Alabama Wants to Tax Fat People

@kellys3ps (3723)
United States
August 30, 2008 1:51am CST
Alabama is the third fattest state in the nation, and it is not going to take it anymore! According to this article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/alabama-fat-tax-44082808 The Alabama state government is posing a threat to state employees: lose weight or pay a fat tax. Obese members of the state's 37,527-employee workforce will be charged an extra $25 a month to help pay for their health insurance. Proponents think this is a great incentive to lose weight, while opponents believe it is discrimination. What do you think? Should overweight people be fined?
3 responses
Latrivia
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
30 Aug 08
No, I believe this is state sponsered discrimination, and I'm sure it won't go through. The government has no business punishing you financially because you're more physically unfit than others. Alabama needs to leave it up to the insurance companies to make the decision on how they will charge their clients for health care. I swear this country is becoming more and more overly-protective of it's citizens private lives every day.
seraj143
@seraj143 (75)
• India
30 Aug 08
Hi lotters, I think this quite wrong until and unless the picture is clear like whether the person is obese by heredity,medication,stress or due to over diet one cannot pose tax on being fat.This can be applied in areas where is concerning to customer relations eg.,airhostes/cabin crews without any cause.
GlitterExplosion
@GlitterExplosion (415)
• United States
30 Aug 08
No. Weight is a tricky thing. What are they going to do about the people that are overweight due to medication, or other medical reasons? If they wanted to, some could switch, but why would they if it works for them? Or it might be a case where they can't switch. Are they going to tax those people, even if they can't help it? Or what about people who are borderline? What do they consider overweight? If they are going by the BMI, then I'll be weary of that. Honestly, this sounds like another way for the state government to get some extra money from the people.