cb25
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Post by cb25 on Jan 8, 2019 9:51:27 GMT
One solution to obesity for all us keyboard warriors on here is:
More seriously though, the NHS is paid for out of everyone's taxes. I don't see any problem with a tax on unhealthy foods such as sugary drinks or high calorie fast foods which provides a financial disincentive to consume with extra funding which could theoretically be ringfenced for healthcare for those that do consume them and are more likely to develop health problems in later life as a result. Currently our taxes on smoking and alchohol do just that.
Perhaps there should be a BMI tax
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Godanubis
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Anubis is known as the god of death and is the oldest and most popular of ancient Egyptian deities.
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Post by Godanubis on Jan 8, 2019 10:41:20 GMT
One solution to obesity for all us keyboard warriors on here is:
More seriously though, the NHS is paid for out of everyone's taxes. I don't see any problem with a tax on unhealthy foods such as sugary drinks or high calorie fast foods which provides a financial disincentive to consume with extra funding which could theoretically be ringfenced for healthcare for those that do consume them and are more likely to develop health problems in later life as a result. Currently our taxes on smoking and alchohol do just that.
Perhaps there should be a BMI tax I don’t drink don’t smoke and don’t have children. My taxes have supported child benefits etc. I am chunky (old dating profile description) . Obese people die earlier so don’t get state pension benefits proportionate to their contributions so all the skinny blighters benefit from all that dosh
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cb25
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Post by cb25 on Jan 8, 2019 10:51:19 GMT
Perhaps there should be a BMI tax Obese people die earlier so don’t get state pension benefits proportionate to their contributions so all the skinny blighters benefit from all that dosh As with smokers/drinkers, the question is whether they're a big net drain on the state. Smokers often claim they contribute more than they cost. No idea about drinkers or the obese.
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Godanubis
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Post by Godanubis on Jan 8, 2019 10:56:22 GMT
Obese people die earlier so don’t get state pension benefits proportionate to their contributions so all the skinny blighters benefit from all that dosh As with smokers/drinkers, the question is whether they're a big net drain on the state. Smokers often claim they contribute more than they cost. No idea about drinkers or the obese. The net amounts are for living people. The massive savings in future pension payments is never mentioned.
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dApps
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Post by dApps on Jan 8, 2019 10:58:36 GMT
Perhaps there should be a BMI tax I don’t drink don’t smoke and don’t have children. My taxes have supported child benefits etc. I am chunky (old dating profile description) . Obese people die earlier so don’t get state pension benefits proportionate to their contributions so all the skinny blighters benefit from all that dosh Acknowledge the smiley, but on a serious note, not before costing the state over £6.1BN a year via NHS costs (more than the amount spent on the police, the fire service and the judicial system combined, apparently).
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Godanubis
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Post by Godanubis on Jan 8, 2019 11:10:47 GMT
I don’t drink don’t smoke and don’t have children. My taxes have supported child benefits etc. I am chunky (old dating profile description) . Obese people die earlier so don’t get state pension benefits proportionate to their contributions so all the skinny blighters benefit from all that dosh Acknowledge the smiley, but on a serious note, not before costing the state over £6.1BN a year via NHS costs (more than the amount spent on the police, the fire service and the judicial system combined, apparently). I would doubt the Individuals that have saved £100000 in individual pension payments by dying early woul have used this amount of NHS funds not to mention there lifetime NI contributors Better recovery of funds payable by health tourism and fines for non attendance would go a long way to enhance NHS funds.
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Post by bracknellboy on Jan 8, 2019 11:33:30 GMT
I don’t drink don’t smoke and don’t have children. My taxes have supported child benefits etc. I am chunky (old dating profile description) . Obese people die earlier so don’t get state pension benefits proportionate to their contributions so all the skinny blighters benefit from all that dosh Acknowledge the smiley, but on a serious note, not before costing the state over £6.1BN a year via NHS costs (more than the amount spent on the police, the fire service and the judicial system combined, apparently). that number is way towards the top end of estimates of the cost to the NHS. What was your source for that number ? Action on Smoking puts the figure nearer to £2.bn. Govt figures put it at 2.6bn (this is 2015 numbers - costs will probably have risen but bear in mind number of smokers is decreasing - its a dying habit you know).
On the other hand, the direct tax benefit to the exchequer is very easy to quantify, and is around £12bn a year.
Also the "cost" burden to NHS and elsewhere, doesn't take into account the savings that the exchequer and NHS benefit from higher mortality. Although they may be a burden on the NHS earlier in life, they are less likely to end up in protracted care, and by definition will on average not be a burden on the NHS in later years.
None of the above is a reason to smoke; it may be a reason to encourage others to smoke if you are of a selfish disposition.
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dApps
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Post by dApps on Jan 8, 2019 11:35:56 GMT
Acknowledge the smiley, but on a serious note, not before costing the state over £6.1BN a year via NHS costs (more than the amount spent on the police, the fire service and the judicial system combined, apparently). that number is way towards the top end of estimates of the cost to the NHS. What was your source for that number ? Action on Smoking puts the figure nearer to £2.bn. Govt figures put it at 2.6bn (this is 2015 numbers - costs will probably have risen but bear in mind number of smokers is decreasing - its a dying habit you know).
On the other hand, the direct tax benefit to the exchequer is very easy to quantify, and is around £12bn a year.
Also the "cost" burden to NHS and elsewhere, doesn't take into account the savings that the exchequer and NHS benefit from higher mortality. Although they may be a burden on the NHS earlier in life, they are less likely to end up in protracted care, and by definition will on average not be a burden on the NHS in later years.
None of the above is a reason to smoke; it may be a reason to encourage others to smoke if you are of a selfish disposition.
See the 'apparently' link. PS: Figure relates to obesity not smoking.
