Author Topic: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?  (Read 39897 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline Eniliad

  • Sword And Shield Of The Innocent
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 1265
  • Gender: Male
  • Perpetually horny cock-slave
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #45 on: February 03, 2012, 01:29:36 am »
What? This is stupid.
<Miles> "If dildoes are outlawed then only outlaws will have dildoes."
Quote from: Mlle Antéchrist
Yeah, gays cause hurricanes, tits cause earthquakes, and lack of prayer causes tornadoes. Learn to science, people.
Quote from: Mlle Antéchrist
Porn peddlers peddling pedal porn? My life is complete.

Offline RavynousHunter

  • Master Thief
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 8108
  • Gender: Male
  • A man of no consequence.
    • My Twitter
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #46 on: February 03, 2012, 01:32:03 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'll admit, my analogy was poor...but that does not give a person the right to be a condescending ass.

To the point at hand, some regulation might be good, but we could also put money into better education.  Remember, the same people who would be passing said regulation are the same incompetent schmoes that can't even decide on school lunches.  Would I trust them to do the regulation, and do it right?  Probably not.

That, and who's to say where the tax revenue would go?  It could very well go into said schmoes' pockets...or into shit that doesn't matter.  It could work, I just don't trust them to do it right.
Quote from: Bra'tac
Life for the sake of life means nothing.

Offline Vene

  • AKA Vene-Eye the Science Guy
  • Pope
  • ****
  • Posts: 324
  • Patronizing Know-It-All Snotnose
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #47 on: February 03, 2012, 01:35:58 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.
Do you know what is more dickish? When people ignore arguments made and go off wargarbling over imaginary bogeymen. If people are going to insist on being childish, I'm gonna berate them for being foolish. This site was founded upon mocking the illogical, after all. If you bring up cognizant points, I'll treat you respectfully. If you make stupid comparisons between a tax and prohibition, I see no reason to act as if your concern has merit.

Edit: Actually, RH's post above this still shows he doesn't understand the issue. I'd love to know how he concludes that professors at a university (the people proposing the regulation) would be paid as a result of a sugar tax. With ideas like this I can't say I'm convinced he understand how the political system functions.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 01:38:18 am by Vene »

Offline Askold

  • Definitely not hiding a dark secret.
  • Global Moderator
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 8358
  • Gender: Male
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #48 on: February 03, 2012, 01:39:16 am »
You have to admit that those analogies were horribly inaccurate. One might even think that you were making straw arguments by comparing it with prohibition instead of regulation.

And Lithp saying drugs instead of alcohol when he could have just checked the title of the thread is hilarious.  ;D

Anyway, I don't think that sugar is as bad as alcohol and cigarettes but it is everywhere so maybe some regulation would be a good idea.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline Mira

  • Literally Worse Than Hitler
  • Pope
  • ****
  • Posts: 293
  • Cisphobic reverse racist
    • Houserule Gaming
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #49 on: February 03, 2012, 01:42:55 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.

I think that when an epidemic occurs in our society and is continuing to get worse, we as a society have an obligation to intervene and attempt to make changes to better ourselves. If we ignore the obesity issue, it is going to get worse and it is going to bite us. I'm not saying that you are suggesting that we ignore the problem, but I think that something needs to be done and that regulation is one method to accomplish this.
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!

Napoleon the Clown

  • Guest
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #50 on: February 03, 2012, 02:01:07 am »
A good start would be stabbing corn subsidies in the kidneys. Repeatedly. Subsidizing healthy foods could be beneficial, too.

Offline MaybeNever

  • Got His Red Wings
  • Pope
  • ****
  • Posts: 332
  • Gender: Male
  • Possessed of a proclivity for prolixity
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #51 on: February 03, 2012, 02:09:50 am »
I am suggesting that the strong must protect the sweet:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zOuxdRMJME" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zOuxdRMJME</a>
"Great Britain's two most senior military officers added to the uneasiness. [...] Lord Wolseley, Adjutant General, thought that it might be possible for an enemy to invade without waiters and pastrycooks."
-Robert K. Massie, Dreadnought

Offline Witchyjoshy

  • SHITLORD THUNDERBASTARD!!
  • Kakarot
  • ******
  • Posts: 9044
  • Gender: Male
  • Thinks he's a bard
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #52 on: February 03, 2012, 02:17:10 am »
Do you know what is more dickish? When people ignore arguments made and go off wargarbling over imaginary bogeymen.

Incorrect.  Being a condescending dickhead is still more dickish.
Mockery of ideas you don't comprehend or understand is the surest mark of unintelligence.

Even the worst union is better than the best Walmart.

Caladur's Active Character Sheet

Offline Mira

  • Literally Worse Than Hitler
  • Pope
  • ****
  • Posts: 293
  • Cisphobic reverse racist
    • Houserule Gaming
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #53 on: February 03, 2012, 02:20:15 am »
A good start would be stabbing corn subsidies in the kidneys. Repeatedly. Subsidizing healthy foods could be beneficial, too.

