Just as an increased tax on cigarettes helped to cut down smoking - Uncle Sam hopes that a "sin tax" on certain unhealthy foods may help people lose belly fat.
Many places in America are introducing measures to tackle obesity and federal action could follow Policies with added weight The Economist: "HOLIDAY cheer can give way to new year's gloom when over-indulgers realise that it may take months to shed the pounds put on as a result of festive gluttony. But next year the desire to slim down may gain an unexpected ally: the government. On Tuesday December 16th New York’s governor, David Paterson, announced a controversial plan to help the state’s fight against an obesity crisis while simultaneously replenishing New York’s empty coffers. In 2009 consumers will have to pay an 18% tax on non-diet sodas and sugary drinks.
Critics have denounced the new measure as a “sin tax”. The American Beverage Association, with an outrage only a notch or two below that which sparked the Boston Tea Party, has called Mr Paterson’s tax an unjust “money grab”. The beverage industry is fearful that the new tax will do to fizzy drinks what similar taxes did to smoking: push prices so high that it discourages consumers.
Mr Paterson has economics and the public interest on his side. The state has a $15 billion budget deficit and the new tax is estimated to generate $404m in its first year alone. It is also expected to reduce sugary-drink consumption by 5%. A study by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest showed that soft drinks were the single biggest contributor to calories in the American diet, and most studies link sugary sodas to both diabetes and obesity, which brings with it a whole range of other health problems. And the damage is already widespread. Nearly a quarter of New Yorkers under the age of 18 is obese, as is a third of all Americans."
No comments:
Post a Comment