I hate all this sugar tax

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Oh, some of us are pissed about the whole high fructose corn syrup thing, and I am one of them. But most Americans also think as I do, that the government should not be legislating what you have the right to eat. We already have to much of that, like the trans fat ban. If you want crisp pie crust and doughnuts that are still fresh at 4pm, you need trans fats. Fact is, most Americans would buy products that contain them over those that don't if given the choice, even knowing the science of why they are bad. And I do believe they should have that choice.

And as for American law and etc, our nation has always believed that the people should have the right to do what they want, as long as they are not violating the freedoms, rights, etc of others. OK you would probably bring up slavery or the destruction of the Native Americans as a rejoinder to that, and yeah those were fkked up and our country is hypocritical and all the rest of it. But most still believe that you should have the right to live as you will, as long as you are not engaged in violence, theft, or fraud. And I am certainly one of them...but I do agree with much of what you say on the whole sugar/public health thing. I just don't think the government should force the issue.

Perhaps its that I don't live in a quasi Socialist nation and you do that causes this difference of opinion on the appropriate role of government.

I see it more like speed limits on highways. They're there because people, in general, won't self police themselves and behave safely. Same same goes for their dietary choices, and their choices impact more than just themselves, so, if it takes government intervention to put limits on unhealthy food consumption with things like sin taxes intended to make people make healthier choices, then so be it. Put that food limit sign up & then "fine," (tax) people for going over it.

And I must agree to disagree with what you say, even though I think you are right on much here.

I know people around here don’t like the discussion about gut health/dysbiosis but I had an addiction to sugar for my entire life until I healed my gut. At some point during my treatment my desire for sugar just completely disappeared. My behaviour was being influenced by the bacteria and yeast that were out of balance in my system and that creeps me out. In the past I had tried to cut sugar out but I just couldn’t stick to it. I’ve been off sugar now for 8 months and I’m never going back. I’m healthier, happier and thinner than I’ve been in years.

I don’t really agree with government controlling us though. I think they need to stop all of these hidden deals that cause them to push all of these unhealthy things on us in the first place. Like that’s ever going to happen.

I can say that about pretty much any dessert, candy, or even fruit juice. People should have the freedom to treat themselves or not.

Glad to hear you learned these things about yourself and got healthier & happier!

This is EXACTLY what I tell my twin brother. I point out to him that he's never so much as had a drink of alcohol in his life, never mind smoked a joint, yet he has an insatiable sweet tooth like a chronic stoner because of his own gut dysbiosis. He refuses to eat healthier or exercise, though, and eats cake for breakfast & gets fatter. :/

I have never had any significant gut/bacterial issues in my life, and I certainly am not a sugar addict. How is it that you think intestinal microflora can influence your desire for sugar? Where did you even hear this was possible?

*That you're aware of.

Do some reading. The information is out there. Google is your friend. Gut dysbiosis/yeast overgrowth results in tripping your digestive system organs into sending signals to your brain to make you crave the foods that fuel those gut parasites & to dislike the foods that harm them.

Oh yes, you learned it on the internet. That explains everything. Right next to the wacko who has evidence that the earth is flat and that NASA faked those pictures of the Earth from space.

Frankly I hate sweet foods and always have. I drink my coffee black, avoid pop and candy, and eat a generally low carb diet.

I think I get it now. You oppose sugary food because you think in so doing you are fighting autism. If you turn this into another of your gut treatment threads, the mods will just lock it like they do all the others.

I do believe I've spotted a sockpuppet in this thread. but I'll say no more about it. here.

The government can stay the hell out of my refrigerator.

People should stop wasting energy trying to police everyone else's behavior. I don't eat/drink much sugar, but I do drink beer, and we all saw how well that turned out the last time they tried to ban that.

Amen and well said.

Heres one for you GF. If you can, and preferably in January or February so its not 110F in the shade and with humidity you can cut through with a knife, take a little trip to Mississippi and sample the food. In one day, you will know why the state leads the US in terms of obesity and diabetes in spite of its crushing poverty. I remember it now. Ham cured with brown sugar. Grits dripping with melted butter. Biscuits smothered in strawberry jam. Lemon and pecan pie. And everything you see is just so greasy and or sweet. Tell these people you want to punish them for what they eat and they will run you out on a rail. That's what it boils down to I think. You want to punish people for doing what you don't like, even though its their life and their choice.

As for the good of "society", I think as long as your actions don't entail acts of violence, theft, or fraud then the so called "good of society" is a subordinate concern to the freedom of the individual. Banning these things or punishing people for doing what you don't approve of is a slippery slope, and I don't want to go there. You will find that attitude common among Americans, its how many in the USA define freedom in fact.

We also have taxes on bottles and cans here so you can buy bottled water and it costs a little extra but only by about ten cents. That has been my experience at The Dollar Tree. But you can also recycle your cans and bottles and bring them to a drop off and get money for it. I have seen poor people collect cans and stuff from the trash or taking it off your hands when they see you are done with it but they ask first. My husband used to do it too and he would go up to peoples houses and ask if they had any and if he can take them from their recycling. But we still get taxed on it in stores when we buy the drink. That is for where I live, I don't know if it's a Oregon thing or a US thing or a city thing.

Speed limits are actually set for the safe speed of the road. But I don't disagree what you said there about speed limits being set, some people do not know how to go the safe speed so we needed speed limits imposed and lot of the times, they are not enforced. Too many people go fast so unless they start setting up traffic cams everywhere and ticketing every single driver who was going fast, maybe that will put an end to it but cities don't even bother so therefore speed limits are not enforced, it's usually the small towns that enforce it. My mom has gotten pulled over for going two above and it doesn't matter if you go with traffic, they will pull more than one car over at once. Here in my area, police wouldn't care. They don't even care if I am going five above.

But what is the point in having speed limits if they are not meant to be followed?

Baking is a seasonal hobby of mine that I strive for a professional level at and while I agree that trans fats make for excellent pastry and baked goods, and is a superior shortening to those without, after much research, I have to say I do support the government ban on them. The problem with trans fats is they really are all bad. They only occur in very small amounts in nature and our bodies have no mechanism for dealing with them in any non very miniscule quantity. Banning trans fats was like banning lead in gasoline. Lead prevented corrosion, great, but it had a severely detrimental impact on society and was completely avoidable.

There are other fats that are bad but aren't banned because they are not avoidable. For example, palmitic acid, which is the main constitute of palm oil. We can ban palm oil (and maybe we should, as the EU has done) but we cannot escape palmitic acid by doing so because it is found in dairy fat and many plant derived oils, and some of these oils have redeeming qualities that out weight the ills of the palmitic acid.

(Palmitic acid can drive cancer metastasis and also produces carcinogenic compounds when heated above 200 celcius)

Canola oil contains lower amounts of palmitic acid than most other plant based oils but can contain a lot of omega 6 fatty acids and traces of solvents unless it is cold pressed, which is nearly impossible to find.

Palm oil blends have replaced hydrogenation...the process necessary to make plant based oil a solid at room temperature that does not leave a residue on the top of one's mouth. It's ubiquitous in food and makeup products these days but perhaps that is one reason why cancer rates are rising.