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Post by bracknellboy on Jan 8, 2019 11:43:30 GMT
that number is way towards the top end of estimates of the cost to the NHS. What was your source for that number ? Action on Smoking puts the figure nearer to £2.bn. Govt figures put it at 2.6bn (this is 2015 numbers - costs will probably have risen but bear in mind number of smokers is decreasing - its a dying habit you know).
On the other hand, the direct tax benefit to the exchequer is very easy to quantify, and is around £12bn a year.
Also the "cost" burden to NHS and elsewhere, doesn't take into account the savings that the exchequer and NHS benefit from higher mortality. Although they may be a burden on the NHS earlier in life, they are less likely to end up in protracted care, and by definition will on average not be a burden on the NHS in later years.
None of the above is a reason to smoke; it may be a reason to encourage others to smoke if you are of a selfish disposition.
See the 'apparently' link. PS: Figure relates to obesity not smoking. My bad: the subject matter on this thread has been subject to various changes as it evolves.... :-)
I doubt the sugar tax on drinks is going to have quite the same compensatory effects as the tax on a packet of coffin nails.
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dApps
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Post by dApps on Jan 8, 2019 11:52:09 GMT
Acknowledge the smiley, but on a serious note, not before costing the state over £6.1BN a year via NHS costs (more than the amount spent on the police, the fire service and the judicial system combined, apparently). I would doubt the Individuals that have saved £100000 in individual pension payments by dying early woul have used this amount of NHS funds not to mention there lifetime NI contributors Better recovery of funds payable by health tourism and fines for non attendance would go a long way to enhance NHS funds. Don't disagree with either of those two latter points, but they're not the discussion subject. Would the offset from money saved on individuals' pension payments themselves need to be offset by the cost of obese individuals of non-pensionable age who cannot work and need to claim benefits? Seems to me the state will be better off if the number of obese people was lower and reducing. As such, I'd support the taxation of those who choose to excessively consume to point it creates a health issue. One option might be to tax the foods themselves, but that would be a shame, in my opinion, as it would also tax the health conscious who just enjoy an occasional treat. On the plus side, those who are obese from other, non-excessive food eating, related reasons aren't impacted.
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cb25
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Post by cb25 on Jan 8, 2019 12:18:22 GMT
Godanubis re "fines for non attendance would go a long way to enhance NHS funds." - I'd happily agree to pay for any appointment I missed (thereby wasting NHS time) if the NHS agreed to pay whenever it made me wait more than (say) 1/2 hour on a booked appointment (thereby wasting my time). Suspect I'd come out ahead.
Imo main problem with the NHS is that it's essentially a monopoly, which removes pressure on innovation and competition. I was listening to a TV slot yesterday about the newly announced10-year NHS plan. Comment made on how they'd increase target staffing levels (skipping over the huge number of current vacancies). That struck me as odd. Every other industry tends to try to work with fewer employees and higher productivity/employee. NHS has no need to do that, so just goes for more staff (at more cost).
(Yeah, this is off topic, but so what)
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Godanubis
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Post by Godanubis on Jan 9, 2019 0:14:35 GMT
Godanubis re "fines for non attendance would go a long way to enhance NHS funds." - I'd happily agree to pay for any appointment I missed (thereby wasting NHS time) if the NHS agreed to pay whenever it made me wait more than (say) 1/2 hour on a booked appointment (thereby wasting my time). Suspect I'd come out ahead.
Imo main problem with the NHS is that it's essentially a monopoly, which removes pressure on innovation and competition. I was listening to a TV slot yesterday about the newly announced10-year NHS plan. Comment made on how they'd increase target staffing levels (skipping over the huge number of current vacancies). That struck me as odd. Every other industry tends to try to work with fewer employees and higher productivity/employee. NHS has no need to do that, so just goes for more staff (at more cost).
(Yeah, this is off topic, but so what)
Having worked in NHS for over 40 years I am able to speak from personal experience. In the 70's the NHS was overstaffed and inefficient. Today it is understaffed (non-managerial) and inefficient.
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zlb
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Post by zlb on Jan 12, 2019 19:22:05 GMT
When will fitness trackers become mandatory in order to gain treatment, health insurance, pensions calculations? In order to prove it was the individual using the tracker (and they weren't waving it around, or getting their child to - which what I've seen done), will it need a DNA profile to match to the skin?
Who will get the operation 'free' on the NHS then? How much data and £ will the fitness tracking organisations give to the NHS? ...
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Godanubis
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Post by Godanubis on Jan 12, 2019 20:18:03 GMT
When will fitness trackers become mandatory in order to gain treatment, health insurance, pensions calculations? In order to prove it was the individual using the tracker (and they weren't waving it around, or getting their child to - which what I've seen done), will it need a DNA profile to match to the skin? Who will get the operation 'free' on the NHS then? How much data and £ will the fitness tracking organisations give to the NHS? ... Think the cat will be getting a nice new fitness tracker as a collar Before she goes on her daily wandering. Raises the question do you only go distance equivalent 2500 steps a day if you have 4 legs ?.
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zlb
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Post by zlb on Jan 12, 2019 22:24:11 GMT
When will fitness trackers become mandatory in order to gain treatment, health insurance, pensions calculations? In order to prove it was the individual using the tracker (and they weren't waving it around, or getting their child to - which what I've seen done), will it need a DNA profile to match to the skin? Who will get the operation 'free' on the NHS then? How much data and £ will the fitness tracking organisations give to the NHS? ... Think the cat will be getting a nice new fitness tracker as a collar Before she goes on her daily wandering. Raises the question do you only go distance equivalent 2500 steps a day if you have 4 legs ?. the cat's fitness tracker Will record the owner and the whole road eating cake, it won't really record the cat's steps. You do know that don't you?
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