Something the Dr. Pepper Cannot Fix
A 31-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital after fainting. Since the age of fifteen, she only drank soda and did not consume any water (Rettner, par.1). After performing a battery of tests, her results revealed “severely low” potassium levels (Rettner, par.2). The doctor performed another round of tests to evaluate the “electrical activity” of her heart (Rettner, par. 2) and discovered that she had an inconsistent heartbeat due to a disorder called QT syndrome (Rettner, par. 2). One week without soda consumption restored the woman’s potassium levels and her heart’s electrical conduction. At this present time, reducing the rate of obesity caused by soft drink consumption has become a difficulty in the …show more content…
According to Professor Brownell of Duke University, the income of a soft drink tax has many uses, but the greatest use involves the ability of healthy alternatives to become better purchasable (“Soda Tax could Shake Up the Industry”, par. 16). A soft drink tax would provide revenue to offer healthier food options for daily consumption. Additionally, health expenses associated with patients who become overweight or obese could diminish through the revenue of an excise. In fact, “ Estimates place the cost related to treating the overweight and obese at $147 billion, with half of those costs being paid publicly” (“Excise Tax for Soda”, par. 2). Furthermore, the net revenue of a soda tax over a period of time, would drastically affect the cost of healthcare for obese and overweight patients. To demonstrate, professor Brownell claims in the next ten years the revenue of a soft drink tax could equate to $150 billion (“Soda Tax could Shake Up the Industry”, par. 21). Clearly, a tax on soft drinks would greatly affect our nations income regarding healthcare costs indefinitely and the revenue from a soda tax would generate enough income to provide healthier food …show more content…
Nutritional awareness taught to kids in school could prevent them from drinking sugar-sweetened-beverages excessively. Moreover, educating a child on the benefits of healthy eating could influence their eating habits permanently so that their health does not become jeopardized by soft drink consumption similar to the young 31-year-old woman. The choice to grow and develop their own eating habits will ultimately be left to the children. Similarly, the government could promote healthy living and eating practices through the use of billboards, commercials, and social media. A social media outlet would yield extreme success with today’s generation. While driving, billboards could display a surprising statistic about soft drink consumption merely to engage the individual in a healthy contemplation of perhaps their consumption of sodas or other sugar-sweetened-beverages. To conclude, promoting the awareness of healthy living and eating would succeed in many distinct and effective ways, but the finest solution to reducing obesity in America would become significant through the use of a soft drink tax to improve the health of our society and in turn, the welfare of our healthcare
A 31-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital after fainting. Since the age of fifteen, she only drank soda and did not consume any water (Rettner, par.1). After performing a battery of tests, her results revealed “severely low” potassium levels (Rettner, par.2). The doctor performed another round of tests to evaluate the “electrical activity” of her heart (Rettner, par. 2) and discovered that she had an inconsistent heartbeat due to a disorder called QT syndrome (Rettner, par. 2). One week without soda consumption restored the woman’s potassium levels and her heart’s electrical conduction. At this present time, reducing the rate of obesity caused by soft drink consumption has become a difficulty in the …show more content…
According to Professor Brownell of Duke University, the income of a soft drink tax has many uses, but the greatest use involves the ability of healthy alternatives to become better purchasable (“Soda Tax could Shake Up the Industry”, par. 16). A soft drink tax would provide revenue to offer healthier food options for daily consumption. Additionally, health expenses associated with patients who become overweight or obese could diminish through the revenue of an excise. In fact, “ Estimates place the cost related to treating the overweight and obese at $147 billion, with half of those costs being paid publicly” (“Excise Tax for Soda”, par. 2). Furthermore, the net revenue of a soda tax over a period of time, would drastically affect the cost of healthcare for obese and overweight patients. To demonstrate, professor Brownell claims in the next ten years the revenue of a soft drink tax could equate to $150 billion (“Soda Tax could Shake Up the Industry”, par. 21). Clearly, a tax on soft drinks would greatly affect our nations income regarding healthcare costs indefinitely and the revenue from a soda tax would generate enough income to provide healthier food …show more content…
Nutritional awareness taught to kids in school could prevent them from drinking sugar-sweetened-beverages excessively. Moreover, educating a child on the benefits of healthy eating could influence their eating habits permanently so that their health does not become jeopardized by soft drink consumption similar to the young 31-year-old woman. The choice to grow and develop their own eating habits will ultimately be left to the children. Similarly, the government could promote healthy living and eating practices through the use of billboards, commercials, and social media. A social media outlet would yield extreme success with today’s generation. While driving, billboards could display a surprising statistic about soft drink consumption merely to engage the individual in a healthy contemplation of perhaps their consumption of sodas or other sugar-sweetened-beverages. To conclude, promoting the awareness of healthy living and eating would succeed in many distinct and effective ways, but the finest solution to reducing obesity in America would become significant through the use of a soft drink tax to improve the health of our society and in turn, the welfare of our healthcare