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A Soda Tax to Fight Obesity?
The latest proposal for a "soda tax" comes from a
prestigious group of researchers. These scientists authored a
review of studies examining the contribution that sweetened sodas,
energy drinks, sports beverages, and iced tea have on obesity,
and published it in the September 16, 2009, issue of the New England
Journal of Medicine.
The group advocated a tax of one cent per ounce on sugar-laden
drinks. That would add an estimated 50 cents to the price of a
two-liter bottle of (non-diet) soda.
Sugary drinks are certainly not the only contributor to the obesity
epidemic in the United States, but they are a major source of
the average intake of 355 "empty" calories of sugar
per day consumed in the United States. That amounts to 22 teaspoons
of sugar daily. A single 12-ounce soda contains about 130 calories
and the equivalent of eight teaspoons of sugar. Moreover, the
high glycemic load of sugary drinks provokes insulin resistance
in many people, which underlies much of the obesity in our society
and raises risks of type 2 diabetes.
The researchers estimated that at current levels of consumption,
a penny-an-ounce tax could raise $14.9 billion per year that could
be directed toward health care reform. And it should decrease
consumption. Evidence suggests that for every 10 percent rise
in the price of soft drinks, consumption decreases by eight to
10 percent.
It's no surprise that this proposal is vehemently opposed by
the beverage industry. Its representatives take issue with claims
that their products are to blame for obesity and with the notion
that a soda tax would remedy the problem.
Critics of similar taxing initiatives such as the "fat tax"
are dubious about such proposals, claiming that they're simply
government ploys to divert portions of the money people spend
on junk food to programs which do not have any efficacy in preventing
their intending goal.
Reference
Source 144
November 4, 2009
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