Taxing soda to fight obesity?

[The Straight Story]

Taxing soda to fight obesity?
Wednesday, April 08, 2009


What's the best way to fight obesity? Some say a tax on sugary beverages is the way to go, and several states are already considering it.

Studies show kids in this country drink more soda and other sweetened beverages than milk, and that concerns many.

High taxes on cigarettes have cut smoking rates, so experts think a similar tax on soda and other sweetened drinks might curb consumption up to 10 percent.

Doctors say soda drinkers tend to weigh more and have a higher risk for diabetes.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health&id=6752384

Tax crime, see if it drops too :)

[spoony]

1. Hands off my Jones!

(wraps arms around half a dozen Orange and Cream bottles)

[alittlelark]

12. I'm drinking a fufu berry right now.

yum!

[JI7]

2. or they could ban soda from schools

[elleng]

4. That too.

Some tried, then cos started to bribe/intimidate schools.

[IDFbunny]

7. Big Sugar doesn't care about diabetes or obese children

We need to take sugar out of the schools and we need to identify the enemy as big sugar.

[KamaAina]

8. That'd be Big High Fructose Corn Syrup

d/b/a Archer Daniels Midland.

Very few "sugary" drinks (Jones is one) contain any actual sugar nowadays. Therein, methinks, lies a large part of the problem.

[SeattleGirl]

21. Yep. HFCS has replaced sugar in many things.

I wish it would be banned. It seems to be worse than sugar ever was.

[Dora]

83. It's Big Corn, not Big Sugar.

Give me cane sugar every day. HFCS is illegal in our house.

Who's behind Big Corn? Monsanto.

[Quantess]

10. Pepsi gives way too much money to schools for soda pop to ever be banned.

Sad but true.

[nonconformist]

15. Our school district removed the soda vending machines a couple of years ago

Now, they only have water and juices. I fully support that.

I don't, however, support taxes on soda.

[Quantess]

29. Good point, I forgot that Pepsi also makes juice products and water.

So, Pepsi could still market their non-soda products if sodas were banned.

[JI7]

39. paying for water is stupid also

i just think schools should encourage students to drink more water and to have those sports bottles full of water with them at all times.

[TheFarseer]

50. I've never understood bottled water either

You can get water for free out of the tap and you can carry it around in a vessel other than a disposable plastic aquafina bottle. How much oil is wasted on this every year to make the bottles and to transport it? And I don't support a tax on soda!

[rcrush]

75. Except the water that comes out of your tap is contaminated

and most water filters wont filter out the flouride.

[JeanGrey]

91. Why would you want to filter it out? We grew up where

there was fluoride water and I'm grateful to god for it, I am 55 and have great teeth. Two cavities ever.

[Lance_Boyle]

55. the juices are no better than the sodas in terms of HFCS

my school had water fountains - free.

[Hippo_Tron]

34. In elementary and middle schools maybe...

But aren't high schoolers old enough to make nutritional decisions themselves? Having the soda machine was useful when I needed to grab a diet coke to give me a little caffine boost during the day.

[JI7]

38. no they aren't, i'm sure some might be, but many aren't

also, in high school the weight gain and other problems resulting from non healthy foods and drinks like soda and chips don't become evident. it's a little later in life where it starts to show, sometimes in college.

so kids think they can have that crap and it wont affect them.

[Hippo_Tron]

42. High school kids are faced with much more dangerous perils than sodas

If we expect them to make mature decisions about alcohol and drugs then surely we have to expect them to be able to make mature decisions about sodas.

[JI7]

43. rather we "want" them to m ake mature decisions, but most of us know that is not

going to be the case. whether it's safe sex, drugs and alcohol, or eating healthy.

[Hippo_Tron]

82. They are less than 4 years away from being legal adults, some of them less than a year

Some of them are even 18 already. Certainly we know that they don't always make good decisions. But if we don't trust them to do anything then they will be completely unprepared for adult responsibilities.

[JI7]

85. it's not about trust as much as just helping them to start off on a better track

i'm not saying they should be banned from buying soda anywhere. just ban it in schools. many kids get soda in schools just because it's convenient for them. they want something to drink and it's there.

if there are better options they will get those instead.

[JerseygirlCT]

58. Done that here. nt

[elleng]

3. Do it.

With luck, it will first affect families, keep the stuff away from home.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Nanny State here we come!

[KurtNYC]

71. so legalize everything? have no social programs,

no prisons (vigilantes are cheaper), no FDA, no CDC, no ATF, no public education, no social security, no medicaid, no medicare, no highways, no fire departments.... ???

