美國人對他們體重超標和健康之關係開始覺醒，提出一些解決問題的辦法。
在三藩市東北一個名叫列治文(Richmond) 的小鎮，居民大部分是藍領階級。該市在今年五月舉行的一次市議會工作會議時，同意於年底前由市民投票決定應否向汽水供應商徵收每安士一分錢的銷售稅。如果投票結果通過動議，此項徵稅將是美國有史以來首次由民意決定之汽水銷售稅。
對這個議案，包括可口可樂和百事可樂兩大公司在內的龐大汽水商會立即提出反對，設法爭取有利於他們的民意使它不能成為法律。耶魯大學關注體重與健康關係之組織公開表示，汽水銷售稅有助減少汽水銷量，能解決美國人體重超標的問題，使他們重拾健康。很多關注健康的團體相信如該項徵稅成為法律，可引發其他城市效法。
向汽水生產商徵稅是個好的開始，還可逐步加強，但法律的功效始終有限，全面和積極的教育才能使消費者認識到過份吸取糖份進入體內之害處，而以清水代替含糖份很高的汽水，逐漸形成習慣。當然如能像禁煙的方法一樣雙管齊下，則事半功倍。
除汽水之外，含熱量很高之漢堡包、炸馬鈴薯條和炸雞塊的一類食品，多吃也是對健康無益的。政府總不能立法禁止此類飲食業之經營，唯有鼓勵學校和家庭加強教育，提倡健康的生活方式。奧運剛閉幕，餘興未了，政府可值此機會鼓吹運動，促進國民之健康。
據統計25%加拿大的成人和10%之青少年都有體重超標的問題，而且愈來愈嚴重。美加兩國人民之生活方式很接近，美國對這些問題之處理方法，我們亦可借鑑。
黄啓樟 2012/8/15
2012/9/13 加拿大商報
2012/9/13 加拿大商報
David,
ReplyDeleteI would agree that sodas should be taxed so that young people will drink less and become less obese. A tax or surcharge on sodas is just a band aid solution. The heart of the problem is that Americans and Canadians are eating and drinking with too much sugar in the content. Each year the Americans consumed more than 140 lbs of sugar and that sugar is mainly fructose that is readily available and cheaply made by chemical companies like Monsanto. Fructose is sweeter than cane sugar and a carbohydrate that has a high fat content, gives you gout and high blood pressure. That's the culprit that should be eliminated. But there is no way we can get rid of because it is in our food supply chain. I will venture a guess that 70% of the ready to eat food will contain fructose or sucrose. The US companies export three major goods to other countries and they are arms, entertainment, and food. If you can eliminate fructose from the adults and children's diet, you will find healthier individuals and less obesity. Until then, the band aid solution is only a stopgap, and won't stop the bleeding.
Bill