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"Get a discount from the federal government for being healthy. Fat people should pay more taxes because they cost society more. This means some approved weigh i

"Get a discount from the federal government for being healthy. Fat people should pay more taxes because they cost society more. This means some approved weigh in and testing centers" This argument seems to be pretty common among the glitterati from Wall Street. I wonder why they don't see the incredible irony.

ue_ 12y ago
Not that I agree with the quote but, can you explain the irony?
- jboynyc 12y ago
  Wall Street's irresponsible behavior -- several orders of magnitude more irresponsible than making the wrong dietary choices -- cost the American public quite dearly around 2008, remember?
- crdoconnor 12y ago
  Bailouts and ZIRP facilitating and propping up the great American casino which he was a part of cost trillions of dollars. That isn't even counting the many Americans who have been scammed via their mortgages or 401Ks. I'm not sure what fat people cost the taxpayer. Given that they typically pay their own medical expenses, I would guess not a lot. Also, clearly their sad state of affairs is due to the quirky American agricultural and food processing industries. France doesn't have this problem with obesity and neither did the US in 1970. I don't see him crying out for a special tax on Monsanto. Maybe because his portfolio would take a hit. Either way, this facebook post is pretty representative of the inhuman views that American neo-royalty holds.
- myg204 12y ago
  Maybe because wall street was deemed "too big to fail" and propped up with billions upon billions when it collapsed?
anw 12y ago
I agree. This is also a bit of a slippery slope. My 2 previous jobs offered health coverage that included gym membership discounts. This is a proper motivator [for me]. If I want to maintain and improve my health, I'm offered the benefit of doing so with perks. But what advantage does it give to those who have something such as a heart condition that won't allow them to participate in the same exercises? In this case, diet could be the helping factor. Then do these people get a refund on part of their grocery bill? The problem is trying to create cookie cutter solutions to people that are diverse and have complex issues.
cm2012 12y ago
Is there evidence that fat people cost society money? They die earlier, and quicker, avoiding extremely costly end of life dementia care.

ue_ 12y ago

Not that I agree with the quote but, can you explain the irony?

jboynyc 12y ago
Wall Street's irresponsible behavior -- several orders of magnitude more irresponsible than making the wrong dietary choices -- cost the American public quite dearly around 2008, remember?
crdoconnor 12y ago
Bailouts and ZIRP facilitating and propping up the great American casino which he was a part of cost trillions of dollars. That isn't even counting the many Americans who have been scammed via their mortgages or 401Ks. I'm not sure what fat people cost the taxpayer. Given that they typically pay their own medical expenses, I would guess not a lot. Also, clearly their sad state of affairs is due to the quirky American agricultural and food processing industries. France doesn't have this problem with obesity and neither did the US in 1970. I don't see him crying out for a special tax on Monsanto. Maybe because his portfolio would take a hit. Either way, this facebook post is pretty representative of the inhuman views that American neo-royalty holds.
myg204 12y ago
Maybe because wall street was deemed "too big to fail" and propped up with billions upon billions when it collapsed?

anw 12y ago

I agree. This is also a bit of a slippery slope. My 2 previous jobs offered health coverage that included gym membership discounts. This is a proper motivator [for me]. If I want to maintain and improve my health, I'm offered the benefit of doing so with perks. But what advantage does it give to those who have something such as a heart condition that won't allow them to participate in the same exercises? In this case, diet could be the helping factor. Then do these people get a refund on part of their grocery bill? The problem is trying to create cookie cutter solutions to people that are diverse and have complex issues.

cm2012 12y ago

Is there evidence that fat people cost society money? They die earlier, and quicker, avoiding extremely costly end of life dementia care.