Tax Sugary Sodas to Combat Obesity?

Proposal in Current Health Care Bills Could Raise $140 Billion in Revenue; But Beverage Industry Is Pushing Back

(CBS)  America's expanding waistband is a well-documented and expensive problem. Some say part of the solution lies in taxing one of the causes of obesity - soft drinks full of sugar. But is it possible to legislate a leaner country? CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.

Americans consume roughly 250 more calories every day than they did in the 1970s - and half those calories come from sugary drinks.

That's why some health advocates are urging Congress to help pay for health care reform with a tax on non-diet sodas.

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"We're not saying that calories from sugared beverages are different than any other calories," said Dr. Kelly Brownell of Yale University. "There's just too many of them."

Brownell says a 10 cent tax per can could yield $140 billion in revenue over ten years.

But the beverage industry is pushing back.

"This is no time for Congress to be adding taxes on the simple pleasures we all enjoy like juice drinks and soda," trumpeted one industry-backed TV ad.

There are several proposals for tackling obesity buried in the health care reform bills such as requiring calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus, removing high co-pays for nutrition counseling, and allowing larger insurance premium discounts for employees who participate in wellness programs at work.

But the president's plan was dealt another blow this weekend, when one of his major proposals - an independent panel of medical experts empowered to eliminate waste and inefficiency in Medicare - failed to pass financial muster with the Congressional Budget Office, which said such a panel would save little money.

Still, the White House contends it has reached agreement with Congress on 80 percent of the reform package.

But, as White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs put it, "There's no doubt that the 20 percent to go is not going to be necessarily easy, and it never has been."

So far the soft drink tax has gotten little traction in Congress. It might raise a lot of money but reformers worry it would unfairly burden lower income Americans.

[redwa1]

I am for a tax per pound of sweeteners sugary drinks and other junk foods.

Let's face it by indulging ourselves in "eatertaining" we are increasing the cost of healthcare for everyone else in essence taxing everyone's shrinking paycheck. The revenue generated from such tax should be used to defray the cost of caring for those afflicted with the myriad of chronic illness associated with obesity, educating people in making better choices, subsidizing the cost of healthier foods.

It is a fact that a small number of patients account for most our healthcare costs. Health statistics show that about 20 percent of people ? often those with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease ? account for 80 percent of medical costs. Obesity and poor lifestyle are the main culprit of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

If you don't want to pay for taxes on junk food then don't buy them. For my part, I don't care what you choose to eat as long your choices does not affect me in a negative way. Why should some in the food industry be allowed to profit at the expense of everyone else by engaging in "eatertaining" when there is plenty of profit to be made in selling healthy foods.

[peter_gurney]

Let?s face it, the idea of taxing unhealthy foods is never going to work. The food-oholics will just switch to eating more healthy foods with lower taxes and still be just as fat if not more so then they were before. To advance the cause of the President Obama?s National Healthcare Plan we must progressively tax the clothing that the fatties ware, that should get their attention. The taxes must be progressive based on the size of their fat buts and their wallets. The larger the clothing size the higher the tax and the more expensive fashion clothing will likewise be taxed at a progressive rate. No more free rides for the Lane Bryant Plus Size porkers or the fat slobs at Casual Male; they can pay their fair share of President Obama?s National Healthcare Plan or go naked.

Peter Gurney
Knowlton Township, New Jersey

[cnd924]

Who in their right mind would think that by taxing soda, they will decrease the percentage of obese people in this country? That is an excuse for another tax. If there is a true concern for obesity and they want to "cure" it with a tax, just tax people by the POUND. In my area of the country alone, it could pay off the national debt.

[Dieter1942]

It's not soda that is causing obesity, Coke and Pepsi were around in the 50's but people were much less fat in those days. Actually, obesity has exploded during the last 20 or so years, in conjunction with the explosion in the obesity of the federal government. Seems to me that the size of *****, size of government and the increase in mentality that the government should provide every need are functioning synergistically.

[Dieter1942]

The doufus that says the obesity problem results from organic milk being more expensive than regular milk and that regular people can't afford to lose weight is from another planet. IT'S CHEAPER TO EAT LESS AND RIDING A BIKE OR JOGGING AROUND THE BLOCK IS FREE!! I had a college professor that was terribly overweight and he lost over 100 pounds in one semester simply by skipping lunch and walking his entire lunch hour, every day, that simple. I pity the lost minds that think they have no ability to control their own behavior. That kind of hopeless mindset plays perfectly into the hands of politicians that are always ready to tax more of private assets to build larger and larger government programs. Every elderly, truly disabled or seriously ill individual will suffer more under the Obama/Democrat health plan because treatment will be slowed down or reduced and that suffering will be caused by all of the useful idiots that unthinkingly clamor for a government handout. YOU WILL KILL INNOCENT PEOPLE!!

[Dieter1942]

Don't the Greens understand, fat people are sequestering carbon to save the climate for all of humanity. They are more eco-friendly than the typical wine sipping, Prius driving, limp wristed liberal. Apart from that, it's very twisted liberal thinking to devote billions of federal dollars, which come from taxpayers, to fight obesity, and at the same time propose limiting life saving/improving treatment to people because they are old or disabled using the rationale that they are calculated to be not enough economic benefit to society to justify the cost of their treatment. Obesity is the most preventable disease known to man, it requires NO medical treatment to overcome. Just make the fat ***** turn off the tv and get off the couch, period. That the truly sick and disabled will have their medical care reduced while extra federal money will be wasted on lazy fat ***** that won't stop cramming pie down their pie hole is obscene!

[BenONC]

New science is showing that it is not how much you eat but what you eat that is fueling the epidemic of obesity. Sugary products are only a small part of the problem. What about preservatives, hydrogenated whatever?s and altered something or other.

