INDIANAPOLIS–The recent failure of a proposal to tax sugary drinks in the capital city, may beg the question, would it work? Would a tax on sodas actually help keep people healthier? Beyond the political implications, such a tax may only be touching on a fraction of the obesity problem, said one health expert.
It should be noted that the talk of a sugary drink tax was brought up by a citizen on the city’s infrastructure commission, and never received consideration by the city-county council.
“I don’t think it has been long enough. All these things produce problems later on, years after you consume,” said Dr. John Puthullil, author of the book “Diabetes: The Real Cause and the Right Cure”. He said cities that have proposed and passed such taxes have not yet had time for a proper study of their impact.
But, they are only taxing a fraction of the sugar intake by their citizens.
“Most of the glucose absorbed into the body comes not from sugary drinks, but from grains,” he said. “Rice, wheat and corn, when they are digested, they are releasing purely glucose, whereas natural sugar, only half glucose and half fructose.”
With dishes like the fried pork tenderloin, fried chicken, sugar cream pie, and the various buttered and fried side dishes that Hoosiers enjoy, it’s likely that people in Indiana are getting at least as much sugar from food as from sodas.
“Gram for gram, weight for weight, the grains will elevate your blood sugar faster than natural sugar.”
Poothullil said people should also be aware that artificially sweetened drinks are just as dangerous and can cause obesity in a different way, especially in children. He said that once the taset buds get sweet tastes without getting the energy that normally comes from sugar, that process turns off.
The process is what normally tells you when you’ve had enough to drink.
“The child cannot control or regulate the intake. This is why they gain weight later on, because they cannot stop at the time they should stop,” said Poothullil. “I implore the parents not to give any artificially-sweetened drinks because you are messing up their control mechanisms, setting them up for life-long obesity and trouble with weight.”
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