The AMA is planning on demanding “a levy on the sweeteners put in sugary drinks to pay for a massive public health education campaign. They will also call for the amount of salt added to burgers and processed foods to be halved.”
Appearantly, some of the doctors really do care about people’s health and not just their pocketbooks.
4thelittleguy seems to think that people will merely pay the money and keep on eating. Even though the poor have a higher rate of obesity, I tend to agree with him.  Outside the beltway also seems to think it’s a lost cause. So, here’s the problem. It didn’t work for cigarettes or alcohol. People still smoke and drink. And people are still going to belly up to the value menu. The problem is in the method. Why tax the consumer? Why not establish a similar tax that taxes the provider instead? Tax McDonalds for each gram of salt over the quota in a Big Mac. Tax Coke for each bit of High Fructose Corn Syrup over the quota in a Coke. Give em a good hit in the bottom line and see if that changes things. The old way doesn’t work, find a new way until you find one that works.
Bottom line, I like my burgers with salt. Just like Hit and Run, I’ll stop at the condiments and add some more salt if they cut the salt. Oh, and if your curious, no amount of education will probably help with that.
The idea is great, but the execution will never work.
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About Shane Ede
You make a good point that I hadn’t thought of: if they cut the salt, I’m just going to ask for a few salt packets and add it back in myself.
However, I disagree with the point from ‘Outside the Beltway’. The problem with obesity isn’t a lost cause, but I don’t think taxing a junk food is the solution. We need to figure out how to motivate people to commit to a healthy lifestyle.
I completely agree, we need to find a way to fix the problem instead of getting rich because of the problem.