Cost of Healthy Eating

[poos_n_wees]

Interesting study.

The Price of Healthy Eating

Mainly to squash the "dieting's too expensive" excuse. Looks like you still have to shell out a bit more for leaner cuts of meats, but its nice to see that healthier options in the other foods groups aren't so much different price-wise.

I'm not sure about this though:

However, healthier options for some key food categories are more expensive and thus consideration should be given to policies by which this price differential could be minimised, particularly for low-income shoppers who are at greater risk of nutrition-related disease and are most likely to make food choices based solely on cost rather than health.

Fiscal policy options include:

* Taxes on foods high in energy, sugar, or saturated fat;

* Exemption from goods and service tax (GST) for healthier food options; or

* A food voucher system targeted to high-risk groups.

Would the govt really need to step in like this to stop us gorging ourselves with fatty food??

[Pseudonym]

It does sound a little like social engineering, doesn't it?

I was surprised the "healthy" shopping basket still had soft drinks in it. Remove the soft drinks, and they could halve the difference in cost between the "normal" and "healthy" options.

[waldo]

Does the government really need to step in on this? Hell no.

How much external control do we need? We have already been told we may not be able to buy certain types of refrigerators or large screen tvs for example. Can you imagine having to pay $5 for a can of coke just because some people can't be trusted to not put ten tonnes of shit in their mouths?

Labour taxes 38% of your income per year, making us the 13th most taxed nation on earth. But hold on, they'll exempt GST on some foods...I'd rather have a tax cut please.

This is another great example of the bottom 5% of the population dragging down the other 95% who actually can make informed decisions for ourselves. I honestly thought democracy meant the majority, not the MINORITY, ruled. I think New Zealand has really lost the plot in the last 6 years.

[teamfatboy]

It's a very interesting study indeed - remind me, is there GST on retail food in NZ? (as opposed to restaurant meals).

I can remember when each budget used to put up the tax on cigarettes, on the basis they were proven to cause cancer. If over-indulgence in the wrong foods clinically leads to obesity, I am sure someone will draw the same parallel. There's also talk that some foods are addictive to the wrong personality, just like cigarettes...

I was surprised that there was little emphasis given to the education option...not just to correct the misapprehension that "all healthy things are more expensive", but to educate on the impacts of food choices.

Cheers

[waldo]

A lot of this has to do with some parts of the general population being dis-empowered, having their decision making processes taken away from them. Don't worry though, Helen Clarke will make those decisions for you.

[Flex]

It's a very interesting study indeed - remind me, is there GST on retail food in NZ? (as opposed to restaurant meals).

Yeah there is GST on food (fruit, veges etc). I think you're thinking of the crazy system with VAT. They don't have VAT on foods but do have VAT on prepared food that you eat on the premises i.e what you eat in a restaurant, but not on food that you take out i.e takeaways, home delivered pizza etc.

and even more confusingly:

"hot 'prepared' food is taxable, but zero-rated if the food is cold when it reaches the customer. Toasted sandwiches are zero-rated because the purpose of toasting relates to flavor and texture and not to the necessity of the food being hot when consumed"

The NZ govt did bandy this about recently about trying to reduce the cost of food items however it fortunately got dropped as it makes life pretty difficult for the local cafe and takeaway owner trying to figure out their taxes and prices.

[The Legend Killer]

Labour taxes 38% of your income per year

Any dollar earned over $60,000, if you're lucky to earn that much.

[Pseudonym]

A lot of this has to do with some parts of the general population being dis-empowered, having their decision making processes taken away from them. Don't worry though, Helen Clarke will make those decisions for you.

To be fair, this was only the suggestion of the researchers, not government policy (yet).

[waldo]

Labour taxes 38% of your income per year

Any dollar earned over $60,000, if you're lucky to earn that much.

Not true, once you factor inderect taxes such as GST, duty, excise, fuel taxes, road user taxes included in car rego and other 'hidden' takings we get stung for, everyone 38% of their gross pay packet.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/sto ... d=10470651

Sorry, but you may have picked this sort of topic gets me pretty fired up!

[The Legend Killer]

13th out of 30 OECD countries is a bit different to 13th in the world, especially when of the 30 OECD countries that is covered in this data the average tax rate is 36.8%, which hardly suggests that we are taxed extremely unreasonably in comparison.

I'd be interested to know how much of that tax gathered is from tobacco and alcohol too. I myself certainly wouldn't be taxed 38% of my total earnings.

From the link posted.

[waldo]

Dude, when we have surpluses posted like we do, we are getting way over-taxed. Make the comparison with Aussie and the states too.

Sorry, but i should have made the distintion between OECD and the world.

[2guns]

whos to say wats healthy food anyway.

if i wana stuff my facxe with junk food y should i pay for tax on that than if i stuffed my face with healthy food?????

i cant think of any sort of sensible answer

[frogie2001]

Does the government really need to step in on this? Hell no.

How much external control do we need? We have already been told we may not be able to buy certain types of refrigerators or large screen tvs for example. Can you imagine having to pay $5 for a can of coke just because some people can't be trusted to not put ten tonnes of shit in their mouths?

Labour taxes 38% of your income per year, making us the 13th most taxed nation on earth. But hold on, they'll exempt GST on some foods...I'd rather have a tax cut please.

