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[–] drivesaconvertible 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Don't think this will do much, there's people lined up at McD's every day and it's not because it's cheaper than making your own food. It's laziness.

Orange juice is perfectly healthy in reasonable amounts, making that more expensive or having parents choose a nutrient-free diet soda instead is not a step forward. Worse, it actually adds validity to the "it's too expensive to eat healthy" argument.

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[–] thinANDintelligent 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

That's a fair point. However, there is a mentality - definitely where I live on Ireland, I'm not sure about the rest - where people go on health kicks by cutting out fizzy drinks etc and instead of increasing their water intake, they replace the soda with juices and other drinks marketed as healthy but contain a lot of sugars. People seem to forget about moderation and portion sizes when considering healthy choices.

While I hate the idea of a nanny state, people really have proven they can't be trusted to take care of themselves or their children. A sugar tax is only a hop skip and a jump away from a fat tax. That's when the McD's and other fast food places will be hit. Lazy or not, eventually you won't be able to afford the quantities of food, if it is that expensive.

I don't think it will do much by itself, but it is the first step in the right direction. And I love that it has started a public conversation focused on the negative impact of obesity.