Yale Discovers the Sugar Tax

In a NEJM paper this week, the authors from Yale present a proposal for taxing sugar in sweetened sodas. We have proposed a much broader tax on carbs since it is the candies and sugared snacks which add to the load. One must remember that 3500 calories (Kcal) equal one pound. A typical adult burns at most 2000 per day so that if one consumers three 180 cal cans of 12 oz of soda, that is 540 cal per day or if this is in excess of the 2000, which it is, this is 56 pounds of weight gain per year! Which by the way is seen in many obese adults and even children.

The old law of mass, namely input less output equals net accumulation applies. Thus taxing the consumption of all carbs is much better than just sodas.

Yet the authors have a wonderful quote from Adam Smith:

"Sugar, rum, and tobacco are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which are become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are therefore extremely proper subjects of taxation."

Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776