IMHO There is nothing wrong with the idea of a nanny state -- heck we already have one. It just needs to cost less.

[CTyankee]

74. A tax on soda would be a sales tax, which is inherently regressive. It hurts poor people

more than it does rich people. The corps that make HFCS have addicted people to these sodas (and other products made with HFCS). For the state to turn around and "solve" the problem of obesity on the backs of those least able to afford it is not what I call "nanny state"ism. To me, a nanny state would help, not hurt, people...

[KurtNYC]

76. but poor people can't afford diabetes and heart disease either

diabetes costs about $18 day

And the term "nanny state" is a vague mean-whaever-it-means-to-you kind of term so I am always curious to see what it means to the people who use it.

[CTyankee]

77. Well, my "nanny state" would go after HFCS,put the companies who make/use it out of business.

As you point out, the substance is harmful, just like tobacco. I'm just against making the burden of taxation and/or disease fall completely on the poorest individuals in our society.

Ideally, my nanny state would also make fruit water a delightful alternative. I would have them set up in all public schools and sell it in supermarkets at a subsidized cost to keep prices down.

I would also have better nutrition education a part of public schooling.

And of course I would have universal health care that included a lot more preventive approaches, a lot of emphasis on diet and exercise.

[Thothmes]

86. So if people drank the same amount of soda pop

sweetened with sugar instead of HFCS they would be healty, not obese, and diabetes free?

[CTyankee]

87. I didn't say that. Fruit water is just that, fruit in water. No added sugar.

It is naturally sweet. Where did you get the idea that fruit water was laden with sugar?

[Thothmes]

90. So if people drank "fruit water"

at the rate they drink soda pop, they will be healthy, not obese, not diabetic? What is wrong with drinking water. Why does water have to be flavored with anything.

[CTyankee]

95. Nothing wrong with plain water. I was suggesting fruit water as a compromise

for people who like, and may be addicted to, a sweet beverage. But if water has some fruit added, that's more nutrition. I don't see a problem here...:shrug:

[Terry in Austin]

72. Nanny state

You say that like it's a bad thing...

[54anickel]

6. Wouldn't that sort of be taxation without representation - though that has no meaning any longer....

Why not get the soda companies to stop using the cheap sweeteners and HFCS. They could pass on that expense and make it healthier but a bit more cost prohibitive. It's not like there's a DIRECT link to soda and obesity - there are many more contributing factors. The comparison to cigarettes seems apples/oranges to me. :shrug:

[dixiegrrrrl]

24. Actually, it was reported recently that soda comp. are returning to sugar.

They apparently have gotten the message that consumers are not happy about HFC.

[ejpoeta]

9. i knew that once they got away with that with cigarettes, it wouldn't be long.

And all those folks out there who were so happy about taxing cigarettes are going to be throwing a fit now. I don't really like the idea myself, but what's fair is fair. It's not fair to make a minority pay for everything. Why stop there!! why not tax EVERYTHING that could potentially be bad for us. Pretty much anything can be. Patterson did try to tax pop in NY. there's a reason why he changed his mind. It's not about drinking pop or cookies. It's about exercise. people don't and/or cant' some work endless hours and a lot of kids are overworked with schoolwork and then there is the fear of letting the kids go outside. Things sure have changed since I was a kid.

Taxing something sounds great as a deterrent. unfortunately, it isn't to make it a deterrent. it's to get more money. period.

[The Straight Story]

11. ANYTHING that they can tie to health care they will tax - and yet we have no real healthcare

go figure. But people buy into it because it makes em feel all warm and fuzzy.

[TahitiNut]

13. God forbid we build parks, bike paths, par courses, disc golf courses, hiking trails, ...

... and other outdoor PUBLIC recreation facilities. When I was growing up, we had two private swimming pools (open to the public) and about seven lakefront beaches within a 30 minute drive. Now? Only one public pool and no lakes open to swimming that I know of within an hour's drive.

[The Straight Story]

17. Yeah but with these taxes you have health care...Oh wait....

I wonder what they really use the money for??

And yeah - back in the day my Grandfather built a park for the people of his small town (Byesville, OH). It is still there, and darned nice, and they even put his name on a park bench in the town square. Folks still enjoy softball there and picnics. Now we raise taxes to stop people from doing things we don't like. And give it to corporations.

[TahitiNut]

28. My father (and uncles) were born in Byesville ... 1910-1920.

(Did we already discuss this once?) It was when coal-mining was big in Byseville ... and Lewis was organizing the miners. My grandfather was black-balled for being an organizer.

[The Straight Story]

32. We didn't discuss I think

And many of my relatives were miners as well...

