Soda Tax...Say What?

Lately, it feels like finding the cause of obesity is like finding a cure for cancer. Almost everyone seems to be looking for the one thing that caused it and the one thing that will fix it. The blame recently has shifted to soda, not the diet soda that we all love, but the full calorie, non diet variety.



Consumer Affairs has reported that the Senate Finance Committee is now considering a proposal that calls for a federal excise tax on sugary sodas, energy and sports drinks and sweetened tea drinks. This may stem partly from the April New England Journal of Medicine article which stated that sugar sweetened beverages "may be the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic."



Really? I don't think so. In a society where calorie consumption has increased as quickly as waistlines, how can one food product or ingredient be "the single largest driver" in the obesity epidemic? Also, why is the New England Journal of Medicine publishing inconsistent studies? A study published in the February issue of the journal concluded, "diets that are successful in causing weight loss can emphasize a range of fat, protein, and carbohydrate compositions that have beneficial effects on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes," meaning it is the calories that count when trying to lose or maintain weight and decrease risk factors for chronic disease. This is also supported by a new study recently presented to the European Congress on Obesity which reported that increased calorie intake is primarily responsible for the obesity epidemic in the US.



Normally, I wouldn't be so quick to defend beverages other than diet soda, but in this case I feel I have to. Requiring consumers to pay a tax on a particular food or beverage is not going to teach these same consumers how to make healthful choices. It is not going to foster healthful dietary habits and probably will not deter the many loyal soda lovers out there from buying these beverages.



To read more about the New England Journal of Medicine study which found "Calories Count" for weight loss, visit: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/9/859.