Soda Tax: The Answer to Successful Weight Loss?

As if the government weren't deep enough into the pockets of the American taxpayer already, now comes the news of placing an additional tax on sodas and other sweetened drinks. Seriously? I really have to wonder what the motivation is for the additional tax. Is the government really concerned for the health and welfare of citizens, or is this just another profit center for the Feds?

Weight Gain and Unhealthy Effects of Soda

It's well known by researchers that soda in large amounts can increase the incidence of diabetes and contribute to people becoming overweight, or obese. A typical 20-ounce soda has about 250 calories and about 67 grams of sugar. Some colas can cause even more damage to the kidneys because they have high levels of phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid may increase the risk of kidney stones as well as other types of renal problems. People who drink three or more sodas a day have 62% more dental decay, fillings, and tooth loss.

In a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health in 2007, and published in the journal of Epidemiology, researchers compared the eating habits of more than 450 people with existing kidney disease with another group of over 450 healthy people. The results showed that those folks drinking two or more colas per day were twice as likely to develop chronic kidney disease. The study also concluded that it didn't matter if the sodas were sweetened with sugar, some other corn sweetener, or artificial sweetener. Non-cola type sodas did not increase the risk for kidney disease but did increase the risk of obesity.

The Flawed Logic Behind the Proposed Soda Tax

The federal authorities who are proposing the soda tax contend that imposing a higher tax would create a sort of penalty for those who drink sodas, providing more incentive for them to drink less soda, and therefore, lose weight. At least that's the plan. But a recent Duke University study appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine states otherwise. This study contends the tax man will make a lot of money but the tax will have a minimal effect on weight loss for most people, and maybe even no effect on weight loss among the highest and lowest income groups.

So would a soda tax help people lose weight? The study indicates that even if folks switched from sodas to some other sugar-sweetened beverage, the overall effect on weight loss would be very small, about 6.9 less calories consumed per day or about three-quarters of a pound of weight loss per year, per person. Even though that is a small amount of weight loss, it is still weight loss.

One thing is for sure, this soda tax will definitely generate a lot of money for the government. The National Soft Drink Association reports that the average person now consumes about 600 12-ounce servings every year. Just a penny tax on each can of soda could net the tax man about 2 billion dollars every year. In times when government agencies are looking anywhere for additional revenue to make up for cuts and budget shortfalls, this is manna from Heaven. For those people wanting to lose weight, this tax on soda will likely have little or no effect on their battle to lose weight.

Sources:

The Claim: Too Much Soda Can Cause Kidney Problems

Pop, Children, and Obesity

Soft Drinks - America