You might be my long lost uncle :rofl:

[TahitiNut]

37. There just CAN'T be many people who even KNOW the name Byesville!

I mean ... we're talking about the middle of nowhere and a small town, right? My ex-wife was from Columbus and they only knew about it vaguely.

:rofl:

[ejpoeta]

47. they use it to prop everything else up. it would be one thing if it was

actually used to combat the thing they are railing against. but it isn't. it's just a way to get more tax revenue.

[ejpoeta]

46. not when it's THEIR stuff that is being taxed. that's the funny thing. tax the hell out of

cigarettes!! but don't you dare mess with my pop!!! LOL!! i may not be a fan of the idea myself, but it sure is fun to watch folks piss and moan about this when they were all for taxing cigarettes. you wanted it, folks. now you'll get it!! hehe.

[NeedleCast]

14. More six taxes, super...

[ourbluenation]

16. so how would diet drinks fit in this scheme? n/t

[The Straight Story]

19. They are next, your health suffers from industry making them and adding pollution

You are screwed any way you go.

[SoCalNative]

They don't

it would ONLY be for beverages containing sugar or sugar derivatives.

[handmade34]

18. tax it!

large corporations make ridiculous amounts of money from soda and it is full of disgusting high fructose corn syrup. ...and by the way, milk ain't all that good. Make 'em drink water! No tax on water!

[MercutioATC]

20. Stop passing laws to protect me from myself!!!

Whether it be overt like seat belt laws and helmet laws or covert like taxation of alcohol and tobacco (and now soft drinks), I don't need anybody passing laws to save me from myself.

[dysfunctional press]

31. actually- they're trying to save society from itself...

i doubt that any of the laws are aimed at you in particular.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. I love living in a nanny state...

:sarcasm:

[yellowdogintexas]

23. hey if they just brought back the original small, medium and large cups it would

help.

Remember when an extra large soda was about the size of the largest Starbucks cup?

I do! Now you can't get anything smaller than that unless the place offers a kiddie size.

[L0oniX]

25. Tax high fructose corn syrup.

[Bryn]

68. Good Idea!

Better yet ... ban high fructose corn syrup. More and more news are coming out on this one. Diabetic increases by 90% since HFCS

[Dora]

84. Yes. I think so.

But get ready for the price of bread and many processed foods to skyrocket.

[wickerwoman]

26. Sounds good. Invest the money in drinkable tap water for all Americans.

It's absolutely scandalous that in the richest country in the world you can't get drinkable tap water in large swathes of the country.

[Avalux]

27. If I've said this once.....

I've said it thousands of times. No one can be FORCED to be healthy. If people would rather drink soda, eat fast food and die from obesity-related illnesses, that is their choice. If people would rather drink every day and smoke two packs of ciggs every day and die from liver failure and emphysema, that is their choice.

Tell them the risks. Let them know of the alternatives. What they do is up to them. Choice.

[burning rain]

30. IF you were going to use special taxes to discourage obesity......

an extra tax on buffets and other all-you-can-eat deals might be an option. I'm not inclined to favor that approach, although I am appalled by obesity levels in the US. My principles lead me to oppose what I see as regressive taxes that disproportionately sock the poor (also cigarettes).

[Marrah_G]

52. I am over wieght and havent been to a buffet in 15 years or more.

I know you might find this shocking but we don't all spend our days shoveling tons of food into our mouths like you see on TV.

[ejpoeta]

63. that must be why though. there can be no other possible reason than we just sit and eat

fatty foods all day. oh, and NEVEr eat anything healthy either. I never had a problem with my weight until I had my oldest daughter. I gained most of the weight at the end. I never got rid of all of it . When i became stay at home mom, it got harder. Hard to exercise when you have kids climbing all over you. Then I had my second daughter. just seemed to build on the first with the weight issues. I've tried, but i am so tired all the time and have a hard time getting around. and the kids don't like to be helpful when I try to exercise. Excuses, maybe it sounds that way. But it's not like overweight people WANT to be overweight. I used to be a size 8. When I had emily and went to buy some clothes afterwards, i cried in the dressing room when 14 was the size. now i would be very happy to be that 14. I don't go to buffets either. Not often. And it's not like I have ever nor would I now eat more than a plate of food. But some folks want to think that could be the only reason....

[CTyankee]

88. I sounds like you are having a bad time. I hope you don't get too discouraged.

It's a hard thing and I'm sorry you don't have the support you need.

Maybe you could just write down everything you eat and look at the list, then just drop the things off that you feel you really don't need. I did that and dropped pounds and dollars (off my weekly supermarket bill). It was eye opening!

