Thailand enters 'War on Sugar' with tax on sweetened beverages

[BudRight]

On 10/21/2017 at 12:13 AM, alant said:

Very few alternatives, low sugar versions of drinks with the exception of Coke and Pepsi almost impossible to find.

It's called water.

[Bill Miller]

On 10/21/2017 at 7:15 PM, travelman6 said:

WELL, it was the THAI government that promoted sugar, back in the 50's as I recall and told the Thai people to put sugar in EVERYTHING and they still do and Thailand now is the second fattest country in Asia, right behind Malaysia and also has a VERY high rate of diabetes.

Odd that you simply cannot find sugar free alternatives to most soda pop. Diet Coke, Pepsi, and sometimes Est cola are it.
I would greatly enjoy a sugar free root beer now and again, for instance. Sugar free ginger ale, and Sprite.
I drink rather a lot of soda water, but a flavoured alternative now and then is welcome. I like bubbles. 
How about if the government encouraged growing stevia now as opposed to bad ol' cane? 

 

[InMyShadow]

Only items you can buy in 7/11 sugar free is diet coke and some teas

Food courts already apply sugar to everything and there is a bowl of it should you need to add several more table spoons

[55Jay]

On 10/21/2017 at 4:35 PM, nisakiman said:

 

Ha! That's rich! Making accusations of propaganda and then quoting Bloomberg! :) Bloomberg the fanatical anti-smoker who just recently jumped on the anti-sugar bandwagon and spent millions of dollars pushing for sugar taxes all over the USA.

 

... but let's take a moment here to savour the defeat of that evil old fossil Michael Bloomberg who has been bankrolling soda tax campaigns all around America (and beyond). He's not short of money but even a billionaire must smart from pouring millions of dollars down the drain, as he has in Chicago.

In 2016, Bloomberg handed over $1 million for ads to build support for the tax, and then donated another $2 million in August 2017.

In September, Bloomberg funnelled in another $3 million to the pro-tax cause.

And two weeks ago, in an extraordinary act of hubris, he handed out a $2.5 million grant to some 'public health' researchers at the University of Illinois to study the effects of the tax.

 

Cook County, it should be noted, just threw the hated soda tax out after just two months.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-met-cook-county-soda-tax-kass-1011-story.html

This soda tax tickled my memory about the previous reduction in soda can serving sizes.    Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the Clinton Foundation, has their snout in the trough, taking big money from Big Soda while taking money to save the children from Big Soda.

Quote

The hacktivist website DC Leaks has released a set of emails that reveal how Hillary Clinton’s campaign seemed to backpedal from supporting a soda tax after an executive from Coca-Cola bristled.

https://www.vox.com/2016/10/26/13404648/leaked-emails-coca-cola-clinton-soda-tax

 

Bill ruffled a few feathers a couple months later at his Americana art festival where Coke prominently featured.  Ok, it's an American icon, but some were none too happy about the conflict of interests.  http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_2015_11_Clinton_Berger.pdf

[eddysmit]

Surely this will rebound back,Thailand exports to America and they will not just sit back and except an extra tax increase,having said that I see quite a few commenting have the right idea,Speedo 1968,good thinking,and the way to go,but this sounds like another money making venture to me,another one,more exercise,and I really get put off when buying already prepared food that has far too much unnecessarily added,and for me should not contain sugar at all,but, if that's what the locals want it's their country and food,the reason I said about the 'over sugared' food is because on most occasions the same food vendor lady has it perfectly balanced,her chicken,potato curry's are out of this world,except for the odd one having the whole bag of sugar fall in occasionally.

[Grumpy Duck]

22 hours ago, attrayant said:

 

No doubt people have heard this.  The media does an absolute crap job of science reporting.  There is a slight difference in how fructose and glucose are metabolized, which may possibly be of interest to diabetics.  However it's still worth noting that HFCS is much sweeter than cane sugar, which means processed food can contain fewer total calories from sugar while keeping the same sweetness.

 

A cursory search turns up the usual junk science sites and internet doctors with their online shops full of supplements.  If we instead turn to sites that have an actual job of reporting what the science shows (instead of trying to sell us something), we find that HFCS is bad only because one of its components (fructose) has been shown to cause — or at least contribute to — hyperlipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance and cardiac disease.  But HFCS is not the only sweetener that has fructose in it.  Some of the so-called "healthy" alternatives like agave syrup have a much higher fructose content than HFCS (more on this below).

 

While looking for studies that reported on fructose in a negative light, I found this one that looks more like a questionnaire than a study: Fructose Increases Cravings for High-Calorie Foods.  Sample size: 24 volunteers in Southern CA.  Color me unimpressed.  Another study I looked at seems to have ignored the fact that people don't consume pure fructose; they eat it in combination with sucrose or glucose in foods such as honey.  Here's a breakdown of the sugars in honey:

 

fructose 38%

glucose 31%

maltose 7%

sucrose 1.3%

other sugars 1.5%

 

Looking at that, I'd say honey qualifies as a type of high-fructose sweetener.  HFCS is about 40-55% fructose, depending on the formulation.  Agave syrup, often touted as a "natural" substitute for HFCS, is a whopping 87% fructose.  That sounds like a high-fructose sweetener to me.  Maple syrup, on the other hand, is quite low in fructose at about 1%.