This is another great example of the bottom 5% of the population dragging down the other 95% who actually can make informed decisions for ourselves. I honestly thought democracy meant the majority, not the MINORITY, ruled. I think New Zealand has really lost the plot in the last 6 years.

couldn't have said it better myself

[big MAC]

I notice South Africa (where I'm from) isn't an OCED country, obviously. Tax there is 45% and you get absolutely nothing for it, my some what decent public school education cost the equivalent of around $8000 a year, on top of taxes.

Yet some choose to stay in RSA, it's just like heaven for some... no jobs, no hospitals, no doctors, no teachers, no roads...

[Flex]

Dude, when we have surpluses posted like we do, we are getting way over-taxed. Make the comparison with Aussie and the states too.

Sorry, but i should have made the distintion between OECD and the world.

I'm not a big fan of talking politics however will put my 2c's in.

Surplus isn't such a bad thing as long as the money is used for something good. Unfortunately you can't please everybody so whatever the money is spent on could always have been used for something better.

And I'm not sure comparing to Oz and US is a good one. Some Australians probably think they are getting taxed too much as well.

The US probably needs more tax considering the way their economy is going and how up to their eyeballs in debt they are ($162 billion deficit) - personally I'd rather have a surplus than have a huge deficit hanging round my neck. And at least our taxes aren't feeding the war machine.

Australian Budget

"Awash with surplus cash

August 21, 2007 - 1:49PM

The Federal Government generated an underlying cash surplus of $17.3 billion in 2006/07

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/awa ... 35983.html

NZ Budget

"New Zealand's better than expected economic performance delivered the Government a $8.7 billion operating surplus for the 2006/2007 financial year, but Finance Minister Michael Cullen says it is still uncertain when any tax cuts will be announced.

US Budget

U.S. budget deficit hits lowest level in 5 years

Deficit falls to $162 billion, the least red ink since 2002. - http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/11/news/ec ... eficit.ap/

[waldo]

You know my views Flex, only too well, and I'm not getting into an arguement over this.

I will say this however: If the surplus is spent wisely then great, but there is a lot of wastage in this country. Plus, we have had to endure 'bracket creep' whereby 14% of the population fall into the top category, but when that top category was intorduced, only 5% of the top earners were supposed to fall in there.

In NZ if your family has a combined income of $140,000 you can still get government assistance thru the working for family package. I'm sorry, but no who pulls $140,000 should be entitled to help. It's wrong, and encourages dependancy. You can parallel that dependancy with Governement intervention in my eyes.

Anyways, I am getting all riled up here. I'm just happy the Argentinians won.

[The Legend Killer]

whos to say wats healthy food anyway.

if i wana stuff my facxe with junk food y should i pay for tax on that than if i stuffed my face with healthy food?????

i cant think of any sort of sensible answer

One argument for it could be that those who eat high amounts of junk food are more likely to be a drain on the health system than those who eat healthily.

[The Legend Killer]

I will say this however: If the surplus is spent wisely then great, but there is a lot of wastage in this country. Plus, we have had to endure 'bracket creep' whereby 14% of the population fall into the top category, but when that top category was intorduced, only 5% of the top earners were supposed to fall in there.

So New Zealanders are getting richer than they should be? Idon't see why this point is always used as an indictment on the current government, although I do think the tax brackets need to be revisited.

[blairandkelly]

Australian Budget

"Awash with surplus cash

August 21, 2007 - 1:49PM

The Federal Government generated an underlying cash surplus of $17.3 billion in 2006/07

thats not a great deal of money considering their 18 million population we are only 4 million and still generate a surplus of half theirs , basically we are over taxed underprovided for and at the same time are fostering a generation of welfare dependent people , me the wife n kids are sellin up and

goin to oz , even if i do have to fork out more tax , iv got a trade thats worth more than twice what i can earn here , its no wonder so many kiwis are heading that way.

[The Legend Killer]

We will never be able to compare with natural resource-rich Australia. For starters they're the supplier of the majority of the world's uranium.

[shane]

I agree with you this country is just breeding poverty by giving govt handouts all the time. Good luck in Aussie that could be to better pay and lifestyle

[waldo]

I will say this however: If the surplus is spent wisely then great, but there is a lot of wastage in this country. Plus, we have had to endure 'bracket creep' whereby 14% of the population fall into the top category, but when that top category was intorduced, only 5% of the top earners were supposed to fall in there.

So New Zealanders are getting richer than they should be? Idon't see why this point is always used as an indictment on the current government, although I do think the tax brackets need to be revisited.

Well, you would expect wages to rise at least by the rate of inflation every year. As the Government presides over the economy, sure they can help control direction of the economy. However, where is the incentive for business/motivated individuals to increase productivity which in turn increases the country's wealth (non-inflationary as well) when all that happens is more of their money gets taken to feed some child beating KFC eating bludgers who have no incentive themselves to go out and get work as they get a decent handout every week and wouldn't earn a whole lot more being off the dole or DPB or sickness benefit.

That is basic gist of the tax cut/bracket creep arguement.

[blairandkelly]

Good luck in Aussie that could be to better pay and lifestyle

cheers bro :grin:

[shane]

my wife and I have discussed moving over the ditch be more likely when the kids are older, the goldcoast could be the go :grin:

[blairandkelly]

both our kids still under 5 so wed rather get settled before they start school , goldie is where we are headin ,spent a year in sydney, great place for single guy that i was, but i see goldcoast as a pretty good place to raise a family, i spent two years there so have a pretty good feel for it already.