The world's bulging waistline

[ExPatty 502]

After fast food, Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman is taking aim at junk food especially salty and sweet snacks. Those staples may have been part of the lives of many Israelis, but they have not done much to promote the health of Israelis.

Quite the opposite, according to new figures from the Health Ministry. According to statistics supplied by the Central Bureau of Statistics and analyzed by the Ministry, 44 percent of Israelis nearly one out of two are overweight or obese, and the same is true of 21 percent of first graders. By seventh grade, 30 percent of kids are overweight.

Minister Rabbi Litzman along with many health professionals believes that junk food is largely responsible for this situation, and he is considering numerous legislative initiatives to curb consumption of junk food. Among those initiatives are labeling cigarette pack-style the packages of snack food to emphasize their calorie and fat level, along with a health score, to be determined by professionals, which will rank food products on a scale between 1 and 10 (or 1 and 100) on its desirability. The healthier a food taking into account its nutrient level, calorie, fat, sugar, salt, etc. the higher a score it will get.

75]Like the labels on packages of cigarettes that make it clear to buyers that they could die from smoking, the idea of the labels is to make it clear to consumers that if they continue to eat junk food, they will get fat, said Professor Itamar Groto, head of public health at the Health Ministry. Today the nutrition and ingredient labels do not provide an adequate indication of the desirability of a product, he said. We propose a clear, user-friendly labeling procedure to ensure that consumers can easily understand the nature of the product they are bringing home.

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75]http://hamodia.com/2016/04/18/health-ministry-grade-snack-foods/

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75]What do you think? Is this just more big government now telling companies to put a big number on the front of their bag so people know how bad the product is, or is it a good idea that could help those who don't feel like going through the list of ingredients and understand what they mean know if they should buy the product or not?

Health score is good on food but the main problem is people just don't care. Everyone knows a Big Mac meal is less healthy than nuts and a light salad but the Big Mac meal is awesome.

The only way this will be fixed is by heavy handed government imo, e.g. Taxing junk food in a similar way to how cigarettes are. The fact I can buy a 2L of coke for $.99 means if I don't care abouty health I will buy it. If the thing cost $6 it would be more of a treat. Taxing smoking has had a massive and huge impact on reducing its consumption.

Many progs are all about taxing guns but don't want to reshape food consumption with taxes even though food related illnesses kill 10x+ more than guns.

[OriZ 3,157]

Health score is good on food but the main problem is people just don't care. Everyone knows a Big Mac meal is less healthy than nuts and a light salad but the Big Mac meal is awesome.

The only way this will be fixed is by heavy handed government imo, e.g. Taxing junk food in a similar way to how cigarettes are. The fact I can buy a 2L of coke for $.99 means if I don't care abouty health I will buy it. If the thing cost $6 it would be more of a treat. Taxing smoking has had a massive and huge impact on reducing its consumption.

Many progs are all about taxing guns but don't want to reshape food consumption with taxes even though food related illnesses kill 10x+ more than guns.

Big Mac meal is really not awesome

I think some people don't care, but for some, if it stared at them in the face - they might buy less of it. Easier to buy it when you know the ingredients might be bad, but you're not sure exactly how bad. Is it a 1? A 3? maybe a 5? But if you have a big ole number telling you "Hey there, I'm complete junk!" you might still buy it, but not as often. I don't know. Taxing cigarettes the way they are you still have way too many smokers out there. Smokers don't care - they are addicts exactly like drug addicts or alcoholics - all the same traits, tell them something bad about their habit, they'll want to listen to none of it. I think for some people it's the same with junk food and snacks.

Maybe instead of(or in addition to) heavier taxes on a bottle of coke for instance, they can see what they can do to reduce the price of 100% juice from $3-4(at least that's what it is here for 2l bottles) to say, $2? Then more people might buy them. When my wife and I are at the store it is so difficult and takes so much extra time to make sure you are buying the 100% juice ones and not the "100% vitamin c" or all the other stuff they put on it to confuse people and all they end up with is our old friend corn syrup. Maybe they can even subsidize it with the extra taxation from the coke? I don't know, I'm not for raising taxes in general so just throwing ideas out there lol

Edited April 20, 2016 by OriZ

[ExPatty 502]

Big Mac meal is the best thing ever!

Actually taxing a bag of chips and using that money to subsidize the cost of broccoli is a darn good idea. The gov already injuriously shapes consumption of food with far subsidies, e.g. To corn producers, why not alter that?

