What’s your opinion on Seattle’s sugar tax?

[Herr Kutz]

You realize that healthcare cost the US 2.5 TRILLION of which obesity is one of the largest contributing factors. Yes, poor diet does have a cost.

I wonder what it will cost when we stop subsidizing the cost of medicine for the rest of the world, developed countries included.

 

[vi edit]

I wonder what it will cost when we stop subsidizing the cost of medicine for the rest of the world, developed countries included.

Prescription drug costs account for about 14% of our overall health care costs. Oddly enough, EU countries run around 20% of their total being drug related.

There is certainly some opportunity for reduction, but it's one of about 1000 different places to look for reducing costs.

 

[Sunburn74]

I don't have a problem with the tax. If anything there should be more sin taxes on things that have large hidden costs. Lung and liver transplants and hospitalization costs for ethanol and smoking, etc etc

 

[UglyCasanova]

I don't have a problem with the tax. If anything there should be more sin taxes on things that have large hidden costs. Lung and liver transplants and hospitalization costs for ethanol and smoking, etc etc

Right. Currently we are effectively subsidizing the food/beverage industry because there are lots of costs associated with their product that manifests itself later on via health problems/costs.

 

[bshole]

What those people are at walmart are morbidly obese. We as a nation need to come to terms that being chunky is obese. And obese increases health risks. The fact you thought she looked pretty normal is telling on where we are as a society. Near obese is becoming the norm.

As for a woman who is nearly obese being on the cover of a swimsuit edition? I think it does help normalize obese as beauty. That can cause issues down the road. Remember when everybody complained that the skinny model was a bad image for children? I think it can be argued an obese model is also a bad image for children.

In 1960, the average man weighed 160 lbs. That is now the average weight of an American woman (ten pounds more than my physically fit 5'11 son).

I am 6' and 193 lbs and so recognize that I am part of the problem. I believe my ideal weight would be around 175-180 lbs.

 

[UglyCasanova]

This is being normalized. Big is beautiful and healthy with curves, etc. I agree that’s just as bad as the overly skinny girls.

 

[bshole]

This is being normalized. Big is beautiful and healthy with curves, etc. I agree that’s just as bad as the overly skinny girls.

Big and beautiful is a lie and every man knows it. The penis knows what is sexually attractive (boners don't lie).

 

[crashtech]

Well, on the other end, not every man wants to be able to count a woman's ribs. I personally find the popular single digit body fat look to be a bigger turn-off than some extra padding, within reason.

 

[BoomerD]

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/sticker-shock-over-seattles-new-sugary-drink-tax/677490924

 

[ch33zw1z]

yeesh, a couple things here guys...

1. big and beautiful is a thing, and many dudes dont mind one bit...

2. height, weight, relative to frame, bmi, alone or even combined are not fullproof ways of determining health.

im, unfortunately, an example of this. im well within my bmi and weight range for my height. looking at me, no one assumes that my genetics are cursed with very high cholesterol. so blood work matters very much so.

the biggest help is regular exercise. yet, in our fast paced, rat race lifestyle...i admit im not always the best at keeping up with it.

so lets dispense with generalized assumptions. health status should be determined by a licensed physician, with as much information as possible.

neither of the women ive seen in this thread would present cause for alarm without more information to go on.

WRT OP, we know sugar causes health problems, and our foods are jammed packed with it.

 

[bshole]

Well, on the other end, not every man wants to be able to count a woman's ribs. I personally find the popular single digit body fat look to be a bigger turn-off than some extra padding, within reason.

Yea skeletal is just a big turn off. It is an evolution thing. The man's mind is evolved to be attracted most to young healthy women who stand the best chance of procreating. We have no choice in the matter. What turns us on is what turns us on.

From an evolutionary viewpoint, there is no reason for men not to be sexually attracted to obese women. They can bear children and care for them just fine. This one doesn't make much sense to me. Perhaps in our distant past, obese women did not exist so there was no selection process for/against it.

 

[mect]

This is being normalized. Big is beautiful and healthy with curves, etc. I agree that’s just as bad as the overly skinny girls.

How is this bad? Most women this size don't achieve a super toned look like men do regardless of how much they work out. If she is eating healthy and exercising, there is nothing unhealthy about her weight.

 

[woolfe9998]

Big and beautiful is a lie and every man knows it. The penis knows what is sexually attractive (boners don't lie).

Wait, what? Are you saying every man has the exact same preferences in their attractions to women?

 

[woolfe9998]

Yea skeletal is just a big turn off. It is an evolution thing. The man's mind is evolved to be attracted most to young healthy women who stand the best chance of procreating. We have no choice in the matter. What turns us on is what turns us on.

From an evolutionary viewpoint, there is no reason for men not to be sexually attracted to obese women. They can bear children and care for them just fine. This one doesn't make much sense to me. Perhaps in our distant past, obese women did not exist so there was no selection process for/against it.

Preferences vary to much to be 100% down to biology, though I agree biology is a significant factor.

Obesity of women from an evolutionary standpoint is not important, because while obesity causes premature death, it rarely occurs before the female is past reproductive age. In evolution, survival of the female past say age 50 doesn't really matter.

