Tax Sugary Drinks and Kick Your Addiction to Them, Suggests New York Times Columnist

Kudos to New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof for his much-needed opinion piece today, which draws attention to the potentially dangerous substance high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which studies indicate our body metabolizes differently from other sugars and could lead to obesity, heart disease, and more.

Kristof’s column will do much to educate consumers that the major sweetener in soda is high-fructose corn syrup, which, incidentally, is now found in some 4,000 food items, from ketchup to hot dog buns.

Kristof points out the alarming facts: "Americans over the age of 2 get an average of 132 calories a day from high-fructose corn syrup." Ugh. Not good news.

The timing of Kristof’s op-ed item is ideal, because it coincides with the bipartisan bill introduced last Thursday that would ban soft drinks and other unhealthy foods from our nation’s schools. "That legislation, if passed, wouild save more Americans than anything else this Congress is considering," the perceptive Kristof concludes.

He also presents some smart, sensible suggestions, which, up til now, have been offered only by obesity experts, physicians, and public health advocates. It’s very exciting to me to witness a respected New York Times columnist now urging the very same things that health-minded experts already are promoting. He recommends to:

• Ban sugary drinks from schools. (I love his line, "kids need sports, not sports drinks.").
• Curb advertising on sugary drinks, especially when children are targeted.
• Impose a tax on all sweetened, non-diet drinks at 5 cents per fluid ounce. (This tax, he says, would apply to soft drinks, iced tea, fruit punch, sports drinks and other novelty drinks like Starbucks Caffe Mocha. Let’s hope that Kristof’s column gives this fabulous idea some great momentum. It’s time for this taxing suggestion to get lots of press and public discussion. After all, it’s worked so well, as Kristof notes, for cigarettes.)

Read Kristof’s fabulous column now. Then, send a copy of it to your friends. And send an e-mail to Kristof to convey your hearty thanks for drawing attention to this very worthwhile issue.

Again, hurrah to this New York Times columnist for alerting Americans to the fact that fighting "our addiction to sugary drinks" is a vital "first step" to change our nation’s horrible eating and exercise habits. 

Want help breaking your addiction to sugary drinks and foods? You’re invited to join my free, online KickSugar group, which will mark its four year anniversary this November, and which, at last count, had 1,343 members from around the world.