Blog

If you’re like many Americans, then you’re probably drinking too much sugary soda. Nutritionists and doctors agree that it is something you should reduce or eliminate from your diet as a way to lose weight or for healthier eating. Some health experts even suggest that drinking diet soft drinks can undermine your diet as well by making you crave sugar more in general, even though the soft drinks themselves may be calorie-free.

A debate is growing over whether sugary soft drinks should be taxed as a way to fight the growing trend of obesity in America and to provide billions of dollars for healthcare reform. According to an article published in the Thursday edition of the Star-Telegram, a 12-cent tax on 12 ounces of soda could generate $160 billion over 10 years. A 10-cent tax could raise $140 billion and a 3-cent tax could raise about $45 billion. However, some projections show that the taxes could drop beverage sales about $10 billion a year. That is concerning to many in today’s tough economy because it could ultimately result in a loss of about 60,000 jobs.

And, what about the raising taxes issue? A Kaiser Family Foundation poll this summer indicated that 53 percent would support taxes on soft drinks to help pay for healthcare reform with 55 percent favoring taxes on unhealthful snacks as well. While any discussion of raising taxes has many people upset and even delves into the Republican vs. Democrat political issues, others say it should be considered. President Barack Obama was even quoted in a recent interview as saying it is an idea worth exploring, although White House officials have since said the President is not asking Congress to raise taxes.

It might also be difficult to discern which products might be taxes and which ones shouldn’t. Drawing a line in the sand about what constitutes “healthy” isn’t always as it seems, and informed consumers now know that low-fat or low-calorie doesn’t mean nutritional. The best solution, of course, is eating fresh produce and avoiding vending machine, boxed products, and anything that could be considered so-called “junk food.” That’s the best approach for healthy eating–tax or no tax!