My wife told me I was nuts when I recently suggested to her that grossly overweight people ought to be taxed as a means to curb the epidemic of obesity in America.
Every year, before the April 15 tax deadline every American would have to report to a federal weigh-in station where inspectors would record the weight and body/mass index of every adult citizen. A tax of, say, $10, would then be levied on every pound in excess of the official “acceptable” weight.
I admit it was an insensitive and even cruel idea. But it was born out of frustration. Everyone agrees that the obesity problem is serving to bankrupt the health care system, but it seems that few solutions take into account personal responsibility.
Instead, we hear of things like state “soda taxes” and calorie-count menus that unfairly affect everyone—consumers and businesses alike. My idea was merely meant to apply an incentive to those who have the great need for a push…and a penalty tax would undoubtedly change bad behavior, i.e. eating too much fattening food. Money talks.
But I realize that an obesity tax would probably create more problems than it would solve. Individual medical issues alone render the idea stupid, either as serious policy or satire.
Nevertheless, I think I’m on to something when it comes to tying financial incentives to the goal of a thinner, healthier America.
So here’s another proposal. Let’s totally revamp physical education in the schools. I say gym classes be fully restored to three-day-a-week programs that are geared to total fitness.
Gym teachers will be forced to spend more time on the physical development of ALL students rather than concentrating their efforts only on the superior varsity athletes.
I suspect that over the last several years, gym teachers have strayed from the mission of providing a tough, but healthy curriculum of physical education. It seems that in too many high schools, there has arisen a phenomenon of the cult hero coach whose main goal is to build super teams that win division titles and make headlines.
This is all well and good, but it loses sight of one important thing,. Their job is not to become imitation Big Ten coaches and cult heroes; their job is to educate.
I propose that gym classes be turned into brief, boot camp sessions—with running and calisthenics. Fitness tests would be administered on a yearly basis and grades would be assigned.
Those tests would be just as important in assessing the performance of a school as reading and math tests.
And here’s where the monetary incentive idea comes in. Everybody complains how school superintendents are overpaid and laden with perks. Right? Well, under my war on obesity, a significant portion of superintendents’ pay would be tied to how well they succeed at getting their students in shape.
The measurement of that success would be the fitness test scores.
7 Comments
Geez Phil, you’re going soft. A rational, responsible proposal instead of bitching with no solutions? Get a life! Of course you could actually do some good and get on the soapbox and fight for your (actually very good) idea. Yeah, become an activist instead of a heckler. Follow the David Wilson MacKay model even. Take responsibility for actually doing something in the system instead of taking potshots at those who do their best to make things work.
Dave, is that you?
How about we just let the kids play. Kids actually want to run around and burn off energy, and we adults do everything we can to squelch that desire, by eliminating recess, by overscheduling their time, and concentrating on organized sports. This was not an issue when we were kids, and we didn’t need the food police to peer over our shoulders. Free the Kids!
Bob should get his own column. Reisman and Reisman Watcher have finally found something to agree upon, and unfortunately what they agree upon is more mandatory big-brother governmental interference into every aspect of our lives. Every notice all the fat, hypocritical political blowhards that are appointed Surgeons General?
Bob…you’re right in that it’s the kids we should be saving, and I remember those days of care-free play time. No argument there.
Ed, you’re right about the governmental interference as far as my fat-tax idea goes…but I don’t see it as interference in the case of applying strict fitness goals that have to be met for school superintendents, if they want to continue getting the “fat” pay.
If there’s no physical fitness standards set in the schools, then maybe we ought to reinstate the draft…that’d get America back in shape. BTW, is compulsory military servie “governmental interference?
As for “Reisman Watcher”...well, anybody using that obsessive-compulsive moniker ought not to be telling others “to get a life.” (get a life is the kissing cousin of another meaningless admonishment—“Grow up.”)
Phil: “Reisman Watcher” is no doubt the spray-can graffiti tag of some County official who has lazily decided to assault the messenger instead of improving the message. The last sentence of his/her trite advice reminds me of the movie “Charlie Bubbles” wherein the fine actor Albert Finney, playing the part of a writer, is asked by a hotel porter: “Are you working now, Mr. Bubbles, or are you still doing the writing?”
Kids today can text message at lightening speed, they can navigate face book and my space effortlessly, they can defeat the most complicated video games with ease. On the down side how many of them have ever knocked on a neighbors door and asked if Johnny could come out and play. Most have never been involved in pick up games or ever chosen sides, or have had to run home when the dinner bell rang. Children just don’t get involved with sports these days unless the parents are over involved or some one is making a buck on it.