Why it is acceptable to criticize smokers, but not fat people?

The Cheshire

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May 10, 2011
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ravensheart18 said:
The Cheshire said:
orangeban said:
It's not that bad. The point is really that a fatty food tax would negatively affect poor people. Not make them starve or go bankrupt or anything, just cost them more money.

The way health care works in Britain is you have the NHS which provides health care for free and is funded by taxes, and there are various private hospitals you can go to as well.
But see, that can be turned around too: if fatty food is more expensive, then poor people would have to eat healthy, thus saving both in health and money on the long run.
I can buy a premade meal for a fraction of the cost of preparing it from scratch using fresh ingredients. I have always found that odd, but it seems to be true.

The same is true in semi-prepared things as basic as jam. The "real fruit" stuff always costs substantially more than the "some fruit juice, sugar, liquid sugar, water, and a thickener with a couple chunks of fruit in the mix" that passes as the much cheaper no-name jams and jellies.

So if you can barely get by when you are buying the cheaper stuff, who do you expect people to buy the more expensive version?
Uh, really, pre-made is cheaper than buying fresh ingredients and cooking it yourself? Not where I live! Pre-made is quite costly, and also quite unhealthy as it's full of random shite to make it better or something...not really so sure. Price is one of the main issues that drives me away from buying pre-made. That and my cooking is also so much better than anything I can buy pre-made, then again, my cooking is so good it will cause you to have anal orgasms just by smelling it!

:D

My budget for food, by the way, is around 50? a month. My flatmate spends 120? a month with pre-cooked meals, he doesn't get fat because of his metabolism, but one day he'll just DIE from a heart attack.
 

Pandabearparade

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It isn't okay to criticize either. If a smoker wants to smoke, that's their business. Unless fatman is trying to stuff a donut in my mouth or Mr. Smokey Smoker is trying to shove a pack of Menthols up my ass, live and let live.
 

dfphetteplace

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ravensheart18 said:
dfphetteplace said:
How about because not everyone over weight is that way because they over eat. There are many medical conditions that make people appear fat, when it isn't fat at all. Last time I checked, smoking isn't caused by any known medical condition other then idiocy.
To be fair, while it usually starts in the ignorance of youth, it is highly addictive and it is a very hard habbit and addiction to break.
While I agree, it isn't like someone is forcing them to smoke. They have to go buy them, light them, and smoke them. If you really don't want to do it, all you have to do is not buy them.
 

dfphetteplace

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ravensheart18 said:
dfphetteplace said:
ravensheart18 said:
dfphetteplace said:
How about because not everyone over weight is that way because they over eat. There are many medical conditions that make people appear fat, when it isn't fat at all. Last time I checked, smoking isn't caused by any known medical condition other then idiocy.
To be fair, while it usually starts in the ignorance of youth, it is highly addictive and it is a very hard habbit and addiction to break.
While I agree, it isn't like someone is forcing them to smoke. They have to go buy them, light them, and smoke them. If you really don't want to do it, all you have to do is not buy them.
Yeah, you'd think so. But if you'd ever been addicted to any substance you would know its harder than that, especially for people with long time addictions, friends who share the addiction, or who are genetically predisposed to addictive/compulsive behaviors.
So no one is responsible for their own behavior? I understand that some substances can be habit forming, but that does not mean the person no longer has any control over their own actions. I'm not saying it is easy, but it is ultimately up to the individual to decide whether they will do something or not.
 

Odbarc

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Jun 30, 2010
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Fat people don't see their being fat as a choice because they won't do what's necessary to lose some weight. Plus fat is a subjective term.

Smokers are using poison and poison others around them without their consent. Fat people aren't stealing OUR food or anything.
 

LostintheWick

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Pandabearparade said:
It isn't okay to criticize either. If a smoker wants to smoke, that's their business. Unless fatman is trying to stuff a donut in my mouth or Mr. Smokey Smoker is trying to shove a pack of Menthols up my ass, live and let live.
If I could, I'd give you a high five.
People need to worry about themselves. And that is it.
And second hand smoke? Walk away or ask the person to stop smoking if you can't move.
No need to be a jerk about it. Just ask.

And if they are an ass about it, it has nothing to do with them being a smoker. Most people will understand.
 

floobie

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I wouldn't criticize either, unless someone asks me for my opinion.

I think smoking is pretty stupid, but I can understand why some people do it. It's a case of "I don't want to live forever, might as well live it up now". I can accept that, though I certainly wouldn't apply it to myself. But, I'd just caution anyone with that point of view to be damn sure about it, lest they have some massive regrets later on in life.

I think getting fat is pretty damn avoidable for a huge majority of the population. I used to be pretty "husky" (6' 0.5" tall, 230 pounds then, 165 pounds now), so I know what it's like to have to lose the weight and make the necessary lifestyle changes. Honestly... not that difficult. I just started exercising regularly (nothing fancy, just simple cardio), I started losing weight, and my appetite adjusted accordingly. I realize it isn't this easy for everyone. I realize that some people have glandular disorders. But, of the overweight/obese people I've known over the years, I can safely say that all but three of them could have lost the vast majority of their excess weight by doing exactly what I did, or even less. And a few of them eventually did.

That said, in general, I'll just mind my own business. Unless someone's smoking/weight actively inconveniences/harms me, I won't say a peep about it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some of this tasty new vegetable to snack on. It's called "pizza". It's delicious! Until now, eating healthy has always been so bland. Not anymore!
 

SteveZim1017

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so basically you are mad you can't make fun of fat people?

