The Obesity Tax

David Patterson, the Governor of New York, wrote a commentary on CNN.com justifying his recent proposal for an "obesity tax" on sugared drinks. He is proposing taxing all sugared drinks (not just sodas) in an attempt to dissuade consumption by children.

After reading his commentary, I kept thinking "This guy gets it." Until society starts to address the factors that lead to childhood obesity, we as health care providers are doomed to fail.

Our government needs to reflect an understanding of the negative impact of obesity, and make it a national priority to address the problem through legislation and fund appropriation. Banning soft drinks from the schools was a start. Taxing sugared drinks will also help. More work will need to be done, however, to stem the tide of rampant obesity, and it won't be easy.

A government can tax soft drinks and place a barrier to their consumption, but it is much more difficult to limit TV time for children, or mandate an hour of physical exercise per day. We must use other means to address these factors for a more comprehensive solution to the problem.

Until ignoring childhood obesity becomes socially unacceptable, we will continue to fight an uphill battle. We have only to look at societal progress in reducing tobacco consumption to see what is possible when we as a society put our minds to something.

Michael P. Scaccia, M.D., F.A.A.P.