Malnutrition Deeply: Taxing the World Out of Obesity
“…Taxes on sugar sweetened beverages have quickly become the most prominent strategy in the global push to reduce overweight and obesity, as well as linked noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that include diabetes and cardiovascular disease. … Taxes on sugary drinks have been endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and are now being championed by members of a new global task force of bankers and finance ministers set to consider fiscal policies to improve health. … Nutrition experts are doing everything they can to encourage the trend, helping countries model the economic benefits and taking advantage of the rollout of the taxes to educate consumers about more nutritious alternatives to the taxed items. But they are also realistic about how much the taxes can accomplish…” (Green/Cousins, 1/26).