to be sliding down.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Pete on February 23, 2009, 18:10:36 PM
50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Quixoticish on February 23, 2009, 18:31:09 PM
Quote from: sdp50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.

Thats just as laughable as the original suggestion in the Channel 4 article.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Eggtastico on February 23, 2009, 18:44:46 PM
Quote from: sdp50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.

I would abolish income tax & put tax on everything.

People will think twice about what they buy & eat then.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Sam on February 24, 2009, 02:22:14 AM
Quote from: sdp50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.

I like chocolate thanks.
Lets put 50% tax on something you like.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Bacon on April 06, 2009, 11:04:30 AM
Quote from: sdp50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.

I dont eat Junk food
I dont eat chocolate or sweets
I do use big clothing (38" waist, not considered massive) and stores already charge a premium for it.

Your theory is full of sh*t.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Serious on April 06, 2009, 18:42:23 PM
For most people the problem is the amount of sugar in our diet, sugar rush is why so many people end up diabetic. For the rest the problem might be genetic or family environment.

The Atkins diet, proplerly implemented, works for most of those who have tried it, large helpings of veg with a good amount of protein is much more filling and difficult to digest. Excessive cabbage can be an issue though  :gag:
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Pete on April 10, 2009, 12:34:21 PM
Quote from: Sam
Quote from: sdp50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.

I like chocolate thanks.
Lets put 50% tax on something you like.

Do you know how much obesity is costing the nhs? Why shouldnt there be tax on unhealthy food?

Smokers pay 80% tax on cigarettes. Fair enough.
Drinkers pay loads on wine beer and spirits. Fair enough.
Fat people pay no tax on the things they choose to consume that making them ill.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Quixoticish on April 10, 2009, 15:01:41 PM
Quote from: sdp
Quote from: Sam
Quote from: sdp50% tax on junk food.
50% tax on chocolate and sweets.
50% tax on XXL clothes.
Double bus fares, train fares etc for people with a waist over 44".

Being fat is only one face of a piggy diet - giving people the chance to eat as much as they like with "no consequences" is a completely retarded idea.

I like chocolate thanks.
Lets put 50% tax on something you like.

Do you know how much obesity is costing the nhs? Why shouldnt there be tax on unhealthy food?

Smokers pay 80% tax on cigarettes. Fair enough.
Drinkers pay loads on wine beer and spirits. Fair enough.
Fat people pay no tax on the things they choose to consume that making them ill.

One argument against it is that it starts to become a slippery slope that will just see everyone suffer, not just the obsessive chocoholics. Fine, so you put a tax on chocolate. Do you put a blanket tax on chocolate? Do you tax dark chocolate less since it has some health benefits? Do we tax things based on the % of sugar and fat they contain? If thats the case then some cuts of meat will end up being taxed as much as confectionery. And we all know month after month some loony "nutritionist" will come up with proof that something else causes cancer or makes you fat or gives you heat disease (because as well all know everything does these days) and something else gets a tax slapped on it. The next thing we know every food under the sun apart from brown rice and lentils has been taxed and everyone suffers, not just those who overeat.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Pete on April 10, 2009, 16:57:15 PM
I never suggested the hippification of the country. Just stuff that is blatantly unhealthy in excessive quantities, I mean like;

25p on a bag of crisps
25p on a mars duo
50p on a bag of chips
50p on a big mac

Fat people cost the NHS billions every year. 1 in 4 kids is a fattie so its only gonna get more expensive as they all grow up and get diabetes and heart disease. Why should healthy people pay for them? - smokers pay their way, drinkers pay their way and so should fat people.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: Quixoticish on April 10, 2009, 18:04:11 PM
Youre missing the point though. For one we shouldnt be giving the government a reason to tax anything, anyone who wants more taxes on anything is, to be quite frank, a bit barmy.

More importantly though all youre doing is treating the symptoms rather than tackling the cause. The reason obesity is on the rise is because the education system is full of sh*t and has been dumbed down horribly in recently years and we now have a load of kids who think all food comes from factories, chips are their own food group and couldnt tell a potato from a carrot from a tomato. If children were encouraged to take a healthy interest from an early age by both parents (most of whom dont give a sh*t these days) and the national curriculum then theyd eat a better variety of foods, have a balanced diet and wouldnt be shoving their faces with crap simply because they dont know any different.

If you tackle the source of the problem it will go away in a relatively short amount of time. Slapping taxes on foods that are "bad" is like wearing a condom the morning after, absolutely f**king useless.
Title: Re:One gene to keep them slim?
Post by: matt5cott on May 01, 2009, 15:10:18 PM
I watched a program the other week on channel4 that focused on gastric banding. It was interesting in that people had just given up and couldnt be arsed and just wanted a quick fix, but it also showed you one girl who got her arse in gear and basically got the same results (but obviously healthier/fitter for it) than those who had chose the gastric banding.

One of the women pre op was told in clear terms DO NOT EAT FATTY FOOD the day before the op, evidently they could tell as (I cant remember which organ) was bloated with fat and made the operation harder and less effective (she was told this would be the case if she ate crap). She couldnt even manage one day without eating KFC/McDonalds etc, these are the kind of people we shouldnt be paying for.