In a bid to stem the rising tide of American obesity, the Obama administration last week announced a plan to ban sweets and sweetened cold drinks from schools in the USA. Michelle Obama, the first lady, is on the war path against childhood (and consequently adult) obesity and also recently got stuck into the White House lawns to plant an organic vegetable garden.
The tax issue on soda drinks is being strongly explored and debated – more expensive soda means people will start looking at alternatives. The issue is whether or not such an action will have an effect on obesity.
This would be akin to the sin taxes already levied against alcohol and tobacco in South Africa – which hasn’t visibly deterred the drinkers and smokers.
Soda contains sugar and therefore calories – but so do many other foods. You could argue that if deterred from drinking soda people will turn to other comfort foods to get their sugar fixes including sweets and chocolate. The end result would not be less obese people.
Perhaps we are headed for a world where drinking soda in public places will be banned and large health warning labels will be mandatory, as with the case of cigarette smoking.
What is clear is that forceful measures will need to be taken, and very soon, if obesity worldwide is to be controlled.
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