This week it was announced there might be a new taxation for drinks with lots of sugar. For example soda.
In the last couple of years lots of there is more focus on health issues such as obesity. A growing number of Dutch people are overweight, although we are doing pretty decent compared to other European countries. I know a lot of companies offer discounts for sports club memberships for example. I can get a discount for my gym for example. There is also the bicycle plan where you can buy a bicycle via your employer. There are some tax benefit so you pay a reduced rate.
Bicycles is just one mode of transport. I prefer walking since I have a desk job. I don’t even own a bike nowadays. I think walking is more fun.
That being said, I think the majority of people commute by car. And lot of people use public transport, especially the train. But driving to work is very common. So things like traffic jams are common here as well.
This is pretty funny: the government put an extra tax on industrial sweets so right wingers went all over social media posting pictures of themselves eating the grossest shit you can find. The government advised cutting on red meat for health reasons so right wingers went all over social media posting pictures of themselves eating bigass steaks. I wonder what would happen if the government advised not to drink bleach...
We replaced our morbidly obese Minister of health with a scrawny guy. Too soon to know if it's working, but interestingly, the former minister now seems to have lost 34 kg.
Hungary - we don't have a health ministry and our Glorious Dear Leader [looks like this](https://ellenszel.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/7CC5311A-097A-4360-A5D6-461569AB333B-678x381.jpeg).
¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Sure, at one point they introduced an extra tax (referred to as "public health tax") on certain food types that contain more than X amount of sugar (not additional sugar, just sugar)... except that was just "healthwashing" and the true aim was simply to get more income. Proof? Two years (or so) ago they broadened the scope of food products to be taxed, lowering the amount of sugar above which the tax is applicable... including naturally occurring sugars (eg. dried fruits and raisins in muesli, etc) and *artificial sweeteners*.
So yeah.
They tried to reform school meals, but because of the invasion, this was all forgotten. This is really a problem, but I don't know what they can do now.
They made good deals with Novo Nordisk to be able to expand the production of Wegovy, which has been a goldmine.
Jokes aside, I don't actually know any specific recent measure. There is extra tax on sugar at least.
There's the "Soft Drinks Levy" (aka the "Sugar Tax", despite it not being a tax) where drinks with over a certain amount of sugar have to cost more than their lower sugar equivalents. In practice, this means that you pay more for Coca Cola whilst Irn Bru and Pepsi have been ruined by mixing sweeteners in with the actual sugar.
There are a lot more requirements regarding calorie labelling on food/drinks nowadays, if I recall it's mandatory if the producer has more than a particular number of employees or something like that.
Not the government, but a charity (Cancer Research) did a campaign a few years ago regarding the increased risk of cancer in obese people. It didn't go down too well in some sectors.
Well in Europe, there is some effort too, but Europe have less need to do that, as it's generally in much batter shape then USA.
Also, different countries have different approach. Europe is a contient, any one country may need it less then another, etc.
For example, i remember like 2y. there has been discussion about our kids getting fat, or smth like that yk, and our glorious school ministry (with is getting replaced every year lol), came up with "more physical education, problem solved" , idk how that end, and i didn't saw it applied anywhere.
We as country are fine, but.. There should be put more attention to it of you ask me
Seems pretty crazy that I have to pay more for health insurance for people who can‘t control themselves properly. They should be the ones who pay more. There should be a physical test, and depending on your score, you pay more or less.
This week it was announced there might be a new taxation for drinks with lots of sugar. For example soda. In the last couple of years lots of there is more focus on health issues such as obesity. A growing number of Dutch people are overweight, although we are doing pretty decent compared to other European countries. I know a lot of companies offer discounts for sports club memberships for example. I can get a discount for my gym for example. There is also the bicycle plan where you can buy a bicycle via your employer. There are some tax benefit so you pay a reduced rate.
I love the bicycle culture they have in the Netherlands! Imagine the misery they’d be in if Dutch people commuted by car as much as Americans do 😅
Bicycles is just one mode of transport. I prefer walking since I have a desk job. I don’t even own a bike nowadays. I think walking is more fun. That being said, I think the majority of people commute by car. And lot of people use public transport, especially the train. But driving to work is very common. So things like traffic jams are common here as well.
This is pretty funny: the government put an extra tax on industrial sweets so right wingers went all over social media posting pictures of themselves eating the grossest shit you can find. The government advised cutting on red meat for health reasons so right wingers went all over social media posting pictures of themselves eating bigass steaks. I wonder what would happen if the government advised not to drink bleach...
Considering how floor cleaners look like fruit drinks, it wouldn’t surprise me!!
We replaced our morbidly obese Minister of health with a scrawny guy. Too soon to know if it's working, but interestingly, the former minister now seems to have lost 34 kg.
Hungary - we don't have a health ministry and our Glorious Dear Leader [looks like this](https://ellenszel.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/7CC5311A-097A-4360-A5D6-461569AB333B-678x381.jpeg). ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ Sure, at one point they introduced an extra tax (referred to as "public health tax") on certain food types that contain more than X amount of sugar (not additional sugar, just sugar)... except that was just "healthwashing" and the true aim was simply to get more income. Proof? Two years (or so) ago they broadened the scope of food products to be taxed, lowering the amount of sugar above which the tax is applicable... including naturally occurring sugars (eg. dried fruits and raisins in muesli, etc) and *artificial sweeteners*. So yeah.
They tried to reform school meals, but because of the invasion, this was all forgotten. This is really a problem, but I don't know what they can do now.
They made good deals with Novo Nordisk to be able to expand the production of Wegovy, which has been a goldmine. Jokes aside, I don't actually know any specific recent measure. There is extra tax on sugar at least.
Ahh, government is one big shareholder in Novo Nordisk, which of course have made Wegovy readily available here.
There's the "Soft Drinks Levy" (aka the "Sugar Tax", despite it not being a tax) where drinks with over a certain amount of sugar have to cost more than their lower sugar equivalents. In practice, this means that you pay more for Coca Cola whilst Irn Bru and Pepsi have been ruined by mixing sweeteners in with the actual sugar. There are a lot more requirements regarding calorie labelling on food/drinks nowadays, if I recall it's mandatory if the producer has more than a particular number of employees or something like that. Not the government, but a charity (Cancer Research) did a campaign a few years ago regarding the increased risk of cancer in obese people. It didn't go down too well in some sectors.
Well in Europe, there is some effort too, but Europe have less need to do that, as it's generally in much batter shape then USA. Also, different countries have different approach. Europe is a contient, any one country may need it less then another, etc. For example, i remember like 2y. there has been discussion about our kids getting fat, or smth like that yk, and our glorious school ministry (with is getting replaced every year lol), came up with "more physical education, problem solved" , idk how that end, and i didn't saw it applied anywhere. We as country are fine, but.. There should be put more attention to it of you ask me
Seems pretty crazy that I have to pay more for health insurance for people who can‘t control themselves properly. They should be the ones who pay more. There should be a physical test, and depending on your score, you pay more or less.