Fat Tax

The man pictured is Irwin Leba. If this man could have his way, every year the cigar-chompin-big-as-they-get-Texan millionaire would have you step into a government sponsored weigh station and submit to a BMI (Body Mass Index). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) your "BMIprovides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems."

Mr. Leba proposes that Americans would weigh in on a yearly basis between January 1st and April 15th and the results would determine if they are subject to a "Fat Tax".

From Esquire Magazine:

"In 1970, around the same time he had his "first powwow with Jesus Christ,"he poured the lion's share of his hot-dog earnings into the stock ofhis favorite restaurant, McDonald's. At the time, it must have seemed like a chancy way to invest one's life savings. In retrospect, of course, it was pure genius. His $200,000 investment is now worth about $25 million.

"Indirectly, through my stock holdings, I figure I've contributed tothe deaths of many thousands of people—and not just Americans," he wrote. "If you want to get all psychoanalytical, you might say that the fat tax is my way of making amends." (Full Article)

Fast food loving Americans can thank, The Center for Consumer Freedom for stepping in and defending their right to fast food. The organization promotes personal responsibility and consumer choice. That means you have every right to eat that Triple Bacon Whopper or smoke your two-packs a day.

It reminds me of the days when bikers fought for their right to ride without helmets. We can go back further to the days when people fought measures calling for state mandated seat-belt laws.

From The Center for Consumer Freedom article on a Fat Tax:

"The World Health Organization, whose mission involves tackling thescourges of AIDS and Malaria, now spends its valuable time and resources fretting that people like to eat steak and drink soda pop. Late last week, WHO released its "draft global strategy on diet, physical activity and health." (Read Full Article)

As Americans become increasingly rotund will a "Fat Tax" have a fat chance? Could a looming Fat Tax contribute to Americans changing their eating habits and encourage them to seek healthier alternatives to the fast food they love?