Twinkies should be the new cigarettes, David Lazarus says

What to do about the obesity epidemic? Here's a thought: Substitute "tobacco" for "junk food." That provides a pretty clear road map about what government authorities should be doing to safeguard public health.

That’s the opinion of David Lazarus, our colleague in the Business section who writes a column focused on consumer issues.

He’s certainly not the first to propose taxing soda, Twinkies and Big Macs as a way of forcing Americans to cut back on these fat-, salt- and sugar-laden foods that we all know are bad for us but still can’t seem to resist. Experts at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University and elsewhere have been advocating a tax for sugar-sweetened beverages for some time now.

The idea that junk food can be ostracized, as with cigarettes, through taxes and stigmatization is irresistible to many people. The logic of it seems undeniable – when something costs more, people will buy less of it. But as we have explained in the Los Angeles Times and on Booster Shots, the real-world data shows that taxes implemented to date have not led to any weight loss, even in cases in which the tax did prompt people to reduce consumption of the specific item taxed.

At least Lazarus’ argument doesn’t rely entirely on taxes. He applauds the efforts to get sodas out of schools and suggests a similar strategy for buildings occupied by grown-ups:

… a good place to start would be government buildings — eliminate all bad-for-you foods and beverages. Instead, make healthful alternatives available. Gradually, if the political will can be found, expand the junk food ban to all workplaces, just as smoking bans spread from the public to the private sector.

Lazarus also makes an argument heard often from Booster Shots readers – get rid of the subsidy to corn farmers and they might produce less high-fructose corn syrup.

You can read his entire column here.

-- Karen Kaplan

Photo: Think of these Twinkies as oversized cigarettes. Credit: Tim Boyle / Getty Images

Comments

[winmid]

yeah those twinkies are just not good to consume. that silent killer is waiting in the wings. avoid it and become vegan today.

[madsircool]

Keep the Food Fuhrer David Lazarus out of our kitchens. Besides the fact that any tax of this sort will hurt poorer people, its quite condescending for Lazarus and his ilk to think that they have any right to tell others what to eat.

Any politician who votes for this tax will alienate quite a few voters of either party and will likely be voted out of office.

[Steven M.]

1. If a youngster is obese, where is something called "Parental Responsibility" and "Personal Responsibility?"

2. What percentage of obesity is caused by video games, genes and ethnic diet? Yes, this means burgers, ribs, pork rinds, doughnuts, malt liquor, refried beans, chili-cheese fries, etc. Yes, I'm Caucasian and I love bean burritos!

3. Taxes and more taxes. Where does the tax money go? If one says, "Education" I say, we've had education in the schools and youngsters still prefer Doritos, chips, pork rinds, candy bars and soft drinks. By the way, my folks and other parents packed Hostess Cupcakes, Twinkies and Fruit Pies in with our lunches in the 60's / 70's and by the article's admission, WE DIDN"T HAVE AN OBESITY PROBLEM DURING THAT PERIOD! Maybe the illegal alien population and diet has shifted the pounds in the obesity factor? Free lunches at LAUSD can pack on the pounds!

4. What happened to the Youth Services program at LAUSD? What happened to Little Lleague and the Boy Scouts? I forgot, that LAUSD has it in for the Boy Scouts.

The reality is that I am now a bit overweight, but it is due to the lack of activity / exercise and age, which I am responsible for. However, since I started drinking regular sodas, Gatorade and juices, instead of diet pop, I have had more energy and lost over 40 pounds by avoiding non-trans-fat oils (I now use butter) and diet sodas.

I personally think that if people would exercise physically and used sugared drinks / Gatorade in moderation, along with parents exercising a little responsibility, we wouldn't be in this mess!

[arnette ames]

In response to Steven M's statement no. 3. Yes, we had twinkies, etc. in our lunch boxes at school. But the difference is that right after we ate, we [including girls] played dodge ball, kick ball. Today, what do the kids do? They sit on the wall gossiping, play with cellphones ...just sit!

[2fat2fly on Twitter]

We have a crisis , and blaming couches and Tv's , or Lifestyle is part of the problem.
Obese children are not the enemy , so why the war ? Perhaps we need to discuss obesity , rather thank create a fight .

This is a complex issue , and hardly a disease . What role does Poverty and the Food Industry Have? Why not having a conversation about the issue ?

The food industry needs to to take notice on this issue.

[FreeRangeHen]

eliminate the corn subsidy. Many wins on this one:
tax savings (vs tax increases)
high fructose corn syrup, closely linked to diabetes, becomes less appealing to food manufacturers.
Better use of ag land to produce food instead of faux sugar - which should have a positive affect on the price of non-sugar foodstuffs
Less Round-up (pretty much all non-organic corn grown in the US is GMO - known by farmers as "round-up ready." In other words - don't weed, spray herbicides.)

Of course, Monsanto and the rest of Big Ag will never let it happen. They'll cry about the impact on the little guy - but the little guys are flexible and will be fine. Big Ag will take a haircut.

[Paul]

Sorry folks you're too late. Johnny-boy Banzhaf the turd (net worth, 2 billion from litigation) is jumping the Rob Reiner anti-tobacco ship and partnering with the Minni-sota School of Public Health to produce "Lessons Learned: Tactics & Techniques fighting Big tobacco in the impending obesity crisis"
Far be it that a hick like me out here in the midwest to question the toothy grin of guys like your West Hollywood mayor but out our way the castle doctrine and concel/carry are taken very seriously.
Gives new meaning to the banned TV commercial slogan, "Show us your Lark!" It might be followed up with, "Bang!"

[Geox]

You don't have a right to Twinkies. Sorry, that's not in the Constitution.

[Sabrina]

Ya know what? I'm still big...and I haven't touched a Twinkie in at least 30 years! I don't eat fast food either. FACT: Some people are never going to be a size "0" supermodel type. They're going to be large, no matter how "healthy" they eat and how much they exercise. That's just life, people.

[Linda]

I'm all for ending subsidies of ALL types, but keep your mitts and your taxes off my frig Lazarus!

[rgr]

bah... get a life. Nothing is bad for you in moderation.

The only thing killing people is the anxiety initiated by columns like these by you joy killers of the world...

My god... live while your alive !!! enjoy! be social! eat things that are fatning and good.