Current Soda Taxes Not High Enough To Curb Obesity, Study Finds

More and bigger collective punishment in your future.

"Current state taxes and levies on soft drinks are slowing consumption and resulting in slimmer waistlines, but the effect is generally small in magnitude, newly published research by the Yale School of Public Health has found. The study appears in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy.

Assistant professor Jason M. Fletcher of Yale analyzed the effectiveness of various forms of soda taxation on body mass index (BMI) over a 16-year period. With colleagues from Bates College and Emory University, Fletcher found that an individual's weight only mildly responds to changes in taxation-a 1 percent tax increase resulted in a BMI decrease of 0.003 points, which is less than a tenth of a pound for a man of average height.

'Our results suggest that the current low, hidden rates of soft drink taxation in most states are not effective in substantially changing adult consumption,' Fletcher said. 'Our results leave open the possibility that large taxes that are communicated to consumers are still worthwhile to consider as policy options, but small tax changes will not work.'"

Don't let the calorically irresponsible ruin things for the rest of us.

Do fat taxes properly.

Fight back.