Washington – Today, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) called on California Sen. Alex Padilla to reject calls to institute a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
Sen. Padilla’s Select Committee on Obesity and Diabetes will hold a joint hearing with the Senate Health Committee today at 10:00 AM to explore the supposed link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity.
A wealth of academic research casts serious doubt on whether there is any link between soda and obesity. A review last year evaluated the evidence of 12 studies and found virtually no association between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and children’s weight.
“Sugar-sweetened beverages are no more fattening than any other food,” said J. Justin Wilson, Senior Research Analyst at the Center for Consumer Freedom. “It’s only the overconsumption of calories, whether from soda or other foods and drinks, that lead people to put on extra pounds. Soda is not a unique cause of obesity.”
Two-thirds of Americans oppose soda taxes, according to new polling from the Opinion Research Corporation (ORC). The poll indicates that 65% of Americans disagree that soft drinks should carry extra taxes in order to discourage consumption.
Wilson continued, “The tax code should not be used as a tool for social engineering. Nor should it be an instrument for penalizing individuals who make food choices that some people in government don’t like.”
For more information visit: https://www.consumerfreedom.com/issuepage.cfm/topic/20
