IN THIS ISSUE

This month, Better Health News talks about the good tasting stuff that's not good for you: sugar.

First, did you know that all the money the US government spends on sugar industry subsidies each year could by an entire NFL football team? And at the same time, the US government funds health problems research for diabetes and obesity-related conditions.

Then, we talk about one approach to fighting the diabetes and obesity epidemic. Simply put, tax sugary drinks.

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Junk food is just that: junk. Research has time-and-again shown how chips, sweets, and soda, are a destructive addition to any American diet.

So, why is the U.S. government giving billions of dollars every year to the junk food industry?

And why is money being funneled into healthcare to combat ‘junk food diseases’ like diabetes and obesity?

Congress, along with the Department of Agriculture, spends more than $1.2 billion every year subsidizing junk food crops, according to a recent report from PIRG (the U.S. Public Interest Research Group).

Since 1995, the U.S. government has given the corn industry more than $81 billion dollars. Much of that corn is made into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and vegetable shortening. These are key ingredients in pop, chips, and other sweet-and-fatty edibles.

But, the government is also supporting fruit and veggie growers, right?

Not so much.

The Numbers

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When you read ‘taxes’ what do you think about?

Income tax? Sales tax?

These kinds of taxes aren’t likely to make you a healthier person. But, medical professionals have been fighting with beverage companies like the Coca Cola Corporation and Pepsico over a ‘sugary drink tax.’

On the table is a penny-an-ounce tax to sugary drinks. Experts say that this tax would reduce sugary drink consumption by an estimated 15% over the course of a decade.

How much would the tax generate? About half of Americans over age 2 consume a sugary drink on any given day. So, a sugary drink tax would add up to a pretty penny.

The American Medical Association (AMA) wants that money to go to programs that prevent and treat obesity and other obesity-related health problems. What’s more, the group suggests investing the money where it will do the most good: in communities and schools seeing the brunt of the obesity epidemic.

A Tax That Could Save 26,000 Lives

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