The next time the American Heart Association comes begging to you for money, remember this: the group is teaming up with the American Academy of Pediatrics to demand new taxes on sugary drinks.
In addition to more taxes, the groups are calling for increased regulation on drink makers including limits on marketing directed toward children along with financial incentives to encourage healthier beverage choices.
The groups say “for children, the biggest source of added sugars often is not what they eat, it's what they drink." Muth said that on average, children consume over 30 gallons of sugary drinks each year -- that's a bathtub full of sugar -- and that 17 percent of kids are getting their daily recommended amount of calories from sugary drinks rather than nutrient-dense foods. In response, the American Beverage Association (ABA), says that “while soda consumption has declined by a third, the obesity rates have increased by a quarter, so if obesity was solely related to soda, it should’ve also gone down if they were directly correlated.”
The ABA adds that instead of additional taxes and regulations, “a better way to help reduce the amount of sugar consumers get from beverages...includes putting parents in the driver’s seat to decide what’s best for their children.”
Sorry, American Heart Association, but there are better, less statist charities for me to give my money to - I'm not forking over cash to an organization that pushes the government to take more money out of my bank account.