The fact is that people want to eat right and exercise. It is just too expensive to do that. When a gallon of regular milk with all the hormones and pesticides will cost you $3 versus a gallon of organic milk which costs you $7 and you only make $8 per hour plus have 3 mouths to feed ( yours, the wife and one kid) anyone with a calculator can see that the math does not add up.

The best way to fix the economy is to give the people at the middle of the financial ladder a large cash break. They are the ones that pay the most taxes, buy the most goods and spend on the most businesses. After all, it not the business that is the backbone of the American economy but the consumer that patronizes them.

This economic atmosphere should teach us this simple truth about a market driven economy, if the consumer that buys the majority of the goods can no longer afford them then the business that supplies the gods and everyone in the supply chain is affected.

Fix the middle class and you fix the economy. It is that simple.

[Shanerr]

Why drink milk? We are the only mammal that drinks milk after infancy. Is milk really for adults or are we simply buying into the lies fed us by big industry?
We have neither the lactase to properly digest the milk nor the ability to use the calcium in the cow's milk that the prevailing lies tell us is 'good for us.' Nor is calcium the only nutrient needed for healthy bones, so even as milk is touted loudly for its health-benefit, we must realize that there are many other sources of calcium that provide a proper balance of nutrients. (green, leafy vegetables...) That besides the fact that milk is full of hormones and pesticides and can you really trust 'organic' milk to be organic anyway?
Our food supply is broken. Diet soda is worse than regular soda and soda in general is sickness-in-a-can. Our vegetables are pesticide-ridden, meats are filled with hormones, supposed "Health foods" like soy beverages are poisons, microwave ovens bring their own hazards but can't be avoided because many foods are irradiated before the consumer ever chooses it and our water is full of toxic chlorine and fluoride. How do we fix all this?
It's little wonder that quality of life declines as sickness and disorder continue to increase. We're hurting ourselves by not taking the time to know what we eat and why we eat it. Only education will help us and everyone who cares must take the time to know and to let others know too. Only by talking about it do we make any change.

[mwhc1]

ok.............

see what happens when you drink too many of these sugar loaded items. the fat attacks the brain.

if you had typed all that in - you perhaps would have burned a few fat cells. pasting does not count.

FAT tax leafylafffs!!

[Owosso1]

This, like almost everything else in politics, is a hypocracy. First of all, there are natural sweeteners available that are much sweeter than sugar, and that do not cause damage like aspertame. However, the FDA and the sugar lobbies will not let the substances be sold as sweeteners. Imagine if every soft drink tasted as good as it does today, or better, but contained zero sugar. Also imagine if poisons like aspertame were not used. Imagine how much healthier and happier everyone would be. It could be done right now, but the FDA and the rest of the sick government will not allow it to happen.

[mwhc1]

F A T - Fat Asss Tax! :) have drink and snack should have a FAT cost.

[mwhc1]

keep on drinking snoopy28173... if you are willing to pay, i'm cool with that. drink up! the tax will cover the cost of insulin your fat asss will need later in life.

[mwhc1]

OR! give people who maintain a healthy life style some $$ back on their taxes. i could go for that.

it's just sad... go to any fast food and just look at the fat kids stuffing their faces. parents should be responsible for their kids size. schools should have a fat kid program.

but we all know where that will go - the fat adults will complain their rights are being violated. please... just fat bastards driving up cost.

[snoopy28173]

Oh please. This tax will not work. I refuse to drink diet sodas. It makes my head hurt worse and the aftertaste of aspertain is awful. I will continue to drink sugery drinks, even if they are double taxed.

[heilmanj]

If you want to tax the problem you may want to start with "Super Size" at Mickey D's.

[mnorling]

Let's just tax the ones made with High Fructose Corn Syrup.

[noloyalisti]

I love the idea of government regulation of bad things like soda. Especially now that the rich own everything through their corporations that own and run the government.

In a depression like this, the government should seize profits from the soda companies, the oil and health care companies to make the People whole.

[mwhc1]

AND YOU FAT KIDS TOO!!!!!

why does a kid need a coke????

[mwhc1]

i say tax fat people... everyone fat pays a tax... dont want to pay, dont be fat. i dont like paying taxes that cover fat people medical costs (because they are too fat to work).

i can;t stand seeing someone fat sitting on a couch in front of a TV complaining things are too hard. GET YOUR FAT ASSS UP AND WALK!

[OregonJames]

America wants to dance, but it doesn't want to pay the band. It is as simple as that.

I say tax the heck out of soft drinks, bottled water, chips, and all other junk food. Tax ALL imports regardless of the product or country of origin.

[WT101]

Here's the thing the increase in obesity can be directly corolated to smoking sessation and anti public smoking laws.

1. Smoking decreases percieved stress.
2. Stress causes over eating
3. Smoking in restraunts makes the food taste bad.

Hey don't get me wrong here it's probably better to be obease than to have the various lung diseases associated with smoking. However, the diseases associated with smoking tend to kill faster and are cheaper to treat. Think about it Lung cancer kills on average in about 6 months and costs on the order of 100,000 dollars to treat. On the other hand keeping someone on insulin and various heart medicines cost more over the long run. Even COPD which can last a very long time is easily treatable with relatively cheap medicine.

Face it in life you have a 100% chance of death. How do you want to die fat and happy or skinny coughing and happy?

In the days of old to relieve hunger and stress people drank tea and smoked today you have the option of eating and are slowly loosing the option of smoking. What will pepole do when the loose the option of eating?

I'm pretty sure you'll always have the option of drinking tea but that never really worked for me.

[mwhc1]

"reformers worry it would unfairly burden lower income Americans"

????????????????????????????????

we need to worry about lower income americans not getting their 'make me fat' drinks?? where are we going as a country?? oh my...

i had to read that again... burden???