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Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#21

Post by randompwd »

hpoe wrote: post #3

Because all of the laws prohibiting alcohol to minors has worked so well, or preventing minors from viewing pornography. Like this sounds like an SNL skit, "Hey I'm going to need to see some ID before you can get those Doritos." Cut to outside the shop he's handing it to a 14 year old suddenly lights sirens "PUT THE DORITOS ON THE GROUND AND PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!". Another cut to a prison courtyard. "Hey m…

I'm really curious how does one end up forming an opinion like yours?

Have you ever done any honest self-reflection and asked why you are like this?

Really curious how someone could be that offended a) by something in another country & b) by something which reduces obesity/quality of life amongst vunerable & impressionable children?

What have you read/done to become the person I see here today?

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#22

Post by adventured »

handmodel wrote: post #5
bvaldivielso wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think that laws prohibiting alcohol to minors aren't useful? Those laws don't have to completely eliminate alcohol consumption by minors to be successful, they just have to make it less likely to happen. My gut feeling is that alcohol consumption among teenagers would be higher if it wasn't banned, though I don't have any data to back my claim.

I don't get the cynicism either. In the US cigarette usage has gone down tremendously through the decades as laws have gotten more restrictive and advertising more out there. I'm sure I would eat less junk food if it was less accessible.

It's better to raise the cost than attempt access regulations as Mexico is doing. When it comes to food, access regulations are a nightmare to implement and enforce by comparison to taxes (which can be introduced in a fairly smooth, stealthy manner, and then gradually raised to experiment with consumption consequences). Especially when it comes to blatant non-essentials like cigarettes and junk food. You'll get a very nice direct reduction in consumption out of cost increases up to a point. Besides that, there's an excellent argument that junk food should not be actually banned for children (An 11 year old shouldn't be allowed to ever buy a bag of chips? That's some extreme government overreach).

If you're the US, step one is to ban high fructose corn syrup in food as being unsafe for human consumption. Step two, increase the cost of junk food via taxes. The US allowed its obesity epidemic to get out of control by making junk food too inexpensive and allowing high fructose corn syrup to be put into too many products. If Doritos cost $8 per bag instead of $4, people will eat a lot fewer bags; if boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes cost $5 instead of $2, people will buy fewer boxes. Regulating sugar in relation to calories in a packaged consumer food item, may also work quite effectively as a simple slider to test (just begin by gently nudging it downward, see what happens).

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#23

Post by kaiju0 »

sitkack wrote: post #16

Sugar is an addictive poison. These products should be outright banned. Folks can make wonderful pastries at home. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2009/06/8187/obesity-and-metabolic... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

While I agree, I've never seen rage like taking someones preferred foods away.

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#26

Post by macspoofing »

sitkack wrote: post #16

Sugar is an addictive poison. These products should be outright banned. Folks can make wonderful pastries at home. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2009/06/8187/obesity-and-metabolic... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

>These products should be outright banned. Folks can make wonderful pastries at home.

Sugar is sugar. What's the difference between a homemade pastry and store bought pastry?

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#27

Post by pm90 »

epmaybe wrote: post #11
olau wrote: post #7

Initiatives like this has always appeared to me as a cheap way for societies to improve the health of their population. Perhaps better done in the form of a tax - in the sense that junk food causes an externality in the form of health problems, that does seem warranted. The underlying problem is that the incentives are not aligned.

I feel like we were always taught that taxes were significantly better at curbing usage compared to bans or limits - the classic example being the cigarette tax

The difference here is that the ban is applicable to minors. We already ban minors from a slew of products, this is only extending that list.

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#28

Post by inerte »

epmaybe wrote: post #11
olau wrote: post #7

Initiatives like this has always appeared to me as a cheap way for societies to improve the health of their population. Perhaps better done in the form of a tax - in the sense that junk food causes an externality in the form of health problems, that does seem warranted. The underlying problem is that the incentives are not aligned.

I feel like we were always taught that taxes were significantly better at curbing usage compared to bans or limits - the classic example being the cigarette tax

To be fair, cigarettes have additional restrictions like where and to whom it can be sold, and also advertisement. Or even being explicitly called out on media ratings: PG-13, contains smoking!

I don't know if anyone has quantified the effects on sales of each measure, but they certainly add up with the additional taxes.

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#29

Post by spacephysics »

kaiju0 wrote: post #23
sitkack wrote: post #16

Sugar is an addictive poison. These products should be outright banned. Folks can make wonderful pastries at home. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2009/06/8187/obesity-and-metabolic... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

While I agree, I've never seen rage like taking someones preferred foods away.

As much as I am a libertarian on allowing people to choose what to eat, the outrage reminds me of an addict being told they need to cut down/remove their addictive substance.

Re: Mexican states are moving to ban the sale of junk food to children

#30

Post by Reedx »

olau wrote: post #7

Initiatives like this has always appeared to me as a cheap way for societies to improve the health of their population. Perhaps better done in the form of a tax - in the sense that junk food causes an externality in the form of health problems, that does seem warranted. The underlying problem is that the incentives are not aligned.

Yeah, I think we'll eventually get to the point where junk food prices in the externalities and it'll go back to being a relatively rare treat (i.e. sustainable). Currently sugar is artificially cheap. The cost is just being kicked down the road, coming back in the form of health problems and hospital bills.

That sugary drinks are similarly priced or even cheaper than a bottle of water is completely backwards. Soda, juice, etc should be the expensive option (which they are in the long-term!) and water the default, smart choice both in terms of health and immediate cost at the counter.

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