So it's been quite some time since I've last posted, but I'm back. I didn't actually go anywhere, I guess I just didn't feel up to posting for awhile. Anyway, for my next act, I have a response to an article ran by ABC recently on the possibility of adding an additional taxation on sweetened beverages to discourage their consumption. Disfrute.
If it was passed, the sweetened beverage industry would find a way to avoid having their products labeled as such by upping the amount of "natural" ingredients to qualify as such, slightly decreasing the amount of sugar (which wouldn't be a bad thing in itself) to not qualify as "sugar sweetened", or a combination of the above two methods. I predict a far smaller revenue stream than originally envisioned. At the same time, using part of those monies to offset the price of more natural foods could be a laudable goal, but I have little faith in modern political process promoting actual healthy foods instead of just being a handout to the industry w/ the biggest lobbyists.
At the same time, if they want to curb the obesity rate, they should impose a 15% increase in gasoline taxes and the other 5% on the aforementioned foods. Raising the price of gasoline would force people to really think before jumping in their car to zip down to the corner store instead of just walking or riding their bike. I think that policies which promote physical activity by making it a much more attractive economic alternative to driving will have a far greater effect on obesity rates than taxing foods ever will.
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