Junk Food Tax to Cut Obesity

Junk food tax? Yes. Mexico will now levy a 5 percent tax on calorie-dense foods. The point is to curb obesity. Gum will be taxed 16 percent. Though why specifically gum as it's not food. There's some dispute as to which country, Mexico or the U.S., is the fattest. But both tip the scales at over 32 percent overweight. Juvenile obesity and related illnesses are escalating. Juvenile diabetes, hypertension, health and liver disease, cholesterol problems--kids are getting these younger and younger. Here are some impacts taxing low nutrition food might have on obesity.Will a Junk Food Tax Cut Obesity? A Weighty Question

What parents should know about childhood obesity

For a society that values tolerance, there's one population we're not very nice to--fat people. We treat fat kids especially badly. We rail against bullying, but then we shame overweight kids and guilt parents for making them fat. We make cruel, sententious remarks like "it's their fault for letting (insert name) get 'that way.'" I always want to retort "what way? Nice? Smart? Helpful? Cute?"

Oh right, fat. Because that's all that matters is that he's chubby. Never mind what an awesome person he is. And I'm not convinced that juvenile obesity is the epidemic we tout it as. Sure I've seen the grossly overweight adults on their hover-rounds. Their fat is more permanent, unless they make lifestyle changes. But among kids, there's more too it. Fat in kids is more transitional. Part of it might be a money-making ploy on the part of healthcare. But then I do tend to wear a tinfoil hat when it comes to government and national health initiatives. And I digress. The point is that not every fat kid may be overweight. Here are things parents need to know about fat kids and weight loss.  What parents should know about childhood obesity