 

If there is a health problem associated with sugar, it's that we consume too much of any kind of sugar.

 

 

Cites for my posts:

 

Science-based medicine: High Fructose Corn Syrup: Tasty Toxin or Slandered Sweetener?

High fructose corn syrup – don’t be afraid, it’s just sugar

Thanks for all your research, Your closing remark says it all. 

 

Now lets get into the coke vs pepsi debate. 555555 I find pepsi products to be over sweetened and under carbonated to the point of tasting flat. But I also recall reading that carbonation is bad for a persons health also.

I have had 2 cans of coke sitting in my refrigerator for about 4 months now.

I keep one bottle of 7 up for those few occasions when I get sick and vomit. It seems the lemon lime flavoring and carbonation will absorb the toxin that is making me sick and the taste makes vomiting less uncomfortable. 5555

 

Next topic the fat lady we see at the market buying a couple cases of "diet" sodas. 555

[Grumpy Duck]

On 10/22/2017 at 11:51 AM, Stargrazer9889 said:

Diabetes in Asia make some of the people slim or skinny  not obese like it does to people in

Europe and North America,  Something to think about.

Geezer

Is it diabetes that makes people obese? Or is diabetes a side effect of obesity?

[Grumpy Duck]

18 hours ago, BudRight said:

It's called water.

Yes, when I get pain from kidney stones, I look back and realize i have not been drinking my 5x 600ml bottles of water per day. 

[rodney earl]

Just stand next to the noodle shop at any food court and you will see where all of the sugar is eaten.!!!!!

[LammyTS1]

On 23 October 2017 at 9:22 AM, Bill Miller said:

Odd that you simply cannot find sugar free alternatives to most soda pop. Diet Coke, Pepsi, and sometimes Est cola are it.
I would greatly enjoy a sugar free root beer now and again, for instance. Sugar free ginger ale, and Sprite.
I drink rather a lot of soda water, but a flavoured alternative now and then is welcome. I like bubbles. 
How about if the government encouraged growing stevia now as opposed to bad ol' cane? 

 

I get Diet Irn Bru, Vimto & Tango from a local shop that imports it, but the big stores only have Pepsi max & Coke Zero. 

 

Its even difficult to get simple fresh orange juice!

[inThailand]

On 21/10/2017 at 8:16 AM, tracker1 said:

They need all the money they can get those subs arn't cheap !

Sugar for subs?

[GOLDBUGGY]

Although I like the idea of what they are trying to accomplish here, with this new tax, even banning Coke and Pepsi totally, isn't going to change a thing. The real culprit here is Sugar, and if Thailand put a tax on that then Brazil and India would just sell more on the open market.

 

When I was a kid having a coke or chocolate bar was a rare treat. Our normal treat was an apple. We didn't ride around on motor cycles, but instead had 10 Speed Bicycles that got us anywhere in the city we wanted to go. Physical Education at school was mandatory. But most of us stayed after school anyway to play baseball. The only Fast Food I knew of was a Peanut  Butter and Jam Sandwich. There was no McDonald's or KFC and I never even heard of Pizza then. There was an A & W Drive-In around, but so far out on the highway and too expensive for us kids, that we seldom went.

 

If they are really serious about this, then all these issues have to be addresses. Putting a Tax on Coke or Pepsi with do nothing. Replacing Vending Machines that sell them, with Natural Orange Juice would be better. But if all you are looking for is more Tax Dollars, then I suppose this is a good idea.

[overherebc]

On 23/10/2017 at 9:22 AM, Bill Miller said:

Odd that you simply cannot find sugar free alternatives to most soda pop. Diet Coke, Pepsi, and sometimes Est cola are it.
I would greatly enjoy a sugar free root beer now and again, for instance. Sugar free ginger ale, and Sprite.
I drink rather a lot of soda water, but a flavoured alternative now and then is welcome. I like bubbles. 
How about if the government encouraged growing stevia now as opposed to bad ol' cane? 

 

Once in Chicago I was standing next to woman who ordered a double cheese burger french fries extra large with melted cheese and added the famous words 'you'd better make it a diet soda'

[EnlightenedAtheist]

I wonder when --sorry, if-- they are going to start taxing bottled water in those cancer-giving plastic bottles!  And, of course, all beverage in a plastic bottle is just as unhealthy and toxic.

[Bill Miller]

5 hours ago, EnlightenedAtheist said:

I wonder when --sorry, if-- they are going to start taxing bottled water in those cancer-giving plastic bottles!  And, of course, all beverage in a plastic bottle is just as unhealthy and toxic.

Interesting. I am editing this because my entire reply did not post.
It was to the effect that "they" will start taxing plastic drink bottles when a reputable, scientific study shows there is an actual link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3JYPnFyHfjDB0jTJFSw97ms/can-plastic-water-bottles-cause-cancer
Read this ^^ and answer, are you a man or a mouse, lol.

