Tax Junk Food/Regulate Contents?

[Mr Khan]

Kasz216 said:

Weedlab said:

Well, there are many negative consequences related to people's bad eating habits, and unfortunately they can be externalized. Contrary to what some of them may think, their actions do affect others when you look at things at the macro level. I believe that is part of the reason for this ban in the first place. However, I do not support coercing people to do the 'right thing'. From my experience it just doesn't work. People need to discover legitimate reasons on their accord.

I used to consume copious amounts of the stuff when I was in undergrad, and then I was hit with acid reflux. That was the start of other health issues. I traced everything back to my diet and through trial and error I learned what was best for me. Now I do not consume any form of junk food - nothing processed, no fizzy drinks, and I check the label on everything I eat. If I can't pronounce it then I don't bother with it. That's just one example. Most people I know respond to incentives like what I mentioned, but coercion usually brings about the opposite effect.

Me being lazy and wanting to do something I like, rather then something I'm good at effects people on a macro level too.  It hurts the economy because somebody worse then me got the job i could be doing better.

Me playing videogames hurt people on a macro level, because i could be working to make society better or doing charity work.

There are plany of indirect effects to everything.

Said indirect effects however are meaningless. 

But you playing videogames instead of doing something more meaningful is just an opportunity cost. It doesn't *cause* bad things to happen. It goes without saying that eating poorly stacks the odds against you in terms of the burden you will become on society (or something, depending on who is funding your healthcare) at some point in the future.

Really, though, we've crossed the rubicon for penalizing negative inaction with the Obamacare decision