A Novel Cure for Obesity: Tax Sugary Sodas

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I do support our right to choose a lifestyle, but I'll wager that you are the ones who call your health insurance company to complain about the high premiums. What do you think drives up health care costs? Utilization, that's what. One way or another, we're paying for the obesity epidemic.

Jennifer of VT 5:29PM May 17, 2009

why dont we tax idiots who write columns we dont agree with............we could make a great deal of revenue.....and who would get the right to decide at what level a drink is taxed and what is not.....or how about fat content in meat, at what point do you want to tax my burger and what do you not.......and then are you going tax those people who dont exercise as opposed to those who do.....and then, what about taxing people that dont have the band surgery, if it would help them out........and what about those surveys that one year say coffee is bad for you, and then the next year there is one that says it is good......there could be a tax for a year then not ......turns out that moderation is truly a key, but you can legislate moderation or common sense, so back way the heck off my coke......I dont do booze, and I dont smoke.....leave my cokes and my coffee alone as my vice.....

ticked off in KY of KY 4:38PM May 17, 2009

Another tax because our government can't balance the books! I smoke,drink alcohol,eat bad food, and drink soda. I am not over weight,don't call out sick from work,and don't "burdeon" the health system like they all say "I" do. Besides,I pay for my own insurance.Who decides if I die at 50 or 80?!? I do!!!

Jay of ME 4:37PM May 17, 2009

Hey, let's just tax fat people and the Liberals can decide who is fat and who is not. Please 2010 get here fast; these tax crazy Lefties are going nuts! Folks just don't get it; these Liberals and Obama know we won't stand for a huge tax hike to pay for Obama's trillions. What they will do is tax everything they can while they have the votes and raise our taxes that way. It won't work and the tea parties are going on already. Katherine Hobson is just a useful pawn for the tax crazy Left. God bless America!

Andy Farris of WA 4:32PM May 17, 2009

What is it about you socialists that look st every problem as a way of increasing tax revenue, so that you may buy even more votes. I don't even use sugared drinks of any kind and I find the idea of state punishment for adults as morally offensive. One need only look at the number of FAT politicians to understand that they know nothing about good health and simply want more of your money. These are the pigs that need to back away from the trough!

70f7Son of GA 4:23PM May 17, 2009

Here we go again....how many of you lived on chips and soda when you were teens
and were bean poles?
If one can eat and drink in moderation...lol...I know then what does it hurt?
I say tax cigerettes more! Coca Cola classic in the 8oz bottle has been a household
fixture and I am not giving it up or my Lays potato chips. I like that these products
are now in the snack size and these are my rewards for not over doing the sugar/salt /junk thing. A teaspoon of sugar has only 15 calories per , so if you have that in your cup of coffee or tea so what? Tax those "cancer in rats" sweeteners. Why should natural substances be taxed in the first place? Its all more hype! Sugar makes people happy!makes them sweet..

PegO of KY 4:05PM May 17, 2009

It comes down to two subjects really, freedom and blame. The First thing: You cannot FORCE people to be healthy. This is the United States of America, it is not the role of the government to regulate and control every aspect of our lives, (read George Orwell’s 1984 for an opposing point of view). The founding fathers of this country believed that individual freedom ends only when it when it imposes on the next person. I say, I have the right to choose the quality of my own life. If I choose lead a more enjoyable life, instead of a longer life, I have the RIGHT to make that choice. Now let’s look at the tax idea. It is NOT an effective way to change behavior. Look at the taxes on cigarettes. It hasn’t stopped people from smoking, now has it? And the taxes on them is astronomical.
The Second thing: All of this health issue is based on fuzzy science (at best). All diet sodas have artificial sweeteners in them (as in man-made). All of the artificial sweeteners have their own health concerns also (like causing cancer, blindness, even thought to contribute to obesity as well). So where is the perceived heath benefit? Do you trust what Mother-Nature made, or man-made? Now consider this also, there’s a lot of money influencing what’s “good for us”. If you remove all sugar and carbohydrates (you know, the new ”bad stuff”) from a person’s diet, they will die. Sugar is the fuel that our body burns. Now, not to mislead you myself, it’s also true that we consume way more than we need. But even oxygen is toxic in excessive levels. So the answer is moderation. But who chooses what is moderation? I say “I DO!”. It’s also ridiculous to blame anyone else for my own behavior. If I eat 10 Big Mac’s a week, and get fat, is it Mc Donald’s fault? Of course not! So I say keep the blame where it belongs for obesity.

Chad Parker of NY 2:46PM May 17, 2009

What will they think of next! We will be in Tax haeven soon enough. Just forget it, everything this government tries to control and tax will go down the tubes anyhow, just look at the auto industry, a promise of more jobs and the reality! well it's mor jobs losses, just leave the soda industry alone before they too move to China, we will not only loose weight but possibly another 100000 or so jobs.

GB Monte of NC 2:28PM May 17, 2009

That is the silliest thing I have ever heard...why don't we do the simple thing and find a way to bring down the production costs of growing fruits and vegetables, which in turn will make healthy foods a little cheaper so people will be more inclinded to purchase something healthy for them rather than the alternative.
Did taxing cigarettes make people stop smoking? NO.

Michelle Doshier of KS 1:30PM May 17, 2009

I tried diet after diet, nothing worked for me. You know the story and you know the drill. I then started looking at the food I ate, and realised it wasn't as much as the food, as it was what i was drinking. So I completely cut out soda, and sweets. I ate 3 meals aday with maybe a once a week snack and i felt just fine. I walked daily, about 2 miles aday. At that was it. There never felt hungry or any of things i did when i tried to loose the wieght before. I went from a weight of 348lbs to 238. I still want to loose 38 more pounds, and with this new way of eating. I am. So I have become a firm believer of cuting out sweets. I was a type II diebetic, with high blood pressure, now it is stable, back to normal. BS is about 75-85 daily, and bp is about 115/75. So cutting out sugar really does work. Just try it.

Michael Smith of TX 1:19PM May 17, 2009