NY Governor Paterson Proposes Tax to Fight Childhood Obesity

In a commentary recently posted on CNNhealth.com,  New York's Governor Paterson describes why he included a proposed tax on sugared beverages in the state budget he submitted last week. "What smoking was to my parents' generation, obesity is to my children's generation. Nearly one out of every four New Yorkers under the age of 18 is obese. In many high-poverty areas, the rate is closer to one out of three." 

Paterson cites a study by Harvard researchers found that each additional 12-ounce soft drink consumed per day increases the risk of a child becoming obese by 60 percent. For adults, the association is similar. He believes that in order to succeed in reducing childhood obesity we must reduce consumption of sugared beverages.  He estimates that an 18% tax on sodas and fruit drinks that are less than 70% juice will reduce consumption by 5%. This tax would bring in an estimated $404 million annually, which could be used to fund programs to help reduce the almost $6.1 billion the state spends on health care related to adult obesity -- the second-highest level of spending in the nation.

Paterson acknowledges that his proposed tax may be unpopular, but he points to the benefit to public health from high cigarette taxes. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, for the first time in generations, fewer than 20 percent of Americans smoked. Lung cancer rates have finally begun to decline. As a result, we are all healthier.

 Paterson says, "Just as the cigarette tax has helped reduce the number of smokers and smoking-related deaths, a tax on highly caloric, non-nutritional beverages can help reduce the prevalence of obesity."

It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.