Slapping taxes on sugar, not a solution to obesity
By Caroline Young | gargoyle@flagler.edu
Most people’s eyes widen when I tell them I have never consumed a Twinkie or a corn dog in my lifetime. Although I have not eaten meat since I was 12 years old and honestly just don’t care for soda, I see absurdity in the fact that the government thinks they can treat American citizens like infants.
Medical experts and health advocates have been pushing the sugar taxes for years. Last year, the Obama administration proposed a plan banning candy and sweetened beverages from schools, according to The New York Times.
I do not eat a lot of crap, including candy and soda, but I know I love the hell out of some Reese’s cups and peanut butter M ‘n’ M’s. I occasionally indulge in sugar whenever I feel the craving and who are they to tell me or anyone else that’s wrong?
And it seems these “experts” do not know exactly what they are doing because they think placing tax on things like non-diet sodas will help decrease the obesity rates.
In reality, the diet sodas and the artificial “sugar” is what can really make people fat, according to Popular Science Magazine.
I do understand obesity is a growing issue, especially within our country’s border. Let’s get real big boys (and girls) up on Capitol Hill–people who fit the obesity status are most likely hittin’ up Mickey D’s on top of that soda and candy. Not to mention a lot of them do not even own a pair of tennis shoes.
In fact, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute reported the main reasons so many people become obese include inactive lifestyles in children and adults, oversized food portions, family genes, certain medications, emotional issues and lack of sleep.
There is a plethora of other ways the government could approach obesity reductions than taking the easy way out by taxing.
For starters, physical education should be amplified for all ages. When I volunteered at a local elementary school with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I was in awe of the lack of physical activity for students. And I am positive that they would have preferred more of it if they were given the opportunity.
I credit my mother’s healthy eating and cooking for my own habits. But if kids are not taught at home by their parents, schools need to teach them that eating an unreasonable amount of high sugar and high fat foods is not only going to make them feel crappy, but it is also going to make them look crappy. And eventually, if they are not already, they will become overweight — putting their health in jeopardy for God knows how long, maybe their whole lives.
Martin Binks, director of behavioral health and research director of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, agrees with my stance on the issue, according to ABC News.
“It seems that focusing discouraging single food classes is not the answer to such a multifaceted issue,” Binks said.
And to me, ramping up taxes on sugary products is almost like pointing your finger at the general population, a chastisement for having a sweet tooth.
And Susan Neely, president and CEO for the American Beverage Association said American citizens view the sugar taxations as an “over-reach” and feel the government should have no say it what to eat or drink, reported by ABC News.
In other words, if we, as Americans, are actually going to care about our bodies and budgets, we can put our big girl (or boy) pants on and control our own diets, including our sugar intake.
So, what good is the government doing using our country’s precious time and money to dictate how much sugar passes through people’s lips? From the looks of it, not a whole lot more than cracking their whip in an unnecessary place.
when i try to load this site it fell really slow. i open few site in my browser now but this site load very slow. is this happen to all of you?
lowest new car prices
I love doing water activities and being upon the water, Furthermore, i appreciated reading this post. Let me know if you prefer bayliner boats, we are able to take a cruise.
Ok, my main argument is that there are so many people that think taxing soda and sugary products is going to cure obesity! There are articles and comments about that everywhere, and I personally, disagree. My opinion (this IS an opinion piece) is that this is not the magical solution to the life-threatening epidemic our country is facing- and is known for! Thanks for your feedback, though, and your input.
Caroline, there are so many things wrong, misguided and stubborn about your piece, that it’s hard for me to start somewhere. So let’s cut right to your central argument: It’s not up to the government to control what Americans eat, they can decide for themselves.
Hate it to break it to you: The government has been influencing what you eat for decades.
There are many rules for food, to make sure you don’t eat or drink anything that would actually poison you. And farming subsidies have decided for years which food has been cheapest to produce. (Why do you think American food companies are so happy about high fructose corn syrup?)
And the fact that obesity is not merely a ‘growing issue’ but a national health crisis and a widespread epidemic, means that the time of questioning if the general public can control what it’s eating, has long passed.
Really, it seems like you have no clue. Twinkies, ice cream and mars bars aren’t the only sugary things out there. Basically everything you buy in the average grocery store in the United States, has sugar(s), chemicals and preservatives added to it nowadays. Bread, mayonaise, canned beans: The weirdest things get loaded up with extra sugar in this country. You go count the types of sugar in your kitchen cabinets right now, and tell me if you knew exactly what was in all this products and what wasn’t. You tell me you can count calories without even looking at labels: You can’t, right?
That’s why regulation is very much needed. Yes, that may include taxing (would help those budgets as well) but also rules like posting calories, food education and doing away with crazy subsidies for unhealthy food.
Pointing at freedoms and citing some clichés about individual liberties doesn’t make any sense in this case. You don’t do so when it comes to pollution in our drinking water, you shouldn’t either when it comes to pollution in our groceries. Take one look around you in the average parking lot at Walmart, and you know this country has a gigantic (pun intended) problem on its hands.
(And I haven’t even talked about over-sized portions, a lack of healthier choices and the near-absence of a culture that treats food as a social bonding mechanism, instead of a daily routine.)
Thanks, Matt. I know, this is one of the many things our government is trying to control.
Carrie, although I do not know what it is like to grow up with a mother with an eating disorder and I do know I am fortunate to have had my mother’s healthful ways instilled in me, that is not my point here. I am taking a specific subject as an example of how much the American government tries to interfere with our citizens as \free\ US citizens. As Americans, we should be able to make our own choices.
Excellent story, Caroline. Excellent, well-reasoned argument. Thank you for this. There are tons of examples of local/state governments trying things like this to no avail, and you hit the nail on the head with this one. Great work.
I think part of the reason they want to tax sugary foods is because right now it’s cheaper to buy Oreos than apples (at least in a school cafeteria). That’s kind of ridiculous, in my opinion.
Also, as someone whose mother set a good example for you as a kid, you don’t seem to understand the problem posed by school vending machines and cafeterias filled with this type of food. If given the choice between cookies or salad, a lot of kids will choose the cookies, especially if they don’t have a strong, healthy influence at home. Truth is, our bodies become addicted to the sugar, salt and fat, and we begin to crave it. You were lucky not to be exposed as much.
Personally, I was not as lucky. For one, my mom is a horrible cook who was struggling with an eating disorder when I was a kid. It was not possible for me to learn healthy eating habits from her. She would skip meals frequently and only drank Coke. Second, she was a single mom, who worked long hours to support me and my brother. I don’t think that makes her a bad parent, but it did mean that we ate a lot of processed food. It’s hard to wean yourself off of all that fake “flavor” when it’s all you’ve been exposed to. I’ve grown to love vegetables as an adult, but it’s still easier to eat junk.
As for your argument that children would love more P.E., I can tell you that for an overweight child, P.E. is terrifying, and simply offering more of it will not immediately solve the problem. I became a master of not participating in P.E. by the time I was 10 because I was embarrassed by my lack of physical abilities. This only exacerbated the issue of my weight. I think a better solution would be to look at our entire P.E. structure and find ways to make it less mortifying for kids who aren’t necessarily athletic. So they can have the opportunity to get some exercise too.
It took me well into my 20s to overcome my weight issues, and I’m still working on it. If by taxing sugary foods and eliminating them from schools means that fewer children are exposed to it, then I’m all for it. It’s not about treating people like children, it’s about protecting children who may not have the privileges you were so lucky to have as a youngster.