Here’s an article with some ideas about government regulation of sugar. It got me thinking about where I stand on this. David Katz has been known to say that taxing junk food and sugary drinks is not enough. It’s just “one sandbag against the flood”. This may not stop people from eating/drinking these items.
As I ponder this difficult situation, I go back to education. It makes sense that I believe in education – I’m an educator, afterall. I think people deserve to be educated, so they can make their own informed decisions. I also think education sets people up for success, while more controlling measures can set people up for failure. If junk food gets taxed and people still buy it, they will run out money sooner and have even bigger problems on top of health issues.
Then again, education costs money and taxes bring in money. It really is a conundrum (big word). What about smoking? Has the high cost of cigarettes lowered smoking rates, or has education done it?
How do you think we can be successful in changing Americans’ eating habits? Force? Taxes? Education? Something else? I have to admit that I usually drink one diet soda a day and I am seriously considering stopping this habit because soda has gotten so expensive. Would you stop eating junk food if it were taxed?