I recently read an article from The Washington Post about taxing sodas as a means to fighting obesity. Initially, I hated the idea as another attempt for the government to seize some more of my hard-earned money. Nonetheless, I continued to read the article, only to find that my disapproval gradually turned into pleasant agreement.
Kelly Brownwell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, has been rallying to place a heavy tax on soft drinks in order to decrease consumption. Why sodas? According to Bronwell, consumption of soft drinks has been “one of the main contributors to our rising obesity rates” and “cutting back should lead to nationwide weight loss.”
I imagine that the entire American population consumes thousands upon thousands of soft drinks in a single day. Imagine what would happen if that number was cut in half? According to an analysis done by USA TODAY, “higher state taxes on tobacco have produced sharp declines in consumption.” Would soda consumption decrease with an increase in taxes?
In the long run, high sugar intake can cause just as much damage to your body as smoking. The laundry lists of negative health effects include coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, and hypertension. Personally, I rather forgo that can of soda for the cheaper alternative – good, old water!