Whatever the gov has tried so far is woefully worthless. People keep getting fatter and it is a massive health crisis costing tons of money. People are widely incapable of eating properly.

[TBoneTX 46,416]

People are widely incapable of eating properly.

A man bursts into a doctor's office. He has a carrot in his left ear, a cucumber in his right ear, and a banana up his nose.

"What's the matter with me, Doc?" he cries.

"You're not eating properly," says the doctor.

[Umka36 781]

I say screw the whole eating healthy diet, I rather take the moderation path. Tried eating healthy before, and it got boring fast.

[OriZ 3,157]

Big Mac meal is the best thing ever!

Actually taxing a bag of chips and using that money to subsidize the cost of broccoli is a darn good idea. The gov already injuriously shapes consumption of food with far subsidies, e.g. To corn producers, why not alter that?

Whatever the gov has tried so far is woefully worthless. People keep getting fatter and it is a massive health crisis costing tons of money. People are widely incapable of eating properly.

If I have a fast food burger it is usually a whopper or or a butterburger from culver's(unfortunately we don't have them here in vt...but back in WI)...five guys also OK...big macs and my stomach or tongue for that matter do not agree...however while I try to eat healthy I'd be the last to say treats are completely banned in our house because they are not...everyone needs some sugar sometimes as long as it's in moderation...and damn who can do without pecan kringle? we have gone 5 times to trader joe's in the past month just for those(back in WI we will actually go to the O&H bakery, but luckily trader carries their stuff here). Could taxing the "bad stuff" more and subsidizing the healthy food work? Absolutely, but it could also be a slippery slope. Although personally I wouldn't mind if they taxed cancer sticks into oblivion...like...$100 a pack?

I say screw the whole eating healthy diet, I rather take the moderation path. Tried eating healthy before, and it got boring fast.

I wouldn't say we eat completely healthy. I love fried foods, snacks and treats as much as the next person. I try to do it in moderation though. And we only do organic milk, eggs, and certain other things but not all the food we eat is organic. Certain veggies sometimes depending on availability(like in the summer whne we have farmers markets here). And we do the occasional soda but usually 100% fruit juices or purified(zero) water.

Bottom line I believe is eat what you want just do it in moderation. Don't sit and snack on bad stuff all day...

[ExPatty 502]

I would support $100/pack of smokes. Just raise the tax by a dollar every month until we are at $100/pack, completely eradicate it from modern life.

[Teddy B 17,252]

I would support $100/pack of smokes. Just raise the tax by a dollar every month until we are at $100/pack, completely eradicate it from modern life.

As an ex-smoker of almost 30 years, I agree. Those friggin cancer sticks are the worst.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

I eat what I want. I just eat less of it and budget my calories.

[OriZ 3,157]

As an ex-smoker of almost 30 years, I agree. Those friggin cancer sticks are the worst.

I have heard that it is even more difficult for ex-smokers to deal with the smoke/smell than it is for non-smokers.

[Teddy B 17,252]

I have heard that it is even more difficult for ex-smokers to deal with the smoke/smell than it is for non-smokers.

I agree with that. The smell drives me nuts now.

[OriZ 3,157]

I agree with that. The smell drives me nuts now.

Probably a good thing though. Shows them what non-smokers need to deal with all along while they were still oblivious.

[JayJayH 546]

I would support $100/pack of smokes. Just raise the tax by a dollar every month until we are at $100/pack, completely eradicate it from modern life.

If we had a single-payer healthcare system like the NHS, I would be in line with that, plus a progressive sales tax on added sugar.

But without a public option, I can't really think of a legitimate way that a state or federal government can justify charging $95 in taxes for a pack of Camels. Perhaps if it was used to pay for independent cancer research and stop-smoking help for smokers. Even that's pushing it in my view.

Edited April 21, 2016 by JayJayH

[OriZ 3,157]

If we had a single-payer healthcare system like the NHS, I would be in line with that, plus a progressive sales tax on added sugar.

But without a public option, I can't really think of a legitimate way that a state or federal government can justify charging $95 in taxes for a pack of Camels. Perhaps if it was used to pay for independent cancer research and stop-smoking help for smokers. Even that's pushing it in my view.

To pay for to subsidize healthier more expensive habits/foods?

Edited April 21, 2016 by OriZ