It's really a problem in this country and I'm very unhappy with the way it is panning out. I hope you'll get some advice from lots of sources and have a good outcome and come back to TV shows with some wonderful advice!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

93. A hint: Get your thyroid checked. Don't let people tell you it's all your fault.

Many people have impaired metabolisms, due to a number of reasons, including autoimmune disorders.

There are millions of people with an underactive or dead thyroid gland. Not all of them are middle aged women but many of them are. My thyroid died when I was ten years old.

Get your doctor to do a TSH blood test. Do NOT take Synthroid or Cytomel, if you need thyroid.
Insist on Armour, which is natural and cheap and more bioactive than the synthetics.

Most doctors either refuse to treat the symptoms (tiredness, cold hands and feet, extreme fatigue, weight gain, hair falling out, puffy face) or undertreat them, and tell the patient it's all in their head.

Read more: www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

Good luck. I eat a lot less than most people, a lot healthier than most people, and exercise and I'm still fat.

[BlooInBloo]

33. It is completely impossible to fight obesity. Even if there were no food anywhere.....

Obese people's genes would just create fat out of pure nothingness.

There is nothing, BUT NOTHING that can be done about it.

It's very sad that's they're so completely powerless against their affliction.

[tabbycat31]

57. I can think of a few ways

1) end the government subsidies for HFCS
2) build more public parks, bike paths, etc.
3) encourage people to walk, use public transportation, or ride their bikes to work/school.
4) make things like gym memberships tax-deductible. I know I'd go regardless, but it might be the kick that some people need to start working out.
5) end NCLB. The cost to our children learning to take a test is that many schools have eliminated recess.
6) Make PE mandatory on a daily basis in all public schools, and change the programs where instead kids spend half the class picking teams for competitive sports, get everyone moving the entire class. Kids these days don't get much exercise at home, at least give them some in school every day.
7) Have restaurants list the nutrition information on their menus (some cities already require this).
8) Proper health and nutrition education should be included in public schools every year at an age-appropriate level (when I was in school health only included a little bit of anti-smoking education and mostly sex education). For the younger kids, simply tell them that fruits and veggies are very good for you and to run around more. Get into more details as kids get older.
9) Advertising campaign to teach Americans what a serving size really is. I started Weight Watchers last week, and one of the first thing I learned was about portions.

[noamnety]

92. "end the government subsidies for HFCS" - AMEN.

We don't need to tax it, we can just stop using tax payer money to pay farmers to produce it.

[flvegan]

35. The best way to fight obesity, realistically, is to teach nutrition and exercise.

It really is just that simple.

[tabbycat31]

36. end subsidies for HFCS

and tax the shit. I'm trying to eliminate it from my diet and it's easier said than done.

I can't wait for the summer when some of the food I'm growing is ready.

[donheld]

40. Maybe many more would drink milk

if they were not lactose intolerant.

[shimmergal]

41. If they kept drinking it from

childhood on, not so many people would be lactose intolerant.

[ejpoeta]

48. i have drank milk since childhood, and i find myself now having problems when i drink it.

i don't know exactly how i would know it would be lactose intolerant, but i get gassy, i guess. but onions are brutal for me. they really do me in. i remember when i was pregnant with my eldest child.... i couldn't get enough milk and juice!!! now i want the milk, but it bothers my stomach. definitely go for the juice, though. and i am craving eggs and toast a lot. hmmm... but i digress. there are plenty of folks who have had milk all their lives but are now realizing it is difficult to drink it. for whatever reason.

[Marrah_G]

53. I became Lac Intol after age 30. I love milk and have drank it all my life.

[donheld]

94. Pure ignorance

I too, drank lots of milk all my life. Over the past few years I've become more and more lactose intolerant.

[davidpdx]

44. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Don't tax my soda pop!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK
FUCK

(ok, you get the picture)

Thankfully I live outside the country right now, so it would only affect me when I'm at home. I drink a shitload of the stuff though.

(please hold all thoughts of lecturing me, it does absolutely no good)

[slackmaster]

45. I quit drinking beer about eight weeks ago

It has made a difference.

I gave up sodas about 20 years ago.

[Vinca]

49. I'm for taxing everything bad for us if it will provide money for healthcare.

REAL healthcare, not a rinky dink plan from Blue Cross that they're mandated to sell you but covers nothing. A couple of cents on a bottle of carbonated corn syrup won't hurt anyone.

[taterguy]

54. Who gets to decide what's "bad" for us?

A moderate amount of wine is generally considered to be healthy.

An excessive amount is unhealthy.

How do you tax that?

[Vinca]

69. When in doubt, tax it. If you can afford to buy the bottle of wine

you can afford a couple of cents extra for healthcare.

