That's as many deaths as smoking causes. Those junk foods, along with physical inactivity, are the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Maybe Mr. Pollak thinks that's the price of doing business. We believe money and resources would be better spent preventing diet-related diseases. Media images of bags of burgers or buckets of fried chicken, often with toys attached, are everywhere, all the time.
Food producers boast an annual advertising budget as big as the portion sizes they advertise.
It's time for the federal government to mount educational campaigns and implement policies that make it easier for people to eat well and be active. The campaigns to promote health can be funded by charging a penny or two tax on soft drinks or other junk foods. In fact, more than a dozen states already have such taxes. Unfortunately, they don't earmark the revenues for health. Americans get far more messages about what to eat from the makers of fatty, salty, and sugary foods than from health professionals.