Adding a high tax on unhealthy food and drinks may help slow the rising rates of obesity, according to a new study published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal. Many health professionals, however, question how helpful the tax would be. Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, believes that
Adding a high tax on unhealthy food and drinks may help slow the rising rates of obesity, according to a new study published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal. Many health professionals, however, question how helpful the tax would be. Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, believes that food is not the only culprit for obesity. Instead, the focus should lie on restoring physical activity programs and offering incentives and tax breaks for those who implement healthy behaviors – what he called, "actions that reward good behavior rather than punishing bad behavior." Despite differing viewpoints on the tax, most people agree that consumption of sugar is a huge contributing factor in the obesity epidemic. Dr. Jana Klauer, a New York private practice nutrition physician, believes sugar is a "gateway drug" to obesity, saying "Sugary soda is nothing more than liquid calories which stimulate appetite."
ABC News, 5/16/2012
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