When I was much heavier, I had a massive soda addiction. I drank more than a 2 liter a day. (I know. I’m hanging my head in shame right now.) Part of that came from a daily stop at McDonald’s to grab an extra large Coke on the way to pick up the kids. I see other people doing this exact same thing all the time, and it’s everything I can do to keep my mouth shut. I don’t think anyone wants to hear my input on how bad their soda intake is for them, but I wonder if the government spoke up – would it have an affect?
Several of the nation’s leading health experts are calling for a tax on soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks as a means of curbing America’s ever growing obesity epidemic, with children as the age bracket with the highest levels of rising obesity. A report was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine touting the benefits of such a tax.
From the report:
“We can raise much-needed dollars while likely reducing obesity prevalence, which is a major driver of health care costs,” the paper states. “Ultimately the government needs to raise more money to cover the deficit, and in terms of ways of raising that revenue, a tax on sugar sweetened beverages is really a no-brainer.” (more…)
