The fight against childhood obesity seems to be gaining momentum lately. Last month, HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, talked about making it a priority to reverse the trend at The Weight of the Nation conference. This week, a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council recommends steps local governments can take to cut the rates of childhood obesity. Putting a tax on soft drinks and junk food is high on the list.Taxing high sugar drinks has come up before. Do you think it’s a good solution? Would it keep you from buying soft drinks and junk food?
The reports says its suggestions are meant to make it easier for families to make healthier choices. Some of its other recommendations to fight childhood obesity include:
- Use zoning restrictions on fast-food restaurants near schools and playgrounds
- Require publicly run after-school programs to limit video game and TV time
- Build sidewalks that connect to schools, parks, and other destinations
How bad is childhood obesity? Check out the latest stats:
You can see more from the report here.
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I kinda agree on these ideas, but on the other hand I don’t. It’s not fair that healthy/fit kids have to be penalized for other parents’ lack of motivation to take responsibility for their child’s health.
My Junior High had a McDonald’s across the street, and my High School had a pizza shop nearby that was the after school hangout, but we all turned out okay.
Yum Yucky – So true for me, too. We had fast food restaurants all around us, but we rarely went.
GAH about those statistics! Jeez.
Those are great recommendations. Along with zoning restrictions of fast food places, there should be a positive side to it as well: opening up local cafes etc with FRESH, REAL food.
I’m not entirely opposed to the idea, but I’d hope it would be offset by the elimination of sales tax on other foods. (I know some states don’t charge tax on groceries.)
Another thing that I wonder is who would be the police of what’s junk. Would it be the same people who tried to convince us that ketchup was a vegetable?
Cammy – LOL about the ketchup comment!
Sagan – Yes, making fresh, real food more available would definitely help!
You have to consider the socioeconomic factors in play with regards to eating more junk food. Often people in the lower income bracket will buy fast food because they are working two jobs and can’t afford the time to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and groceries every week. Or they can’t afford the groceries themselves, and a cheap meal at McDonald’s is way cheaper. Putting a blanket tax on fast foods does not help this problem, only makes it worse.
Andrea – Interesting point. I just hope something works to stem childhood obesity soon.