Soda should be taxed, shouldnt it Essays - Food And Drink

Soda should be taxed, shouldn't it? Many people believe that one of the causes of obesity in United States is due to the fact that many people rather to drink soda, and eat junk food than consider drinking water or eating homemade food. Even though this is not the main cause, soda and junk food is one of the causes, so as an alternative to help decrease obesity, some specialists consider that soda should be taxed. Obesity is a health problem affecting the entire world. And I believe that there are two main reasons why Soda should be taxed. Soda contains a high fructose corn syrup, which is worse than sugar. By consuming an extra 100 calories everyday drinking soda, will make a person gain 10 pounds in a year. It is true that soda is not the only reason why the country has a high level of obesity and that there are many other things as important as this, that causes obesity. The truth is that even though soda is not the main or only reason, sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to obesity and they cause diabetes and heart failure, which are 12.3% of the adult population and 37% of adults with pre diagnosed diabetes. CITATION Ame14 \l 12298 (American Diabetes Association, 2014) Another reason of why soda should be taxed is because it will help the economy of the country, since the money collected from these taxes will be used for other purposes. Taxing soda is not as bad as many people may see it, many people may not like it, but it will be very beneficial. The government knows that there will be people buying soda even if it is taxed, so they have thought of a plan in how to use this money collected from the taxes, the tax is expected to bring in around 1 billion a year, and proponents of the tax had successfully linked its passage to a campaign assuring that purified drinking water would be made available in every school in the country. CITATION Bit13 \l 12298 (Bittman, 2013) A new source will be bring to schools, and a healthier drink will be provide to those kids that should not be drinking soda, since it is not healthy. Mexico instituted a 10% tax on sugary drinks, such as juice and soda, in 2013. It resulted in a 10% rise in the cost of these products in 2014, according to a study in the British Medical Journal. The same study also found that purchases of taxed beverages fell by 6% in the first year of implementation, while sales of water and non-taxed beverages rose by 4%. Health experts worldwide have been watching the progress of the Mexican tax closely because it could potentially lower the rates of obesity-related diseases and diabetes in a country with a population of more than 122 million. Scientists say that these reductions in consumption could have positive impacts on health outcomes and reductions in healthcare expenses in Mexico. CITATION Bos17 \l 12298 (Boseley, 2017) One option has been to expand into markets that have no sugar-sweetened beverage taxes. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have already been making efforts to boost sales in India, China and various Southeast Asian countries. However, as reported by the Financial Times, Asian countries such as Indonesia, India and the Philippines, where obesity rates are rapidly increasing, are considering instituting soda taxes as well. To sum up, sugar taxes in sodas are a reality, and while the soda industry can continue to battle against soda taxes and other measures to curb soda consumption, at some point such actions may do the industry more harm than good through damaged public relations. All products that are not staple commodities have their life spans and eventually must yield to other more innovative offerings. The soda industry may wish to consider another option of healthy products before the century-long soda finally runs fizzles out. References BIBLIOGRAPHY American Diabetes Association. (10 de June de 2014). Diabetes ORG . Recuperado el 25 de May de 2017, de http://www.diabetes.org/es/informacion-basica-de-la-diabetes/datos-sobre-la-diabetes/?referrer=https://www.google.com.ec/ Bittman, M. (29 de November de 2013). Viva Mexico. The International New York Times , pag. 6. Boseley, S. (22 de February de 2017). The Guardian . Recuperado el 25 de