Soda fountain refills banned in France

[nikotrope]

There never was a lot of fast foods with soda fountains available to customers to refill their cups in France (probably less than 1% of fast foods). But sugar is evil so the government decided to ban these machines because it will reduce obesity.

When loading with PUFA and empty starches, soda will do no good for sure. But this new law is ridiculous!

http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/ ... 98229.html (in French but you can use Google Translate).

 

[you]

Sugar is evil, now enjoy your grain-fed meat, cage-eggs and chicken deep-fried in canola oil!

Thank you Godvernment! What would we do without you?

 

[jyb]

I don't think it's good to refill on very high sucrose / HFCS drinks when you just had a very rich pufa/carb mixed meal at the place. Those soda drinks are also empty in nutrients (and filled with nasties). Sorry, but it's not completely irrational even if banning other things would be good too.

 

[Dean]

France has also in the last few days banned ultra-thin runway models. No joke.

 

[Such_Saturation]

New French Law Forces Buildings to Plan for Green Roofs

 

[nikotrope]

I don't think it's good to refill on very high sucrose / HFCS drinks when you just had a very rich pufa/carb mixed meal at the place. Those soda drinks are also empty in nutrients (and filled with nasties). Sorry, but it's not completely irrational even if banning other things would be good too.

I agree with you and said it in my original post. But if you tax sugar and not fatty food, then I think there's a problem. And we will never tax fat in the country of cheeses!

 

[tara]

France has also in the last few days banned ultra-thin runway models. No joke.

That strikes me as an excellent idea. I think Such (or someone else?) posted last year about Italy banning some kinds of anorexia promotion too. Could well save lives. I think it is part of the job of a good government to figure out how to prevent industry from causing society a whole lot of externalised costs.

 

[Sheik]

France has also in the last few days banned ultra-thin runway models. No joke.

Discrimination. This whole thread makes me hate the french government.

But I genuinely have a hard time believing that that's what other men are actually attracted to. It certainly doesn't turn me on. It's more superficial than genuine attraction. It's an ego trip. Fat = BAD, so opposite of fat must be GOOD. Date skeletons; no one can accuse you of having bad taste.

 

[tara]

France has also in the last few days banned ultra-thin runway models. No joke.

Discrimination. This whole thread makes me hate the french government.

I see it more as limiting work place abuse and limiting employers ability to require employees to enagage in unsafe practices. If it were about naturally thin people, I'd agree with you that it would be discrimination. But the ultra-thin models are a few steps beyond that, and don't get like that naturally or healthily, only by starving themselves under pressure by the industry.

 

[Dean]

Well, the law may be well-intentioned; but I see it as overreach. When we start asking government to solve all our problems and protect ourselves from ourselves, it is a slippery slope that will (has) lead to nowhere good.

 

[tara]

Well, the law may be well-intentioned; but I see it as overreach. When we start asking government to solve all our problems and protect ourselves from ourselves, it is a slippery slope that will (has) lead to nowhere good.

I guess it's always going to be tricky figuring out where to draw the line, and there will always be some differences in opinion about the details. I am really concerned about governmental decisions to protect the population that are based on very poor information (which prevents me from taking charge of my own health in significant ways).
Some large industries have a lot of power, which they often abuse to the cost of the population and the environment. I think we need democratic governments to counter this, because individuals can't by themselves. I'm pleased that we still have some have labour laws regulating the conditions, including safety, that employees can be required to submit to. Still mourning the loss of the hard-won forty hour week here. A law that says an industry cannot profit from pressuring women and girls into dangerous semi-starvation looks more progressive than otherwise to me. It doesn't force any individual to eat, it just limits the destructive power of the industry. The destructive consequences are not only to the models, but also to the rest of the population, via the effect of holding up starving (mostly) women as models. Anorexia is a killer.

 

[Dean]

Tara, I'm no laissez-faire libertarian or anarchist; however, social engineering/socialism can go too far as well. I'm especially uncomfortable with this type of social engineering when authority is so centralized. I'm one of the few who wonders what ever happened to the idea of decentralized, republican democracy. It was a noble concept; and would seem a more effective system for striking a balance between empowerment and accountability.

 

[tara]

Tara, I'm no laissez-faire libertarian or anarchist; however, social engineering/socialism can go too far as well. I'm especially uncomfortable with this type of social engineering when authority is so centralized. I'm one of the few who wonders what ever happened to the idea of decentralized, republican democracy. It was a noble concept; and would seem a more effective system for striking a balance between empowerment and accountability.

I guess I'm more concerned by the destructive social engineering performed by the modelling industry in this example. :)