Will Governor Paterson Wuss Out? Soda Tax...Again

In today's budget press conference, New York Governor David Paterson once again pushed for a "soda tax;" aka, Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax. Instead of going for the 18% tax like his last failed effort, this time Paterson is following the lead of experts pushing at the national level for a soda tax including UNC's Barry Popkin, Yale's Kelly Brownell, Harvard's David Ludwig and the CSPI's Michael Jacobson. The model calls for a penny-per-ounce tax on the ubiquitous, non-essential liquid candy.

On a national level, $15 billion annually is expected to be raised by the penny-per-ounce tax. Here in New York, we anticipate about $1 Billion annually in extra funds raised from taxing sugary soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit-like drinks, etc.

Beverage lobbyists are crying foul that the tax is regressive and disproportionately targets poorer, lesser educated communities of color. News Flash: Obesity/diabetes/soda marketers disproportionately target poorer, lesser educated communities of color. This soda tax will help those communities by curbing soda consumption, reducing obesity-related illnesses and setting aside funds to cover some publicly funded healthcare expenses associated with obesity/diabetes/soda consumption. Of the $7.6 billion (more than almost any other state) spent annually on adult obesity-related health issues in New York, an astounding 80% is covered by Medicaid and Medicare. Quick Translation: That's me and my fellow New Yorkers footing the bill..! And that's ALL OF US at the national level... Hello, Obesity Bailout.

But Paterson backed down before. Why? Pepsi threatened to pull its headquarters out of New York and head West to New Jersey or East to Connecticut. Will Pepsi bully Paterson into submission again?

Or will the desperate dollar needs of New York state prevail?

I much prefer a Soda Tax over paying more into this massive Obesity Bailout.

Your Family Doctor...on Coke

Yep, it's true... The American Academy of Family Physicians is on Coke--Coca-Cola.

They decided to sell-out in a major conflict-of-interest and take cash from Coke. This kind of corruption is rampant in medicine, but it's true also of the American Dietetic Association (ya know, nutritionists / registered dietitians), who takes cash from Coke AND Pepsi, as well as the YMCA who takes cash from Pepsi, (to fund their Healthy Kids Day programs. Irony Alert..?)

Plus, schools across the country regularly sell-out children's health in "pouring contracts" for quick cash from the soft drink, sports drinks, energy-drinks and junk-food makers...

Enough already.

Ya got nothing if you don't have your health. But trading our children's health away to Coke and Pepsi..? Criminal.

UNC's Dr. Barry Popkin, my professional hero crush, can't fight these ethics battles alone. Get involved now by at least signing on in protest:

http://www.commercialexploitation.org/actions/aafpcokepartnership.html

http://www.petitiononline.com/YMCAFood/petition.html

We All Knew "Smart Choice" Was Dumb...

"Smart Choice"... and all those silly industry-sponsored food-labeling systems telling us what is "better for you..." Pepsi, Kellogg's, Kraft... Up till two years ago Kraft was part of Philip Morris, aka, Altria...

Fruit Loops, with its first ingredient being sugar, is a "Smart Choice." Thank goodness Smart Choice has been suspended due to pressure from the Yale Rudd Center, CSPI, Connecticut's Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, NAAO, and a whole host of nutrition, health and obesity experts.

It was big news this week in DC at the annual meeting of the Pharma-backed Obesity Society. Other big news was that most of the marketing money spent to promote cereal to kids is spent on the least healthy "boxed breakfast candy." No surprise, right?

I spoke about this today on the Fox Business Network with Stuart Varney. (Stuart always gives me hell on screen and off...maybe a hater crush??...) Check it out...

CSPI likes the idea of having the IOM suggest uniform labeling guidelines to the FDA... I also like what Yale's Dr. David Katz is doing with his NuVal system of grading food products on a scale of 1-100 based on nutrition value.

Whatever system is decided upon, we know we need a clear, concise, universally adopted food labeling system we all can trust. If we're gonna eat it, we should know what "it" is...