[taterguy]

73. What happens if the tax discourages enough people from buying the "bad" product

No revenue for health care.

What a stupid way to finance a major program

[Vinca]

78. How about a 1% tax on everything?

If you aren't shelling out $12,000 a year for inferior health insurance, you should be happy as a clam to pay $101 for $100 worth of goods.

[ChazII]

80. Good point.

Some areas are already feeling the pinch because of folks cutting back on smoking.

[CTyankee]

96. I have to laugh when I see how wine is regarded in Italy, Spain and France

and how it is regarded here. In those countries, wine is drunk at all times of day and night. Little cafes and bars serving wine, coffee and delectable small dishes are everywhere and people are in them at all hours, not just meal times. It's amazing. And the people are NOT obese! Go figure...

[ecstatic]

56. me too. Besides, it's unreasonable to think

we can get a universal health plan AND not be expected to follow some sort of health guidelines. The direction we're going in this country as far as health and weight is very bad and health costs would get expensive very quickly without regulations of some sort.

[Marrah_G]

51. They should tax all things that are not healthy-

Before long we can all exist in little sterile rooms surviving on filtered and distilled water and flavorless nutrition tablets.

[bighart]

59. If you support high taxes on tobacco than you MUST support

high taxes on empty calorie sweetened drinks and snacks. To support one and not the other is intellectually bankrupt IMHO. I am a smoker who is currently in a supervised cessation program but have supported higher taxes on tobacco every time I have had the opportunity to vote on them. I do not drink soda very much at all because I know with my smoking I don't need to be overweight as well.
Consumption of both of these kinds of products have health ramifications and as such should be discouraged. I don't like bans unless there is an ethical reason for them but believe if it is a risky behavior you had better learn to pay for your vice.

[taterguy]

60. And you MUST support significantly higher gas taxes

Right?

[bighart]

61. havent't complained about them.

I don't drive much at all so the prospect of higher gas taxes does not really impact me too much.
In short my answer is yes. I do get tired of people bitching about gas prices and oil company profits
when the fact is that governments, local, state and fed, make more money on the sale of gallon of gas
than the gas station or oil companies. I am not defending oil company profits in any way, but facts are
facts.

[bighart]

62. by the way, how about you actally respond to the point I made.

[taterguy]

64. I think taxes should be for revenue, not behaviour modification

There are infinite choices we make that have an impact on our health

We should be allowed to make those choices and not have them made for us or face severe financial repercussions.

[bighart]

65. so you don't support tobacco taxes either?

What about gas taxes?

[taterguy]

67. Gas should be taxed sufficiently to cover the government expense for road building and maintenance

But that will never happen

[madmom]

66. I love the hypocrisy here. Tax tobacco but not pop. LOL! For those

of you complaining about either, you don't have to stop, the choice is still yours, just have to pay a little more. What's wrong with drinking water?
Another poster said something about re-educating people about what they eat/drink and about serving sizes. I have an idea. How about we put home economics back in our school curriculums.People don't know the meaning of home-made anymore. They think if you take a box home and add water/milk it's home made.This is one of my pet peeves!:rant:

[-..__...]

70. How about... the more you weigh, the more you pay?

This idea serves as a perfect example of irresponsible we've become (over weight?.. well stop shoveling that shit in your mouth. Don't blame the manufacturers for your problem).

It also gives ammunition to those that are fed up with paying a tax (especially a "sin tax"), on every little thing the government can think of.

[CTyankee]

97. I think it's perfectly reasonable for the government to determine if a substance is

deleterious to people's health and limit its use through regulation (I'm talking about HFCS). We have laws against selling tobacco to minors, for instance.

It is bad policy to tax individuals on their usage of the product if they don't even know it contains it. Besides, most truly obese people are not the rich; they tend to be on the lower income rungs. Such taxation is regressive and hurts the poor.

More education on nutrition is also needed.

[chaska]

79. If they tax it, put in the law that water must be free....

in restaurants.

If they tax it, the price of a cup of water will go way up and it should be free.

[Forkboy]

81. I'm convinced that the only fair tax is a toilet paper tax.

[CTyankee]

98. That's discriminatory!! Women will be disproportionately taxed!!

My state's ERA will forbid it!

[Reterr]

89. Oh God this onslaught of libertarian bullshit on DU is so annoying

OMG...they are taxing things fairly...run around in circles and shout and scream.

The reality is that if you factored in real social and environment impacts on people here and the world over, a lot of the shit we sell in the US would be pricier and that would be a fairer price.

Go ahead and tax sodas by all means big gubmint..this socialist is on your side.