Have you guys heard or read about The New York Times article, “Bad Food? Tax It and Subsidize Vegetables”? It was in the July 24 Sunday paper. The article is about an idea that the writher, Mark Bittman came up with. The idea is to link taxes on unhealthy “hyper processed” foods like soda, French fries, and doughnuts, directly to healthy food subsidies — i.e. one pays for the other. Isn’t it a great idea?? Bittman analyzed that a 20 % increase in the price of sugary drinks nationally, could result in about a 20% decrease in consumption, which in the next decade could prevent about 1,500,000 Americans from becoming obese, and 400,000 cases of diabetes, which would save about $30 billion!
Last year, Mayor Bloomberg tried to push the Soda Tax (it wasn’t a perfect package but it was a great start) but couldn’t make it. There are many corporations who do not want to lose their market share from the soda tax. They are only concerned with their own profit. Everything is about them, not us. The concept of protecting large corporations and/or top executives should end soon. Please think globally, as a whole. I am hoping that the “Bad Food Tax” will become reality in the near future!
Your Body, Your Health, Your Life 