 

[Sunburn74]

I wonder what it will cost when we stop subsidizing the cost of medicine for the rest of the world, developed countries included.

In your opinion how exactly are we subsidizing the healthcare costs of the rest of the world? Can you explain?

This is being normalized. Big is beautiful and healthy with curves, etc. I agree that’s just as bad as the overly skinny girls.

Is she attractive? Sure
Is she healthy? It's not clear. Her bmi is certainly up but there are a lot of variables in health besides BMI. It's like smoking. Some people smoke and never get disease and some people smoke just a bit and get bad disease. What you can say for sure is that because of her excess fat, she is at higher risk for a lot of health problems and it's not natural for people to have that much fat ( ie just 60 years ago she would have been an extreme outlier in society and certainly even just 100 years ago). Only some of that higher risk can be effectively countered with say exercise that maintains fitness but doesn't necessarily cause the weight to come off. Breast cancer for example is associated with excess fat and that risk won't go away just because she maintains cardiovascular fitness. Another way to look at it is the health results of NFL players who carry excess weight for years and are extremely physically fit (ie can run, sprint, lift weights, etc). NFL lineman have very high rates of early death in their 50s and 60s generally from heart disease actually.

On that note BMI isn't everything when it comes to judging obesity. There is a more recent concept of visceral fat which refers to fat lining organs as opposed fat in the skin and whilst most people who have externally visible fat also have a good amount of visceral fat a lot of skinny people are very unhealthy and have high amounts of harmful visceral fat despite appearing slender.

 

[UglyCasanova]

How is this bad? Most women this size don't achieve a super toned look like men do regardless of how much they work out. If she is eating healthy and exercising, there is nothing unhealthy about her weight.

That's a big girl. And normalizing that size is just as bad as normalizing an anorexic look. Unless they are 7 ft they shouldn't be 200+ lbs.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

That's a big girl. And normalizing that size is just as bad as normalizing an anorexic look. Unless they are 7 ft they shouldn't be 200+ lbs.

Again, I find it hard to get particularly worked up about his. Everyone is obsessed with loosing weight, I don't foresee a bunch of women putting on weight deliberately to look like her. Until we're at that point I'm not going to worry about it.

Personally I can't believe she's 200 lb, i.e. 40lb more than me.. Her belly is as flat as mine, and she has "shape". Maybe her legs are huge or something, I can't tell. Or maybe it's all photoshopped. If every morbidly obese person in the country got to her BMI/shape that would probably be an improvement!

Medically it's also worse to be underweight than equally overweight, so it's not "as bad".

 

[UglyCasanova]

Not about putting on weight deliberately, but about being comfortable with the idea of being overweight so you say screw it I'm big and beautiful so I'm not going to exercise or eat right. She's definitely a fatty though.

 

[bshole]

That's a big girl. And normalizing that size is just as bad as normalizing an anorexic look. Unless they are 7 ft they shouldn't be 200+ lbs.

Dunno, I think she looks good. And I when I say good, I actually mean WAY the fuck out of my league. I wonder what her evaluation of me would be....

 

[crashtech]

She's got some big ol' thighs on her, that's for sure. I think once upon a time her shape and size would be considered close to optimal for fertility.

 

[woolfe9998]

Not about putting on weight deliberately, but about being comfortable with the idea of being overweight so you say screw it I'm big and beautiful so I'm not going to exercise or eat right. She's definitely a fatty though.

FWIW I think she's hot. I see no reason the models can't vary along a weight range of say +/- 25 lbs from whatever the theoretically ideal healthy weight is. Being overweight isn't optimal for health, but it also doesn't mean "ugly." Also, everyone already knows that being overweight is unhealthy. Just like we all already know that smoking is unhealthy, which is why I tend to doubt that seeing a popular celebrity smoke is going to convince us it's healthy to do so.

 

[UglyCasanova]

Dunno, I think she looks good. And I when I say good, I actually mean WAY the fuck out of my league. I wonder what her evaluation of me would be....

I think most guys discount themselves way too much, there's no way that girl is out of all but the ugliest of guys leagues.

 

[bshole]

I think most guys discount themselves way too much, there's no way that girl is out of all but the ugliest of guys leagues.

Wait a second there. She is out my current league..... you know the pathetic middle aged, balding, out of shape cubicle loser league. No way is she out of my previous league.... young fit dashing college womanizer league.... she was in definitely in that league.

 

[woolfe9998]

I think most guys discount themselves way too much, there's no way that girl is out of all but the ugliest of guys leagues.

That's only because you don't think she's that attractive. Yet obviously lots of other people do or she wouldn't be a wealthy and famous supermodel. I feel the same way about some supermodels, the scrawny ones like Kate Moss, but I know guys that think that type are super hot.

The only way that woman is not out of the league of most men is if she's the type who doesn't care much about looks, which is actually true for a lot of women. For them, it's OK to be a little ugly so long as you're a Casanova.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Well, on the other end, not every man wants to be able to count a woman's ribs. I personally find the popular single digit body fat look to be a bigger turn-off than some extra padding, within reason.

I've had a few friends who love a woman with some meat on her bones. Different strokes for different folks.