'Radical health moves floated'

balthazarr · 11-10-2008, 10:20 AM

"PRICE rises for junk food, cigarettes and alcohol; a ban on tobacco-vending machines, and tax breaks for gym memberships are among recommendations in a Federal Government report that could change the way we live.

Under the radical proposals, alcohol companies would be banned from sponsoring sporting events such as the AFL grand final, legal blood-alcohol concentration levels for drivers would be lowered and movies featuring smoking would be reclassified with a mature (M) rating. ..."

http://www.theage.com.au/national/ra...o.html?page=-1

So the government is trying to increases taxes on booze, smokes and junk food... what else is new?

Who thinks up these schemes? So they want to reclassify all movies featuring smoking to M - so only 15+ year olds (in theory anyway) can see them.... Right. That's going to stop people smoking... like 15 year olds aren't impressionable?

'legal blood-alcohol concentration levels for drivers would be lowered' - it seems as though every problem can be solved these days by punishing/restricting/attacking motorists.

**Falcon Coupe** · 11-10-2008, 10:29 AM

My blood boils reading this and i have plenty to add, but as political discussion always goes downhill and is against the site T&C all i will say is this, remember these issues when next filling out the voting card.

4Vman · 11-10-2008, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

My blood boils reading this and i have plenty to add, but as political discussion always goes downhill and is against the site T&C all i will say is this, remember these issues when next filling out the voting card.

What's next.? equal pay for everyone, red uniforms and curfues at 10pm...?

Force6 · 11-10-2008, 11:05 AM

Tough call: Our personal liberty vs. our health.

FPV8U · 11-10-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

What's next.? equal pay for everyone, red uniforms and curfues at 10pm...?

Give it time.. some how making these things more expensive will put people off?

Not likely, just means the poor will only get poorer from these stupid moves and seriously kids are smoking im primary school now and it's not movies causing it..

Rodp · 11-10-2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

My blood boils reading this and i have plenty to add, but as political discussion always goes downhill and is against the site T&C all i will say is this, remember these issues when next filling out the voting card.

It's amazing how government's response to issues like this is to profit off them. Sadly, I doubt the voting card would make a difference, I'm sure they're all in agreement that raising a tax is for the good of the country.

DJR David · 12-10-2008, 07:04 PM

Whilst I won't bother getting into the tax increase items, I think that there could be some merit in tax breaks/subsidies for gym memberships, sports equipment etc. Anything to get a fat bums off seats

shane3 · 12-10-2008, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Force6

Tough call: Our personal liberty vs. our health.

You are what you eat, I love Nando's but only have it once a fortnight, BUT what do you class as junk food....a bowl of coco pops with 2 table spoons of sugar or a macas chicken burger and chips ????
It's a load of baby poop if you ask me, why should we pay for other people not having the will power/brain capacity to think before they put food into there mouth's

:

balthazarr · 12-10-2008, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shane3

... why should we pay for other people not having the will power/brain capacity to think before they put food into there mouth's

:

This is, unfortunately, the way we as a country are heading... nobody taking personal responsibility - for anything - and the government (over)regulating behaviour.

4Vman · 12-10-2008, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by balthazarr

This is, unfortunately, the way we as a country are heading... nobody taking personal responsibility - for anything - and the government (over)regulating behaviour.

Maybe medicare should be indexed according to your ability or willingness to maintain your own personal health, rather than lump everyone into the same basket, lifestyle related Obese people place a disproportionate financial burden on the medicare system though treatment of obesity related illness.

shane3 · 12-10-2008, 07:34 PM

Prime example is about 20 minutes ago we had friends over to see Abby and they wanted to shout up pizza for tea (I would love pizza right now) but due to Christine wanting to loose the baby fat we have decided to have veggies and rice.
Now how easy would it be to become a fat heffer if some one shoved pizza in front of you and said "relax", "eat, you've just had a baby so who cares"

shane3 · 12-10-2008, 07:42 PM

The lady next door to us (as nice as she is) has had 3 kids all under 7, and every Wednesday and Saturday night is Macas night, they have Macas twice a week and they are not small serves, and I would say she is about 5'7" and easily 140KG, the 4WD groans as she gets in and out of it, the kids are over weight as well.