Every blurb about the horrible dangers of plastic food containers is hyperbolic nonsense, based on poor outcomes for juvenile rodents.

[Grumpy Duck]

On 10/27/2017 at 10:08 AM, overherebc said:

Once in Chicago I was standing next to woman who ordered a double cheese burger french fries extra large with melted cheese and added the famous words 'you'd better make it a diet soda'

I wonder if she was the one I saw in Los Angeles at an In & Out Burger 2 double doubles with extra large cheese fries, and a diet soda. Does she travel? 5555. 

[Bill Miller]

1 hour ago, Grumpy Duck said:

I wonder if she was the one I saw in Los Angeles at an In & Out Burger 2 double doubles with extra large cheese fries, and a diet soda. Does she travel? 5555. 

I can say nothing. I would never have that amount, and never ever "cheese fries", but I have ordered a Big Mac meal, e.g., , upsized because I wanted the large Coke Zero, and intended to not eat the extra large portion of fries.
Intended.
Intended.
What happened to the little paper sack "regular" size fries?

[overherebc]

3 hours ago, Grumpy Duck said:

I wonder if she was the one I saw in Los Angeles at an In & Out Burger 2 double doubles with extra large cheese fries, and a diet soda. Does she travel? 5555. 

Sisters ?????

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, Bill Miller said:

I can say nothing. I would never have that amount, and never ever "cheese fries", but I have ordered a Big Mac meal, e.g., , upsized because I wanted the large Coke Zero, and intended to not eat the extra large portion of fries.
Intended.
Intended.
What happened to the little paper sack "regular" size fries?

My first time in Chicago I went for breakfast and ordered pancakes and bacon with as I call it 'mapil sirpil' ?? I was gobsmacked when it arrived.

6 pancakes about 8" diameter with at least 8 rashers of bacon on top and a jug of syrup.

Anyway, back to Thailand, I have never seen seen my wife add sugar to any of the food she cooks or even add it to coffee or tea. 

However, I know guys whose wives pile sugar and MSG on their kids food. Reason given is that 'if I don't do it they won't eat it' I really can't make further comment on that except to say it's probably not just Thailand.

[Sir Dude]

A 'war on sugar' seems slightly lame considering the spectrum of other pressing problems Thailand obviously has. Facepalm.

[LammyTS1]

On 10/27/2017 at 10:08 AM, overherebc said:

Once in Chicago I was standing next to woman who ordered a double cheese burger french fries extra large with melted cheese and added the famous words 'you'd better make it a diet soda'

 

The woman in Chicago obviously didn't have a sweet tooth, exactly why all McDonald's & BK's have the option of diet drinks. 

 

I personally only consume diet drinks & if not available, water. Why should this preclude me from enjoying fast food on the odd occasion?

 

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

The woman in Chicago obviously didn't have a sweet tooth, exactly why all McDonald's & BK's have the option of diet drinks. 

 

I personally only consume diet drinks & if not available, water. Why should this preclude me from enjoying fast food on the odd occasion?

 

Because the process involved in producing fast food uses more sugar than you probably imagine so having a 'diet soda' has little effect on your sugar intake with that meal. You're probably looking at 5 plus grams in a burger, most in the bun, and .2 to 1 gram in the french fries.

Mass produced food has so much white sugar it would scare you. Check commercial low fat yoghurt. Sugar added to make it taste good because removing the fat removes taste.

[overherebc]

Tomato sauce in the burger can have up to 4 grams in a tablespoonful.

Add it all up and you can have 10 grams of sugar in your burger fries with tomato sauce.

Add the melted cheese which isn't really cheese and it's a scary load in one meal.

[attrayant]

A Big Mac has 20 grams of carbs; four of those come from sugars. A 24 ounce coca cola has about 70 grams of carbs, all from sugar.  Drinking your calories is one of the worst things you can do if you're going to have the occasional comfort food once in a while.

 

 

[Jingthing]

A better British sugar tax.

Brexit all that sugar, baby ...

 

Quote

Why the British soda tax might work better than any of the soda taxes that came before

 

https://www.financial-marketresearch.com/why-the-british-soda-tax-might-work-better-than-any-of-the-soda-taxes-that-came-before/

[Dumbastheycome]

Does  nobody  uestion  why   less  sugar in a  formulation  result  in an increase  in consumer  price?

Is  water  now  such an expensive  commodity?

Or  is  the  addiction to  sucrose  so  important  to  the   Cartel?

[EnlightenedAtheist]

On 28/10/2017 at 11:22 PM, Sir Dude said:

A 'war on sugar' seems slightly lame considering the spectrum of other pressing problems Thailand obviously has. Facepalm.

Well, it might be lame because there are no body bags zipped up right away, but eventually, they all go quicker than they should that way. Doctors prescribing drugs and the pharma are laughing all the way to the bank as are those companies selling sugar loaded food. Mayo with sugar? Who could have thought it?