"I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring," the President said concerning a soda tax. "There's no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda. And every study that's been done about obesity shows that there [image-nocss] is as high a correlation between increased soda consumption and obesity as just about anything else. Obviously it's not the only factor, but it is a major factor."
He added, "Obviously there is resistance on Capitol Hill to those kinds of sin taxes. Legislators from certain states that produce sugar or corn syrup are sensitive to anything that might reduce demand for those products. And look, people's attitude is that they don't necessarily want Big Brother telling them what to eat or drink, and I understand that. It is true, though, that if you wanted to make a big impact on people's health in this country, reducing things like soda consumption would be helpful."
To read the full Men's Health interview, click here.
Earlier this year, a coalition of small and large businesses and associationsincluding petroleum and convenience store groupsas well as concerned citizens, opposed to tax hikes on food and beverages, including soda, juice drinks and flavored milks, formed Americans Against Food Taxes. The group was created after Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) held a roundtable discussion on how to pay for a comprehensive health care reform plan and it floated the idea of soda and alcohol taxes. Separately, the head of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has suggested that a soda tax would be a good way to combat obesity.
Click hereto view the Americans Against Food Taxes website. Andclick here to view a list of coalition members.
Click hereto view previous CSP Daily News coverage.
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