4Vman · 12-10-2008, 07:45 PM

The thing about food is understanding what's in it, (protien, fats, carbs and sugars) and its nutritional value.
As long as you get the right balance it doesnt matter what form it comes in, pizza can be a "healthy" alternative depending on what's in it and the % of ingredients proprtionate to a healthy RDA.

Bobman · 12-10-2008, 11:03 PM

People are also too lazy to do anything about their weight.

It's quite sad that they'll complain or hide their body type with clothes etc, but won't do much to improve it.

plext · 12-10-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Maybe medicare should be indexed according to your ability or willingness to maintain your own personal health, rather than lump everyone into the same basket, lifestyle related Obese people place a disproportionate financial burden on the medicare system though treatment of obesity related illness.

Never work. It's ALWAYS glandular. Just ask 'em, cream buns have nothing whatsoever to do with it.

Orbit · 12-10-2008, 11:24 PM

Love the glandular arguement!
70ish percent of the population are overweight? much less then 10 percent could be attribuited to "gland issues". The sad thing is that when these people get sick, the are over teh weight limit or beyond the physical dimensions that would allow them to have alot of dianostic tests. I know of several places that before an MRI you need to prove you'll fit through a hoop of a certian size, i also know that these places turn away 10 people a week as they don't fit.

**CAT600** · 12-10-2008, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by balthazarr

This is, unfortunately, the way we as a country are heading... nobody taking personal responsibility - for anything - and the government (over)regulating behaviour.

One of the best posts I have read in a long time.

That is the biggest issue facing the developed world today. What hope do young people have when they see so many people shouldering the blame onto the system, and lifes responibilities onto others.

An older friend of mine just came back from Italy, seeing family and the village he grew up in. He said that young Italians are worse than Australians, as they all go to Uni for a degree, then come home to work part time in a store/cafe all whilst bludging a car/fuel/board from mum and dad.

There is a big shake up coming for sub-25 year olds in the developed world........ Too easy for too long and no knowledge of what tough times can bring. My old man did me a great justice by planting his foot in my a$$ when I was younger, something I am grateful for and will pass on to my young ones.

Daniel

FGII-XR6 · 13-10-2008, 12:20 AM

what a whingefest, this is a think tank not the MPs themselves you often see reports like that and they rarely come to anything. a few points
1 lowering blood alcohol for driving is a good thing if you drink don't drive simple as that
2 tobacco vending machines should be banned there is no way to prevent under 18s buying tobacco with them
3 advertising of alcohol should be banned as with all other recreational drugs. tobacco advertising was banned long ago and no one (except for the tobacco drug lords who don't care or die as long as they can recuit new adicts) would say this is a bad thing today basically advertising all recreational drugs is a negative factor in reducing harmful use .
so at least some of these ideas have some merit if the pollies had the guts to do it

SLO-04L · 13-10-2008, 12:40 AM

just means you need to be smart with your money! hit up your local RSL or Bowls club! they don't pay tax on them, thus the reason im writing this! haha

never had anything just given to me by parents, have always paid my own way from my first car to loan i took out for uni its all under my name and have never had any hand outs from the government or parents! refuse to take dole/centrelink/ unemployment and am 22, thank my old man for the kick up the when i turned 14 and got my first part time laboring job!!! financial commitments always come first then social commitments!

schnoods · 13-10-2008, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Maybe medicare should be indexed according to your ability or willingness to maintain your own personal health, rather than lump everyone into the same basket, lifestyle related Obese people place a disproportionate financial burden on the medicare system though treatment of obesity related illness.

I am almost twice the weight of an average australian Male and the only time i see a doctor is when i need to do a medical for work, which i am in healthy condition (BMI is Out, but lung capacity, blood sugar, flexibility and fitness is fine and ideal) and have no problems doing the work i do and living life.

As far as im concerned, the Tax on Cigarettes is entirely acceptable, Alcohol needs to be where it is at the moment, im sure half price booze will mean alot more people drinking more on a more regular basis...

But the food thing is taking it too far, sure a tax break on a gym membership or even on gym equipment purchased would be good too.

But i do disagree with being taxed more because you arent of a certain specific physical specification. We arent all 4 cylinders, some of us are V8's, i know at work i can lift and walk around with a bottle of oxy over my shoulder comfortably (perhaps 80-90kg) while others that look fit with gym made muscles struggle. And yet he is "fitter" than me. :monkes: