As you may or may not know I've been in Indonesia for two weeks now and it is a very different world than Canada which is my home. Hearing prayers echo around the city five times a day is certainly a big reminder I'm not at home right now. However yesterday an article came across my feed about a couple being caned 140 times each...
.... for something that would be a non-issue in Canada.
You can read the article here. However, the basic idea is they got drunk and had sex. It was in a private residence and it was consensual but they couple wasn't married. 40 strokes for alcohol and 100 for sex. Now the area of Indonesia that I'm in actually serves alcohol and even has an unlimited wine promotion for about $30 HBD for two hours. Compared to other happy hour specials I've seen in Japan and the Philippines that is pretty expensive. Reason: Indonesia taxes alcohol in places where it isn't banned.
Which makes me wonder.
When should the state get involved in people's lives and when should they butt out?
Or perhaps consider the Japanese Metabo Law. Which requires middle aged/elderly men to have their waistlines measured and seek treatment if they get too large.
Now I'm not going to argue when the government should and shouldn't get involved but I can say that in Canada the government loves their SIN taxes. Want to smoke? Go ahead...but it will cost you...a lot. In the Philippines a cigarette will cost you P9 or about $0.20 CAD. A pack of 20 be extrapolation would be roughly $4. In Canada? $15. Almost 4x the price and the reason: taxes.
The governments rationale is simple. We pay more for your healthcare so you pay more in taxes.
Alcohol is similar. In the Philippines alcohol is really cheap. However, in Canada and Indonesia it is 3-4x as expensive. Canada because more alcohol, more problems, more tax revenue to fight it. Indonesia? Well, I think they are just trying to encourage Indonesians NOT to drink the stuff and make sure the tourists pay extra for the privilege.
Cannabis? Illegal in the Philippines and Indonesia. In Canada? Heavily taxed. As for why it is legal at all in Canada? Well, when it was illegal organized crime sold cannabis products and made huge amounts of money and made the streets unsafe because of its trafficking. The government decided that if it was legal it would limit profits for organized crime and stop illegal grow operations. Yes, it would cause additional medical issues but they figured the tax dollars would make up for that.
Personally I hate the stuff because after legalization it has become far too easy for teenagers to get. It isn't particularly dangerous for the over 25 crowd (at least when compared to alcohol) but for teenagers and young adults whose brains are still forming.... It is brutal stuff.
but what about sugar?
If you look around the United States, Canada, and many other developing nations it is becoming increasingly obvious that there is something off with modern diets. People who are over fed and under nourished is becoming so common that something really needs to be done about it.
In some countries it is because of ludicrously large portion sizes. Indeed, my son has a slushie cup from 7/11 which is 100oz or about 3 liters. Their pricing makes it the same price to refill that enormous cup as a regular extra large drink. However, what sane person needs to drink 3 liters or sugary liquid by themselves? It's crazy!
When I'm in the Philippines it is just hard for me to find foods with good macro's. Protein is expensive and carbs/sugar/fat is cheap so the prepackaged foods tend to be high in calories but low in protein. In Indonesia? Again, hard to find high protein foods that are prepackaged.
But should the government do something to correct this imbalance? Cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis are drugs so it makes sense to regular them. Sugar is something found in every fruit that grows it's "Natural", it's "Food" so should the government start regulating food.
Well, I should restate that. The government absolutely should regulate food to make sure it isn't adulterated and is of high quality but should it try to keep people from the harms of refined sugar?
When I went to Europe in 2019 I had to smile when I noticed that "sugary" drinks in the vending machine were more expensive than the "diet" ones in the same vending machine. SIN tax on the high sugar drinks.
When I'm in the Philippines I have to smile. There is Coke Zero which is 0 calorie but even the "Regular" Coke has less than half the calories of Canadian Coca-Cola. Why? It has some sugar but it also uses artificial sweeteners. Whether this has to do with the cost of sugar, sugar shortages, or government requirements but it is interesting that no-one seems to care and the sugar is absolutely reduced.
In Canada? At least in my province? There was a law that was supposed to be introduced and I even saw a sugar tax on one receipt...but it seems to have fallen by the wayside.
I'm a little sad it didn't get enacted.
I've enjoyed a daily Coca-Cola for decades. However I'm also overweight and I really don't want to be. I know that the sugar in there is bad for me and I refuse to drink the 100% sugar variety cola. I also really dislike the diet stuff. So I buy both diet and regular and mix it to get a much lower variety of coca cola (usually one part sugar, two parts diet). I enjoy the taste and enjoy knowing it is much lower calorie. I don't enjoy having to become a food chemist and mix my own to get a lower sugar version of a drink I love.
Regulate the sugar content and give the companies a reason to make lower calorie content and that would make my life a lot easier and it would be just one nice step towards a healthier country. However, sugar is everywhere. It's in the bread in fast food chains. It is in the doughnuts at every Tim Hortons. In ice cream and cakes that show up at every child's birthday party. In chocolate bars and chocolates that see to come up with every holiday.
Honestly? I wish it were easier to avoid the high sugar that seems to be everywhere. Right now I've gone halfway across the world to get to a place where I won't be inundated with high calorie, high sugar foods every single day...so I can focus on losing weight.
It would be nice if it was easier to do a lot closer to home.
My son states it better when he comes back from Japan. "Dad. It is so easy to be healthy in Japan. Every 7/11 has healthy meals that are cheap and taste good. They aren't large but they are filling. Why can't we do that in Canada?". It's a good question. Why not? I loved eating Japanese 7/11 food and agree it was much lower calorie and very tasty. Prepackaged stuff in Canada? A heart attack waiting to happen. Why? Well, because of marketing and public opinion. If only the government could give a little nudge towards healthier fare I think everyone would benefit.
Of course that is just my quick thought. I'm sure many people like their great tasting albeit not very healthy foods. I'm probably one of them. However, I'd love a nudge towards food that will keep me thin so I can enjoy my life more...and hopefully have more of it. Either way I'd love to get comments and thank you for making it this far. Always appreciate eyes on my posts :)