Yes, this is probably a pretty important step.

I am suggesting that the strong must protect the sweet:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zOuxdRMJME" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zOuxdRMJME</a>

Well, can't argue with that.
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 StallChaser

  • Pope
  • ****
  • Posts: 476
  • (Haseen on the old board)
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #54 on: February 03, 2012, 05:07:16 am »
A good start would be stabbing corn subsidies in the kidneys. Repeatedly. Subsidizing healthy foods could be beneficial, too.

THIS x1000.  I'd also support labeling requirements (large print on the front) as to the amount of sugar per serving, but not an age restriction.  How would that even be enforced?.

Offline TheL

  • The Cock Teasing Teacher
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 2220
  • Gender: Female
  • Fly like cheese sticks.
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #55 on: February 03, 2012, 06:46:54 am »
I would agree if they were placing limits on the use of corn syrup (especially HFCS), since that stuff's been connected to all sorts of health issues and is in damn near everything processed these days.  (Inexpensive brands of bread often have HFCS as one of the first few ingredients.  Why does bread need to be that damn sweet?  Ugh.)

But sugar?  Seriously?  Are we just supposed to go back to Ye Goode Olde Days when the big-name sweetener was honey?  Oh, no, wait, regulating sugar is just going to result in a HFCS surge.  As if we needed that.

Like Nap said, get rid of corn subsidies.  They have succeeded far beyond their original intent and even beyond the bounds of sanity.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 06:48:31 am by TheL »
"Half the reason that I like foreign music is because I can kid myself that "Shake dat ass" is more poetic in Hindi."
--Sanda

Move every 'sig.'  For great justice!

Offline Smurfette Principle

  • Will Blind You With Library Science!
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 1639
  • Gender: Female
  • Pedicabo ego vos et irrumabo.
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #56 on: February 03, 2012, 08:10:35 am »
Another voice to end corn subsidies. It's high-fructose corn syrup that's the problem, not sugar in general. (And HFCS is, as I said, in everything, so taxing it at a consumer level would just drive up the prices of all foods)

Offline Vene

  • AKA Vene-Eye the Science Guy
  • Pope
  • ****
  • Posts: 324
  • Patronizing Know-It-All Snotnose
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #57 on: February 03, 2012, 09:07:51 am »
Do you know what is more dickish? When people ignore arguments made and go off wargarbling over imaginary bogeymen.

Incorrect.  Being a condescending dickhead is still more dickish.
You know what? Being condescending is what got people here to say that their analogies were bad. I don't really care about your feelings, I care about what is and what isn't.

But sugar?  Seriously?  Are we just supposed to go back to Ye Goode Olde Days when the big-name sweetener was honey?  Oh, no, wait, regulating sugar is just going to result in a HFCS surge.  As if we needed that.
HFCS is sugar.

Another voice to end corn subsidies. It's high-fructose corn syrup that's the problem, not sugar in general. (And HFCS is, as I said, in everything, so taxing it at a consumer level would just drive up the prices of all foods)
Wrong, biochemically sucrose (table sugar) is a dimer composed of one fructose and one glucose which is immediately broke into its constituents. HFCS is mixture comprised of a ~1:1 ratio of fructose and glucose. Nutritionally, they're the same and led to the same problems.

Offline m52nickerson

  • Polish Viking
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 1386
  • Gender: Male
  • Winning by flying omoplata!
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #58 on: February 03, 2012, 09:46:43 am »
We can put all the taxes and regulations we want on sugar but it will not help the obesity problem.  You can put large labels, pictures of fatty hearts, the likelihood of dying of a stroke or what ever else you like on a package, people are still buying that pint of ice cream. 

The problem is not how much sugar is in food but how much of that food people eat and how much they lack any type of physical activity.
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. ~Macbeth

Offline Sigmaleph

  • Ungodlike
  • Administrator
  • The Beast
  • *****
  • Posts: 3615
    • sigmaleph on tumblr
Re: Regulate sugar like alcohol and cigarettes?
« Reply #59 on: February 03, 2012, 09:56:31 am »
I have no idea what the original researchers actually proposed because it directly attributes very little to them.
This seems to me like directly attributing proposals to the original researchers:
Quote
So, what’s a country to do? The authors propose taxing processed foods containing any kind of added sugars, including drinks and cereal. In addition, they suggest tightening licensing requirements on vending machines and snack bars selling sugary drinks in schools and at work, instituting zoning ordinances to restrict the number of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores in low-income neighborhoods and near schools, and even instituting an age limit for purchasing sugary drinks such as soda.

As an aside, the age limit sounds like an ineffective idea. Parents in general are not likely to take sugar as a dangerous threat, they won't stop buying soda for their children.

Taxing/regulating amounts of added sugar, though... I dunno. It might work. Especially if, as Vene said, the tax revenue is used to subsidise healthier food.
Σא