Would Taxes on Sugary Beverages Combat Obesity and Health Problems?

With talks in Washington about raising taxes on sugary-sweetened soft drinks, it brings on many concerns and ignores the real issues regarding obesity in America. Would the raising of taxes really make people reduce their consumption of sugary soft drinks? The answer is no.

We have the right to make our own choices as to what we want to consume, whether healthy or not. A vast majority of the healthy products on store shelves cost a considerable amount more than their unhealthy counterparts. With the state of the economy, raising taxes on sugary beverages would do nothing to counteract the lifestyles of Americans. Would consumers pay a few cents more for their favorite sugary Coca-Cola product or Pepsi product? They most certainly would.

Rather than taxing soft drinks, why not lower the cost of the healthier diet and sugar free drinks available on the market? Americans would most likely try the healthier products if they were made affordable. Have politicians gone to the grocery store lately? Are they making healthy choices as they push their cart through the grocery aisles? They can afford to buy organic foods and the healthier products without having to dig through a coupon caddy during their stroll. Most of the time, coupons are not even available for the healthy products.

Low-fat, sugar free and/or fat-free products cost more than the sugary, fatty products on the same shelf. Look at the cost of fat free or 2% cheese slices in the dairy department. Would most consumers buy the regular cheese slice pack at 2/$5.00 or the healthier choice for nearly $5.00? If the consumer decides to make the right choice, they will most likely get a lesser amount of product for their money. Most would choose the 2/$5.00 deal and keep a fatter wallet.

Washington needs to combat the problem by educating, not just the children, but the parents who provide the food on the table. My healthy eating choices were based on my own decision to eat right, in hopes that my children would learn a healthy eating lifestyle and pass it onto their kids. I used to be overweight and at one point I was most likely considered obese. I changed the types of food I purchased and started to drink diet sodas. But, that was not all I did. I went to the park every day and ran 2 miles, did sit-ups and pushups as well as aerobic exercises. I also discontinued trips to the fast food restaurants. With a big change in lifestyles, I easily lost the pounds and became fit. If I relied on diet alone, I would have lost several pounds but not the amount I lost after mixing in exercise.

Many products on the shelves misrepresent what is really in the box. Take fruit snacks for example. Most parents would think because the title of the product contains "fruit snacks" it should be healthy for their children. They need to read the label! Once I found out what was really in the box I never bought them again. Maybe the government should make them change the label to "sugar snacks."

What about the food pyramid? Does anyone really take it seriously? Do people know what a single serving amount really is? Education is the key, not taxing sugary beverages. If that is followed by lowering the cost of healthy products on the store shelves, many Americans would more than likely think twice about what they place in their shopping carts.