An interesting article from the Washington Post cites a perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine calling for taxation of sugared beverages, including soda and sports drinks.
Soda consumption has been thought to be one of the leading drivers of our country's obesity epidemic. Sugared beverages, including fruit juices and those sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, have been associated with increased body weight, poor nutrition, and displacement of more healthful foods and beverages, which can lead not only to obesity, which can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Small taxes have already been adopted in 40 states, but New England and Maine have proposed adopting large taxes on such beverages in hopes of both raising revenue while progressively lowering consumption. If it works in those states, especially in terms of raising revenue, it won't be long before other states follow suit.
What do you think?
Would a soda consumption tax help you, or others, to lose weight?
Should the government profit while supposedly "helping" us?
Check out these articles and then post your thoughts:
Drinking a 20 Ounce Beverage Daily=26 Extra Pounds a Year
Ounces of Prevention — The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages
Soda Tax, Food Policy and Politics
