Author Topic: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?  (Read 39716 times)

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Offline TenfoldMaquette

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #30 on: February 03, 2012, 12:08:19 am »
Prohibition didn't work for alcohol; somehow I doubt it'd work for sugar.

Should companies stop shoveling sugar into their products to cover up the poor quality? Hell yes. Will they? Not without a metric fuck-ton of consumer disapproval. Forcing the issue via laws will just encourage them to use weasel-words (hello "evaporated cane juice") to get around the problem or to just jack up the price in response to all the increased production costs of their "healthier" foods.

Offline Vene

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #31 on: February 03, 2012, 12:15:34 am »
Yeah...that's the whole problem I have with this.  Its abso-fucking-lutely ridiculous, and does nothing to treat the problem.  It just looks like they're trying to do that.
Then explain to us, in your infinite wisdom, what would treat the problem? Better yet, explain how the regulation of sugar is fatally flawed.

Prohibition didn't work for alcohol; somehow I doubt it'd work for sugar.
It's not like fucking prohibition. It's not banned and the proposal doesn't suggest it being banned.

What is with people and bad analogies today? Do you need your fix that badly?
« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 12:19:26 am by Vene »

Offline Mira

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #32 on: February 03, 2012, 12:20:26 am »
Prohibition didn't work for alcohol; somehow I doubt it'd work for sugar.

How is this anything like Prohibition?
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Offline Da Rat Bastid

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #33 on: February 03, 2012, 12:21:25 am »
I'm starting to see us becoming like San Angeles, the society portrayed in Demolition Man, wherein everything not good for you is deemed to be bad, therefore illegal.  Salt, junk food, red meat, contact sports, non-educational toys, even profanity. ::)

Offline Vene

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #34 on: February 03, 2012, 12:25:08 am »
I'm starting to see us becoming like San Angeles, the society portrayed in Demolition Man, wherein everything not good for you is deemed to be bad, therefore illegal.  Salt, junk food, red meat, contact sports, non-educational toys, even profanity. ::)
I think the researchers missed a side effect. Apparently excessive sugar consumption leads to problems with reading comprehension because nobody is fucking talking about it being illegal!

Offline Lithp

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #35 on: February 03, 2012, 12:27:48 am »
Again, back to the article: It compares it to drugs & cigarrettes. If you want to blame anyone for planting false distinctions, blame them.

I have no idea what the original researchers actually proposed because it directly attributes very little to them.

Offline Vene

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #36 on: February 03, 2012, 12:29:35 am »
Again, back to the article: It compares it to drugs & cigarrettes. If you want to blame anyone for planting false distinctions, blame them.

I have no idea what the original researchers actually proposed because it directly attributes very little to them.
Alcohol and cigarettes, both of which are currently legal.

Offline Lithp

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #37 on: February 03, 2012, 12:38:00 am »
Yes, so the prohibition comparisons are inaccurate, but not necessarily the ones about regulating who can use it & sending people to prison over it.

Offline Mira

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #38 on: February 03, 2012, 12:44:11 am »
Okay, while we're comparing alcohol and sugar.

Currently, the government caps alcohol manufacturers on the ABV of their beers. Major manufacturers respect these policies without much issue and the only people that would probably go around them would be microbrewers (which really isn't a huge issue in the scheme of things).

Similarly, what if the government instituted caps on the amount of sugar that could be added to certain food products? I think it could work pretty similarly to the current ABV caps. The sugar refiners would pitch a fit, sure, but it wouldn't cost the manufacturers anything extra and I don't think the prices would be affected. If the manufacturers went over their caps, they would be fined an appropriate amount, which would discourage the practice. Since these policies would be applied universally, no company would gain an edge over another due to the change in recipe.

I think that a huge part of the obesity issue starts at the manufacturing end of foods and stems from the practice of adding lots of sweeteners to foods. As well as the immediate fat deposits gained from the excess sugar intake, our taste buds are trained to expect sweetness. It'd be difficult for any one manufacturer to lower their sugar content and expect to remain competitive due to the public's expectations of sweetness. Government policy is really the only way I see of exiting this conundrum.


Or maybe it would be 1984 combined with Logan's Run. I don't know.
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Offline Lithp

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #39 on: February 03, 2012, 12:45:57 am »
Quote
Similarly, what if the government instituted caps on the amount of sugar that could be added to certain food products?

This kind of regulation I am much more inclined to agree with. Provided they do it right.

Offline MaybeNever

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #40 on: February 03, 2012, 12:49:09 am »
I have a problem with regulating something simply on the grounds of "it's bad for you." I'm more open to regulating something on the grounds that it's bad for a person who is not the user, such as second-hand smoke or drunk driving. If a substance is harmful or addictive - recognizing the problem with the word "addictive" - it should have to clearly say so on the packaging an advertising. Beyond that, it should be up to the individual or the guardian to make decisions about consumption.
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Offline Sleepy

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #41 on: February 03, 2012, 01:15:46 am »
What is with people and bad analogies today? Do you need your fix that badly?

I'm rather curious. What is it with you being so condescending?
Guys, this is getting creepy. Can we talk about cannibalism instead?

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Offline Mira

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #42 on: February 03, 2012, 01:19:18 am »
What is with people and bad analogies today? Do you need your fix that badly?

I'm rather curious. What is it with you being so condescending?

It probably has to do with the very poorly applied analogies in this thread. Analogies can be useful tools, don't abuse them!
I’ve grown overfed, unconcerned and comfortably numb
Kept busy indulging in the pleasures of the wealthy
Oh, someone make me afraid of what I’ve become!

Offline Sylvana

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #43 on: February 03, 2012, 01:23:28 am »
Look I understand that America in particular has a severe obesity problem.
Regulating sugar wont change that. Changing the amount of sugar in a product wont magically change the amount of food people shovel into their mouths. If anything less sugar will encourage them to eat more.

People eat unhealthy food because firstly, it is cheap and convenient, and secondly it tastes nice. Regulating sugar will not change that. No matter what you do to these foods, they will always have too much sugar in them because that is the nature of the food in question. An example is things like french fries, they contain no additional sugar but you can get morbidly obese eating them. You can probably even give yourself diabetes because of the high carbohydrate levels.

We all need to eat more healthily, but healthy food will always loose out in the reasons why people buy and eat unhealthy food. Healthy food is more expensive and people on a tight budget cant afford it. Healthy food also takes more effort and time to prepare, while unhealthy foods are generally prepared quickly and easily. Lastly, people do not enjoy eating healthy food most of the time. There is a reason why people who go on diet don't enjoy eating that salad and yogurt for lunch. The burger and fries tastes better and is generally more filling.

To solve the problems we must address the habits and social aspects of people, not regulate the sugar.

Offline Sleepy

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Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #44 on: February 03, 2012, 01:24:47 am »
I'm rather curious. What is it with you being so condescending?

It probably has to do with the very poorly applied analogies in this thread. Analogies can be useful tools, don't abuse them!

It occurs in multiple threads though, and I find it dickish and unnecessary. A person can debate and refute points without acting that way.
Guys, this is getting creepy. Can we talk about cannibalism instead?

If a clown eats salmon on Tuesday, how much does a triangle weigh on Jupiter? Ask Mr. Wiggins for 10% off of your next dry cleaning bill. -Hades