In the city of Berkeley, California a new tax passed on soft drinks. The tax aims to deter the rising obesity rate in America by placing a penny-per-ounce tax on soft drinks. Health organizations, like the American Heart Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, supported the tax against the big soda manufacturers.
A tax on soft drinks should take place since it could help change the obesity rates and unhealthy lifestyles of families and young teens around the nation. With a plan drafted by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine’s, obesity rates could decrease.
Soda and sugary drinks stand as the number one calorie consumer in the U.S. according to the County of San Mateo Health System. 48% of people in the U.S. drink soda on a daily basis based on a 2012 Gallup poll. Soft drinks might not carry a lot of calories, but it makes up in the sugar intake of the drink. A simple 12 ounce can of Dr.Pepper holds up to 40 grams of sugar.
The government spends over $100 billion per year to help lower the obesity rates in both children and adults. The government could use that money for other purposes, like curing cancer, building playgrounds for lower-income schools and reaching out to areas that need the help.
Milk, juice and water work as a part of many other healthier substitutes in place of soda. If the need for another drink rises, Gatorade or Powerade would be a good substitute. In your family friendly Kroger store, a grey, tear shaped and palm sized bottle awaits called MiO. MiO contains a liquid enhancer that comes in many flavors, holds zero calories and gives vitamin B and electrolytes.
Some may say that the soda tax harms the hard-working and the less well-off families of America, but most causes of the decrease in health of the low-income families comes from the choice of meals and drinks. The only option of drinks out there does not always rest on getting soft drinks.
Overall, the soda tax can lower the obesity rates in American, change the lifestyle of daily Americans and help the government use the money for other health issues. America can move away from the major problems that obesity causes by removing it and move onto another problem, like hunger or cancer, which could help the nation advance.
When you pick up a bottle or can of soda, look at it and think of the people who struggle with cardiovascular disease and other illnesses that come from obesity. You have a choice to drink something healthier or go down the road to obesity and health problems; choose the right one.