The Problem Of Obesity In Canada And The United States

Canada and the United States has a major obesity problem. Since the 1980’s the percentage of adults with obesity and diabetes has dramatically increased to a point where over 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 3 children age 2 to 19 in the United States are considered to have obesity (“Overweight & Obesity Statistics”). When children enter adulthood already overweight or obese it is much harder for them to live a healthy lifestyle. One of the major contributors to obesity is sugary drinks such as Monster energy drinks and Coca-Cola. These sugary drinks can have as much as forty grams of sugar per serving, and many people consume multiple servings per day. As the epidemic continues to occur more drastic measures need to be taken. To combat this health crisis a food tax, like the tax on tobacco products, needs to be placed on sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce consumption.

When faced with a price increase many people substitute sugar drinks with cheaper and healthier options. When consumers were faced with price increases on carbonated soft drinks of 6.8% sales dropped by 7.8%; when Coca-Cola prices increased 12% sales dropped by 14.6% (Brownell & Frieden 2009). Taxes on tobacco products is a great example of a food tax that has successfully decreased the consumption of tobacco. By using information about consumer habits when faced with price increases and looking at the effect of taxes on tobacco products it is clear that sugary drinks would also see a decrease in consumption with a similar tax placed on