Smoking vs Obesity

[mjn]

Let me start by saying, i'm neither a smoker, nor an overweight person.

However, i'm a little confused by it all.

The anti-smoking brigade harp on constantly that smoking related illnesses cost the NHS around £1.2billion every year, and that the £1.2 billion spent on smokers could be put to better use on more worthwhile causes. They usually forget to mention that smoking raises around £9 billion per year in taxes, and that £9 billion comes from a small part of the population (assuming 1 in 5 people smoke).

Now obesity is estimated to cost the NHS £9 billion per year in treatment, but there is no fat tax to help pay for this. With an estimated 75% of the population either overweight or obese, surely this is a bigger problem than 20% of the population who are smokers?

Is this because smokers are easy targets? Nobody likes to tell a fat person, "you're fat, lose some weight"? Taxing cigarettes is easy, as it only hits smokers in the pocket? Fat tax would be impossible to administrate?

Or have a missed something?

Oh, and can we keep the smoking ban out of it, thanks

[Ultima]

What about the 17.5% vat on chocolates and sweets.

[klr10]

I think there is a closer link between the two. Every person I know who has stopped smoking has put on weight (including myself). Luckily for me I caught it before it got out of hand, but if all those who gave up experienced the same effects well that would partially explain the rise in obesity...

[FunkyMunkey]

It's not just that smokers are easy targets, it's that obesity has a certain "freak factor" about it, so it's much easier to say "look at the fatty" and laugh off the problem.

Also, obesity is only a fairly recent problem; whereas the stigma about smoking, and the appreciation of its effects, have had far longer to build up.

The government should take a COPD patient and a morbidly (25 stone+) obese person into every school in this country so that kids can see the effects these habits can have on their bodies.

[danmc_82]

Originally Posted by klr10

I think there is a closer link between the two. Every person I know who has stopped smoking has put on weight (including myself). Luckily for me I caught it before it got out of hand, but if all those who gave up experienced the same effects well that would partially explain the rise in obesity...

Are people who quit smoking gaining wait because eating is comforting to them?

Tax the fat?

Why not scap the NHS.

I'm sick of paying for all the pesky diseases that I don't have.

Think off all kids with leukemia wasting away tax pounds when it could be spent on your needs.

[Sonic67]

Smoking isn't banned just smoking by other people as it's bad for them. If I'm sat in a room full of other people eating I don't get obese as a result do I?

[Jenn]

Because there is more to being fat than just stuffing your face (although many easily forget about that or simply don't believe it)?

Whether you like it or not genetics are involved to some degree, there are hormonal problems, illnesses, some people put weight on through stress, some have eating disorders, some work so much that they have no energy left to cook a healthy diner and end up on fattening ready meals or take aways (let alone have time to exercise), some have been fat from a young age and struggle with weight in general (in which case you can't blame them) and yes some are simply greedy.

How do you deferenciate between all them? You can't tax fatty food because that would punish the "healthy" people who enjoy the rare take away.

With cigarette it's more clear cut, either you smoke or not - saying that I don't see why they shouldn't get the exact same treatment on the NHS as the rest of us, regardless of how much it costs.
You don't see people who practise sport being moaned at for costing the NHS through their sport injuries? Wear on the joints, fractures, muscles injuries and all that?

We all pay for the NHS so we should all get treated the same or if we start moaning about cost we may as well scrap the NHS because nobody leads a perfect life where they don't do anything that could affect their health.

[Toasty]

This is a tough one, however, I don't have any stats to back this up but I suspect the number of smokers have reduced quite a bit over recent years, therefore reducing the stress on the NHS and ultimately this is a good thing, why reverse that trend?

Obesity appears to be a newer issue, probably brought on by the growth of the fast food industry and mass media advertising. A bit of a generalised statement I know, but those ads for burgers look more tasty than those carrot ads, oh, there's no carrot ads

Joking aside, the obesity problem has to be tackled just as the smoking problem was, it's just it's still in the early phases of finding solutions..

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Mickey G

Why not scap the NHS.

I'm sick of paying for all the pesky diseases that I don't have.

Think off all kids with leukemia wasting away tax pounds when it could be spent on your needs.

My daughter is currently in hospital with leukemia and has been given a 40% chance of surviving for four years but I've never been particularly worried about the opinions of scrotes like yourself anyway.

[indianwells]

Originally Posted by Ian J

My daughter is currently in hospital with leukemia and has been given a 40% chance of surviving for four years but I've never been particularly worried about the opinions of scrotes like yourself anyway.

I think his comment was tongue in cheek Ian, at least I hope it was..

[Ultima]

Originally Posted by Ian J

My daughter is currently in hospital with leukemia and has been given a 40% chance of surviving for four years but I've never been particularly worried about the opinions of scrotes like yourself anyway.

Sorry to hear that Ian, truly sorry.

Martin

[deanym]

Originally Posted by Ian J

My daughter is currently in hospital with leukemia and has been given a 40% chance of surviving for four years but I've never been particularly worried about the opinions of scrotes like yourself anyway.

Sorry to hear that news. I hope she's as comfortable as possible.

I think Mickey G was being sarcastic.

[FunkyMunkey]

Originally Posted by Jenn

You don't see people who practise sport being moaned at for costing the NHS through their sport injuries? Wear on the joints, fractures, muscles injuries and all that?

That's not actually true. Many doctors take a dim view on what they term "self-inflicted injuries". I know a physio who works for a local rugby team, and if one of her players injures himself playing rugby, she tells him to change out of his kit before going to hospital!

Originally Posted by Ian J

My daughter is currently in hospital with leukemia and has been given a 40% chance of surviving for four years but I've never been particularly worried about the opinions of scrotes like yourself anyway.

apologies. I thought it was obvious that I was making point that we shouldn't discriminate on peoples health care

You are discriminating against me because of my physical condition. Why should you expect me to pay for your heath care if you are not prepared to pay for my health care.




Sinsarly I am sorry to hear about your daughters condition.