Do Junk Foods need Cigarette style warning labels?

[crazypants]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/junk-food-needs-graphic-warning-labels-similar-to-tobacco-ontario-doctors-say/article4631243/

[merigayle]

I voted yes. I think most of that shit should be illegal

[OldBaldHippie]

They should be required to put a picture of Honey Boo Boo and her mom on there...

[onawhim]

I am not sure how I feel about this.  Imagine if you had to be 19 to buy candy?  Holy crap I would have been a childhood black marketeer for sure    I am ok with taxes maybe.  I would need to know more.  The pictures eh.  I think it would be more helpful for calorie counts to be more prominent and to tell you the entire amount instead of hiding it within a serving size which by the small print is like half a cookie.  Who eats half a cookie?  I liked in NYC how calories for all dishes were listed.  I know some people hate it but if a salad has 3000 calories I want to know about it.  That way I can eat a pizza instead 

[merigayle]

I am not sure how I feel about this.  Imagine if you had to be 19 to buy candy?  Holy crap I would have been a childhood black marketeer for sure    I am ok with taxes maybe.  I would need to know more.  The pictures eh.  I think it would be more helpful for calorie counts to be more prominent and to tell you the entire amount instead of hiding it within a serving size which by the small print is like half a cookie.  Who eats half a cookie?  I liked in NYC how calories for all dishes were listed.  I know some people hate it but if a salad has 3000 calories I want to know about it.  That way I can eat a pizza instead 

totally agree.

[wombleatwimbledon]

heh - this isn't really relevant but we are looking at making it illegal for cig packets to have anything printed on them except the warnings (just like the aussies have just done). Can you imagine a candy bar with only the calories printed on them...

http://www.smh.com.au/national/plain-cigarette-packaging-to-start-in-2012-20111121-1nqbo.html

[debbatx]

THIS BAG OF CHIPS IS XXXX CALORIES. THAT'S ABOUT 5 EXTRA POUNDS ON YOUR ASS. I'M JUST SAYIN'.

Something like that might work.

[crazypants]

"Warning- eating this delicious chocolate bar will make you a fat diabetic. Don't let it fool you- the peanuts aren't health food- they're gonna kill you. At least you can die young knowing that you made a conscious choice. Your life for a chocolate bar. Enjoy, idiot."

[Magic Microbe]

I just don't see how "junk food" can be defined in a fair way.

[crazypants]

I just don't see how "junk food" can be defined in a fair way.

I say we allow me to define what's junk food and what's not. And no- it might not be fair, but it will be effective.

Pizza with chicken peperoni : Not Junk Food.
Pizza with pork or beef peperoni: Junk Food.
Frozen Yogurt with <3.5% fat : Not Junk Food.
Frozen Yogurt with > 3.51% fat: Junk Food.
Hamburger, BBQ'd with whole wheat bun: Not Junk food.
Hamburger, Fried with white bun: Junk food.

[makeda]

I just don't see how "junk food" can be defined in a fair way.

1

Are we going to label and/or tax bags of sugar, bags of white flour, boxes of butter, or packets of ground beef or bacon?  What about most of the cheese department?  Even if we just limit it to prepared goods, would that include freezer goods like premium ice cream, tater tots, chicken nuggets, fish sticks, or pizza?  What about mayonnaise, salad dressing, or maple syrup?  If potato chips get the gangrenous foot, do Goldfish crackers, too?