GENERAL STUFF: Fat Tax

I posted this link a few days ago about how obese people and smokers, in the long run, and compared to healthy people, are actually cheaper to treat medically due to a shortened lifespan, based on this study in the Dutch Journal PLoS Medicine.

Slate.com posted an article by Daniel Engber about the political applications of this study.

First of all, this reminds me of all the anti-smoking ads that show people how much smokers cost employers in terms of "smoke breaks" (legally, btw, everyone is allowed one 15 minute break every 4 hours -- Is it that much different than the amount of time you non-smokers are waisting by reading this blog right now? -- I've worked in an office, I know for a fact that no one works 100% of the time) and health problems.

The same article quotes a study that I had never heard of before, but can be found here in the American Journal of Public Health, showing that perception of body weight and body image are far better indicators of mental and physical health issues (by comparing desire to lose weight to time called off).

IE: I'm sick and it's your fault for caling me fat. I hate you.

Slate's article point is this: leave the fatties alone. They're not hurting you as much as they think they are. Let's focus on the real problems in our communities. . .

. . . the homosexuals.