Experts Push for Congress to Take on Obesity

If the food industry doesn't seize the initiative in the fight against obesity, a new report urges lawmakers to step in.

May 09, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new report wants Congress to take a lead role in the fight against obesity of the food industry fails to act soon, reports CQ Today. An Institute of Medicine committee report wants the industry to comply with voluntary food marketing and ad caps to children or have lawmakers redo federal agriculture initiatives to bring more healthy foods to the nation. The group also said Congress might want to think about imposing a tax on sugary drinks.

Under the leadership of former Department of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, the report posits that a multilayer approach is the best way to alter U.S. eating practices, particularly advocating both voluntary rules and mandatory guidelines.

"The fastest growing part of the federal budget is health-care costs," said Glickman. "What we find here that to deal with the deficit and to deal with debt controlling health-care costs is part of it."

The committee would like state and federal governments to look into excise taxes on sugary drinks, such as energy drinks or non-diet soft drinks, noting that beverages sweetened with sugar are the biggest source of calories in the U.S. diet. "We did not call for a sugar tax per se," said Glickman. "I think we said it should be in the panoply of options for governments to review."

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