Chicago is considering a tax on soda as a way to raise revenue and combat obesity.
Chicago held hearings this week on whether to tax soda to fight obesity. Alderman George Cardenas proposed a tax of 15 to 35 cents on sugary drinks. Cardenas proposed the tax as a way to fight child obesity rates. The tax also would raise about $129 million in revenue. Childhood obesity in the U.S. has more than tripled in the last 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC states that in 2008, a third of U.S. children were overweight or obese. The percentage of children 6 to 11 defined as obese rose from 7 percent in 1980 to almost 20 percent in 2008. “We know that taxing at the right level can reduce consumption of sugary drinks and that reducing consumption will help reduce the prevalence of obesity,” Fox Chicago …
AAP recommends ban on junk food advertising to children.
The American Academy of Pediatricians released a policy statement in its journal Pediatrics, saying media plays an important role in the obesity and overweight epidemic. The AAP is recommending that pediatricians ask two questions during well-child visits: 1. How much time per day does the child spend with screen media? 2. Is there a TV in the bedroom or unrestricted Internet connection throughout the house? The report states that multiple studies show there is a clear connection between media use and obesity in children. The report focuses on TV use because there is data that directly ties television screen time to obesity. Pediatricians are recommending that Congress fund research on how new media may be encouraging a sedentary life. …
Lake County community gathers to discuss obesity crisis and how to prevent it.
Over two-thirds of adults are overweight, of which one-third are obese, and nearly one-third of children are overweight or obese, and the numbers are climbing, according to statistics presented at the Lake County Community Forum on Obesity Prevention, held Jan. 19. “The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Sara Parvinian, a Gurnee pediatrician. She predicted that without a combined effort to combat obesity, today’s children will have a very unhealthy life and a much shorter life expectancy than their parents’ generation. The forum brought together educators, nutritionists, fitness experts, the faith community and government representatives to begin to work together to address the escalating problem of obesity. The forum, …
Jim
4:39 am on Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Will the tax help reduce the number of fat heads in the city council? more ›