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Timesunion.com
June 17, 2010
Pat Baird R.D.
As a born and raised New Yorker, I understand that the state needs funding badly. The notion cited in a June 6 Perspective article that, “We have to tax something. It might as well be soda,” is spurious. A recent study from the journal Contemporary Economic Policy showed that even a 30 percent tax would have little to no effect on body mass index and obesity. A study from George Mason University’s Mercatus Center shows that a 15-cent per can tax would result in only a .02 change in body mass index.
In reality, consumption of beverage calories has decreased by more than 24 percent since 1998, yet obesity rates continue to climb. As a practicing dietitian for more than 20 years, a university professor and a consultant to food and beverage companies, I am familiar with the science-based guidance in treating obesity. The science tells me reduced calories and increased activity reduce weight.I urge lawmakers to find other ways to raise badly needed funds.
Click here to read original article: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=941972&category=opinion
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