Anti-tax: Is it really the soda's fault?

I found this article from the Wall Street Journal called "Coke Didn't Make America Fat: America Needs More Exercise, Not Another Tax." by Muhtar Kent, the CEO of the Coca-Cola Company.

I encourage you to read it. Meanwhile, here's a couple of highlights:

"If we're genuinely interested in curbing obesity, we need to take a hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that it's not just about calories in. It's also about calories out.

"Our industry has become an easy target in this debate. Sugar-sweetened beverages have been singled out in spite of the fact that soft drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened bottled water combined contribute 5.5% of the calories in the average American diet, according to the National Cancer Institute. It's difficult to understand why the beverages we and others provide are being targeted as the primary cause of weight gain when 94.5% of caloric intake comes from other foods and beverages."

Commentary: He makes a good point. So, if we're going to tax the sodas which only contribute to 5.5% of our calories, why not tax the other 94.5% as well?!

"Will a soft drink tax change behavior? Two states currently have a tax on sodas—West Virginia and Arkansas—and they are among the states with the highest rates of obesity in the nation."

Commentary: Hmmm, so if it hasn't worked in those two states, what's the likelihood it'll work for the nation as a whole?

Just something else to think about...