We’ve heard the talk before about a ‘fat tax’ on sugary beverages in the U.S. as a way to fight the obesity epidemic. Now New York leaders are pushing for it, saying that soft drinks are to blame for the rise in obesity in this country. They want soft drinks to be treated like tobacco so that the government can price people away from their bad habits.

What do you think? Should sugary drinks be taxed?

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Earlier this month, a new study showed fewer schools are selling snacks and drinks like candy and soda. Now, a panel recommends the government make healthy changes to school meals, even though it will increase costs. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) says as obesity continues to rise, breakfast and lunch at schools should be lower in calories, and have more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to help kids adapt better eating habits. The IOM says the changes could increase the cost of breakfast by as much as 25 percent and lunch by 9 percent.

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Earlier this month, Coke announced it was going to display larger calorie information on its products. Now, it says it will sell 90-calorie mini cans of its soft drinks to help people manage their calories. The smaller pops will come in the Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Cherry Coca-Cola and Barq’s Root Beer brands and will be sold in packages of eight. The new cans will launch in New York and Washington D.C. in December and are expected to hit stores nationwide early next year.

Personally, I don’t drink soft drinks, but I’m glad to see this option for people who do. What do you think of the smaller cans?

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Pleas to get junk food out of schools may be paying off. New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds fewer schools are selling snacks and drinks like candy and soda. The report shows high schools and middle schools that sold sugary or salty snacks dropped on average from 54 percent to 36 percent from 2006 to 2008. Those that sold soda and artificial fruit drinks decreased from 62 percent to 37 percent.

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Could a higher tax on sugary drinks help fight the obesity epidemic? Some researchers say yes. And they propose a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages like soda, sports drinks and sugar-sweetened fruit juice and iced tea. They say the tax could help fight obesity because people would be more likely to choose healthier drinks, which are now usually more expensive, plus raising billions of dollars would help state and local governments pay for programs.

What do you think? Is taxing sugary drinks a good solution?

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