Setting the Record Straight – submitted to the Calgary Herald
January 29, 2015
Advocating for a tax on Albertans’ grocery carts won’t stop with beverages. In Ontario similar groups are advocating for higher taxes on everything from grape juice to ice cream.
There is no jurisdiction in the world that has been able to link soft drink taxation with a reduction in obesity rates.
The Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) believes that education, not taxation, is the key to addressing obesity.
We know that obesity is a complex issue and experts, including Health Canada, agree that no single food or beverage can be held responsible for weight gain. The solution to obesity lies in encouraging a balanced lifestyle – not to simply target one product or one sector.
According to Stats Canada, 2.5% of all calories came from the consumption of soft drinks and today due to lower consumption of soft drinks in general and increased consumption of no and low calorie beverages that number is well below 2%. To put that in perspective salad dressing makes up 2.1 per cent and butter, margarine, oils and fats make up 3.4 per cent of our daily caloric intake.
CBA members are committed to working with the Canadian governments and other partners to identify meaningful solutions that will address the complex public health issue of obesity including our calorie labelling initiative, Clear on Calories.
Click here to learn more about Clear on Calories.