WHERE IS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?

WHERE IS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY?

A NEW study that links soft drink consumption to obesity in children and adults ( why do we need a NEW study to tell us if one consumes too much sugar they will gain weight?) has been reported so California legislators vowed last week to pass a tax on sweetened beverages to improve the health of their state’s citizens. One study suggested that obesity and related problems cost California alone $41 billion a year in medical expenses and reduced productivity. In the past year, proposals to change the tax status of soft drinks have come about in 12 states, including a bill that recently passed the Colorado legislature. Chicago currently taxes soft drink sales; but since the tax is also on diet sodas it has nothing to do with obesity—just revenue. The same goes for Chicago and its tax on bottled water.

Besides some genetic or medical disorder that can affect one’s weight the factors that matter are diet and exercise. One intellectually knows that if they consume more calories than they burn up and do not exercise; they will gain weight. If someone ate 100 healthy apples a day; they would gain weight. The type of calories one consumes does not matter at all; it is the amount of calories. It is a simple matter of personal responsibility with one’s eating lifestyle and then doing the math. It is not a complex algebraic problem. Eat 3,000 calories and expend 2,000 and one will gain weight. Simple subtraction!

I don’t understand why the soda industry is always being singled out as a major cause of obesity? What about the cookie, cake, ice cream, bread, pie manufacturers? Or even Hasbro for encouraging children to cook desserts with the Easy Bake Oven?

Making informed choices is what is important and the soft drink industry is doing just that. The American Beverage Association is making it “clear on calories” with the following initiative:

· Product labels: Total calorie counts will be displayed on the front of labels for the entire container, up to and including 20-ounce products. A 12-ounce serving size will be used in displaying calories for multi-serve beverage packages (such as 2-liter bottles).

· Vending Machines: Total calorie counts for the entire container will be displayed on the beverage selection buttons of vending machines controlled by the companies.

· Fountain Machines: Calorie counts will be shown prominently on fountain beverage machines controlled by the companies. I wrote in my blog on November 5, 2009, “Coca Cola Cares,” about the corporation’s six figure deal with The American Academy of Family Physicians to be a sponsor on their health and wellness site. (http://www.familydoctor.org/. The Coca Cola Corporation did not have to do that, but they did. Thank you Coke!

It is one’s personal responsibility, not the government's, to decide what to put in one’s mouth. It is obvious we shouldn’t live like the Coneheads and consume mass quantities of food and drink; but the one of the most influential sentences in the history of the American language gives me the right to do so if I wish—my unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And to drink soda if I want to.