This is either an impressive Troll or a fat person made a comment about your smoking habit
 

Odbarc

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Jun 30, 2010
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Cowpoo said:
Odbarc said:
Smokers are using poison and poison others around them without their consent. Fat people aren't stealing OUR food or anything.
Like where do smokers spread this deadly and vile poison? Why aren't car drivers under the same scrutiny? If you live in a major city, secondhand smoke does close to nothing to your lungs. If you don't like people smoking in pubs, don't go to the pub. In most developed countries, smoking is banned almost everywhere.
Which ones? I want to move there.
Electric cars? "does close to nothing" is what kind of dosage? Being stuck in a car with three chain smokers for four hours or sitting at the other side of a room while they blow smoke out a window?
Besides, cars also have multi-billionairs backing them and A LOT of things wouldn't get done without them. No jets, no trucks making deliveries, people not able to commute to work, ect.
Society can't cope with the loss of vehicles.
 

AndyFromMonday

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Feb 5, 2009
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Cowpoo said:
Like where do smokers spread this deadly and vile poison? Why aren't car drivers under the same scrutiny? If you live in a major city, secondhand smoke does close to nothing to your lungs. If you don't like people smoking in pubs, don't go to the pub. In most developed countries, smoking is banned almost everywhere.
The funny thing is, whilst every single organization is quick to tout second hand smoke as harmful the studies are inconclusive. Either way, banning smoking on public grounds I can get behind. Banning it in privately owned institutions goes a little to far.
 

theultimateend

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I don't mind obesity in the individual because being fat doesn't fill my office building with carcinogens from fat folks standing outside the front door.

Alternatively I want everyone to be healthy so I recommend to most overweight people to check into healthier eating and being more self aware. It's criticism but more out of concern.

I'm thin but by no effort of my own, however I still watch my eating because its hardly just obesity that American food can kill you with.

On people mentioning cars: This is a problem and the entire civilized world should be embarrassed we still use crude oil for automobiles.

I'm all on board with large investments into new battery sources and converting to more modern era fuel systems. By all means this is a fun debate that should probably be its own thread.
 

Electric Alpaca

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May 2, 2011
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Mallefunction said:
I am not saying that the government should take control of people's eating habits. What I'm saying is that fast food and junk food companies SHOULD NOT have the right to influence the government!
I did a quick search of "pizza is a vegetable" as I made the mistake of believing you in the first instance; I've seen you post a lot and credited you with usually being quite well informed.

This is what I got:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/did-congress-declare-pizza-as-a-vegetable-not-exactly/2011/11/20/gIQABXgmhN_blog.html

First an excerpt:

Congress passed a revised agriculture appropriations bill last week, essentially making it easier to count pizza sauce as a serving of vegetables. The move has drawn widespread outrage from consumer advocates and pundits, who see ?pizza is a vegetable.? as outlandish.

There?s just one little misperception: Congress didn?t declare pizza to be a vegetable. And, from a strictly nutritional standpoint, there?s decent evidence that lawmakers didn?t exactly bungle this decision.
What this link gives you (in summary; you're welcome to read the facts yourself) that it is an argument between nutritional value rating by volume of serving. (Of course you can slander the publication if you choose, but as far as I knew the Washington Post is reasonably high brow, American equivalent of our Daily Telegraph etc)

Tomato purée happens to be used on pizza, so quick thinkers have jumped on this to attack the administration.

Pizza isn't unhealthy.

For example: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/thai_chicken_pizza.html

In fact, I regularly use pizza as a accompaniment to my own training regimes.

Regulation of fast food isn't needed in the slightest, it's the schools delivery system and budget that needs to be reviewed pure and simple, it's that which is causing the issue. Nothing to do with fast food companies.

The general ignorance of the public, the popularity of misinformation as delivered by Fox News and how individuals are happily willing to launch themselves onto one side of the fence really makes it difficult to make any form of strides for the better.
 

Bruenin

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Nov 9, 2011
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The Cheshire said:
ravensheart18 said:
The Cheshire said:
orangeban said:
It's not that bad. The point is really that a fatty food tax would negatively affect poor people. Not make them starve or go bankrupt or anything, just cost them more money.

The way health care works in Britain is you have the NHS which provides health care for free and is funded by taxes, and there are various private hospitals you can go to as well.
But see, that can be turned around too: if fatty food is more expensive, then poor people would have to eat healthy, thus saving both in health and money on the long run.
I can buy a premade meal for a fraction of the cost of preparing it from scratch using fresh ingredients. I have always found that odd, but it seems to be true.

The same is true in semi-prepared things as basic as jam. The "real fruit" stuff always costs substantially more than the "some fruit juice, sugar, liquid sugar, water, and a thickener with a couple chunks of fruit in the mix" that passes as the much cheaper no-name jams and jellies.

So if you can barely get by when you are buying the cheaper stuff, who do you expect people to buy the more expensive version?
Uh, really, pre-made is cheaper than buying fresh ingredients and cooking it yourself? Not where I live! Pre-made is quite costly, and also quite unhealthy as it's full of random shite to make it better or something...not really so sure. Price is one of the main issues that drives me away from buying pre-made. That and my cooking is also so much better than anything I can buy pre-made, then again, my cooking is so good it will cause you to have anal orgasms just by smelling it!

:D

My budget for food, by the way, is around 50? a month. My flatmate spends 120? a month with pre-cooked meals, he doesn't get fat because of his metabolism, but one day he'll just DIE from a heart attack.
Wait... why anal orgasms?