You are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

0
6

[–] Carsandsarcasm 0 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago 

Good. Targetting the individual is the only way to stop it. Vague sugar taxes, health initiatives, and advertising limits do nothing all for the same reason: they divert responsibility. When you tax soft drinks and ban McDick's from advertising, you tell fat people that it's not their fault they are fat, it's the soft drink's fault for existing. The consequence is social attitudes turn against fast food instead of against fat people and fat people become the victims, not the villains, who are at the mercy of the evil burger company. When you fine the individual, the message is that it is your fault you are fat and you need to fix yourself. The consequence is that fat people become vilified, normal people are not forced to pay a penalty for the lack of personal responsibility in others, and McDonald's isn't arbitrarily punished for building a successful business because it's easy to blame the big boogieman.