Laws to keep people from becoming obese?

[JumpSh1p]

A friend of mine recently mentioned that we should have laws put in place or some kind of system to prevent people from becoming obese.

His reasoning is that obese people seldom work full time, if at all. Many of them end up on disability everyone else has to pay for. And if they have pets or children under their care, they can be neglected because of their poor health.

[Johnny1]

Interesting discussion.
Are we talking about what the UK is doing with things like sugar tax? If so, I don't really think it's very effective.
The best way to prevent obesity is to promote healthy living, make it more affordable to eat healthily, and good parenting.

[johnbelley]

The obese are not a protected class in the US as far as I know. Britain seems to have gone particularly soft on employment law these days so I have no clue what their story is.

[mason]

In America, I have never heard of anyone being discriminated against due to obesity. We do know there are many jobs an obese person can not do. Companies can fire and hire as they choose and even if you were fired for obesity, there is nothing anyone can do.

[johnbelley]

In America, I have never heard of anyone being discriminated against due to obesity. We do know there are many jobs an obese person can not do. Companies can fire and hire as they choose and even if you were fired for obesity, there is nothing anyone can do.

True An obese person does not have a good chance of getting the job if weight were the only difference in the two.

[jacob]

Yup there should be a law people keep eating and getting fired from their job

[alex]

I believe people can break this law and start over eating. I don't this it can really works

[longtrees]

There is also an economic aspect to this - cheaper food is less nutritious, generally speaking. People who live on a moderate income have little choice and prioritize their wallet above their own health, to a certain degree. To then create a law against obesity hardly seems to be the solution here.

Subsidies on more nutritious food could be one way forward. http://theconversation.com/subsidies...-obesity-74726

[Coleminer]

Bring the price of fruit, vegetables, and meat way down.
Allow only healthy meals in schools.
Perhaps ban the advertising of unhealthy foods?
Stop using corn syrup!

Just some ideas I'm throwing out there.

[H2OhNo]

Bring the price of fruit, vegetables, and meat way down.
Allow only healthy meals in schools.
Perhaps ban the advertising of unhealthy foods?
Stop using corn syrup!

Just some ideas I'm throwing out there.

THIS!

Plenty of people including myself would eat far healthier if the healthy foods were cheaper. Make the crap we shouldn't eat cost more. It makes more sense! And yes, corn syrup is in so many different things. It not only promotes obesity but is one of the main causes of diabetes!

[Ranger]

No, no laws will help obesity. People have choices and often make bad ones. Healthy food really isn't that expensive, I don't know why everyone thinks it is? I got 10 bananas today for $0.99c and a bunch of veg for cheap as well. Good meat can be found with big discounts all the time, potatoes are cheap, rice is cheap, what's the problem? People are lazy!