Should stupid foods and drinks be taxed?

Statistics remind us all that stupid eating and drinking is not only unhealthy but also costlier – at least in the long run

In a just published survey, the state of Mississippi was found to have the “worst eating habits in the country” Only 8.8% of the adult population eats the recommended amount of daily fruits and vegetables, the lowest rate in the country. Residents consumed just under 82 gallons of soft drinks per capita in 2006, the greatest amount reported. Furthermore, the state has the third-highest rate of household-level food insecurity, with 17.1% of households being affected. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that the state has the highest rates of both adult diabetes (12.8%) and adult obesity (34.4%), survey results reported.

All of this  just goes to show how stupid too many people can be. Or perhaps how few choices they have, financially, or in terms of sheer food and drink availability. Whatever the case may be, one thing is sure: as more Americans get fatter and more unhealthy eating such cheap products, the cost of medical care increases. More cases of diabetes, more cases of heart disease, more cases of other ailments. I think a tax on stupid soft drinks and stupid foods just may be the thing to do to curb such stupid consumption, and we can take the cigarette as an example… But for people who cannot afford healthy food, there may be a need for some kind of “healthy food stamp”. Not sure how that could work but in the long run, eating and drinking better will make the country better. The danger could be that tax monies raised would be poorly used by government. That is something that should be given utmost priority: how to invest whatever tax dollars are raised from the unhealthy food and drink surcharges. Perhaps as subsidies for better quality foods for people who cannot afford that?

Part of the reason why I posted this is also due to the “No Food Taxes” campaign, which seems at least disingenuous.  Now if the government were to propose taxes on carrots or chickens, fish or Lima beans, broccoli or lettuce, steak or shrimp, then I would be the first to sign up. But it seems to me at least, that the issue is soft drinks and fatty, empty-calorie-filled “snacks”. Perhaps that rather fat woman, with the shopping cart reaching for her big sugar-filled soft drink, should get a clue about how she should feed her family…

Any thoughts anyone, before you reach for that healthy glass of wine?