Tax Soda to Fight Obesity?

What do you think of a "soda tax" to discourage people from drinking so many calories? Is soda really the leading cause of obesity?



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Answer (Published 11/3/2009)

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.



A tax on soda isn't a new idea, but the current proposal is more appealing to me than earlier ones. 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.



In the past, I've been dubious about similar proposals, such as the so-called "fat tax" that was floated a few years ago to discourage people from buying and eating junk food including soft drinks. Ideally, this would encourage people to divert the money they spend on junk food to healthy foods.



At that time, my primary concern was that the tax might not have the intended result. But I now think that a tax on sodas is worth the experiment. We know that raising taxes on cigarettes has deterred use, especially in young people, and I like the idea of using the money raised by the tax to fund health care reform.



But, like many good ideas, I'm not so sure that a soda tax will win enough political support to become a reality.



Andrew Weil, M.D.

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 While it seems good in principle, I do have some issues with taxing only the sugared sodas, since evidence suggests (as I've read in Dr Weil's columns) that artificial sweeteners also cause cravings and promote weight gain indirectly through those cravings, so to tax the sugar sodas without taxing the artificially sweetened sodas seems disingenuous. 

Likewise, if we tax soda, shouldn't we also tax ice cream, candy and other junk food. In this case, this is picking on a single "food" item in place of other items that also are considered root causes for obesity, and where does this end. A potato is high glycemic--should it be taxed?

Still, this would help solve a pet peeve of mine, that being that locally bottled water tends to be more expensive than similarly sized sodas, though not in the direction I'd want it to go. The price on the water should be a lot less, but people seem to be willing to pay it, so go figure.

Dr. Weil, I do not feel that putting a tax on sodas, regular and/or diet is going to be the answer. Just as it is with cigarettes, porn or anything that people run to when they are stressed or seeking pleasure, people will find a way to get what they want. Seems to me, It is more about changing the cause of the behavior than making it difficult to obtain. Look at the illegal drug trade as an example. I, at the age of 50, just overcame my desire to drink a regular soft drink everyday. I knew it was causing me to gain weight and not be able to lose it but sweets were my only "vice". I would typically give it up for a season and not go right back into my habit after not having any for a couple of months. It seems at first the richness of the sugar is too much. After a while I would be right back up to where I was in my old habit. I had given up diet sodas years ago because of hearing too much about the questionability of the chemicals possibly causing MS symptoms and such. I never really wanted them but they were a substitute for the something that I wanted. The heart of the matter is I want to indulge myself (with sugar) and/or sometimes it makes me feel better, giving me energy, helping me focus, etc., regardless of how short-lived that feeling would be. I do think that the switch to high fructose corn syrup is a factor in the consumption amount or the affect on health/obesity problems. So instead of taxing the growers of corn who supply it cheaper than cane sugars the end users are looking at being taxed...well, let me tell you what will happen...people will drink more sweet tea or lemonade or fruit juices. They may even result to making it at home. Or they will put more in their coffee at breakfast, etc. The lobbyists who work for their "entitled" corn growers will go nuts if you try to tax them. (I am not against farmers either.) There is no lobby for soft drink consumers. It wasn't until hearing my teenage daughters beg me not to drink "poison" (which I had discussed the cons of my habit to them all the time)and I started having some health issues, and I started getting more restful sleep that I could give it up. I might occasionally have a soft drink now if it is made with cane sugar but I try to think of it as a dessert and try to only have it when I experience real stomach hunger not as a pick-me-up in the middle of the day. College habits die hard, LOL! Those days of juggling the books and a job then having babies getting up in the middle of the night led me to bad habits I am just now having any success over. We should only be involved in the oversight of the environment not telling people what they should or shouldn't eat. Remember the Boston Tea Party? When people see my cart at the grocery store full of fresh veggies and things to make a good meal they want to come and eat at my house...they are in line buying nothing but processed junk. It takes a lot of energy as a mom to plan and prepare good meals and to provide good choices for your kids as well as yourself. Sometimes in our busyness it is a difficult thing. I did not like it when the elementary school put in a soda machine. I figured if I wanted my soda bad enough during a kids sporting event I could bring it from home but my child didn't need to spend his lunch money on the empty calories. Children don't understand the ramifications of their choices. Mothers fought to have it removed. Now I see the kids in high schools drinking the sport drinks. It just takes some communication to get them to realize that is not what they need every time. Teaching moderation is essential. Teaching that we don't need to indulge ourselves all the time goes against our nature but is a worthy battle.

Way back around the 1950s  the state of West Virginia did not have very good hospitals, and they had high numbers of respiratory cases related to coal mining.  The state placed a one cent tax on bottled soda  (I might add that sodas were about 10 cents. )     

    The state was able to build many fine hosptals from this tax for the relief of their citizens.  I would be worth recovering this period of West Virginia history.

   I seriously doubt that diet sodas would take care of the obesity problem, for children seem to be "conditioned" to taking the sugar sodas,  and anything else with sugar in it.  Just take a look at the cereal aisle in the grocery.   Pick up any box and note the sugar content.    It is a real challenge to find any cereal without any sugar !