“The case for taxing sugar-sweetened drinks to curb obesity, which is being enthusiastically advanced by some of the country’s most prominent public health experts, wildly overestimates weight loss, according to two new studies published in leading academic journals.”

Once again, we know that the key to maintaining a healthy weight is balancing calories consumed with those expended through physical activity and exercise.  Taxes just won’t make people healthier.

Berr’s article, “Obesity Taxes Won’t Work,” discusses the complications with taxing specific foods and beverages. He also states, “Unfortunately, people get fat and stay overweight for many reasons — psychological, physiological and economic…”

We hope you to take a few minutes to read this op-ed and we also want to remind you about the comprehensive efforts being made by the beverage industry to be a part of the solution to obesity. With our Clear on Calories initiative, we’ve placed new calorie labels on every bottle, can and pack we produce – so you can make the choice that’s right for you and your family. And, through our national School Beverage Guidelines, we’ve removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and replaced them with lower-calorie, smaller-portion options.

“While reducing obesity-related health problems is a worthy goal, adding an additional tax burden to particular food and beverage categories is a clumsy and inefficient strategy,” said Tax Foundation analyst Scott Drenkard. “Obesity taxes fall on all consumers, including those who consume candy and soda in moderation and have no weight-related health issues.”

Check out the Tax Foundation website, where you can find the news release and more information about the report.

In fact, the total amount of beverage calories that our member companies have brought to market decreased by 21 percent from 1998 to2008, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation data.  And on top of that, sales of regular soft drink have declined by 12 percent from 2000 to 2009, according to Beverage Digest.

Moreover, with our national School Beverage Guidelines, we have removed full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and replaced them with more lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverage options.  As a result, there has been an 88 percent reduction in calories from beverages shipped to schools since 2004.

It’s also important to put calories in context.  According to government data, all sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, juice drinks, sports drinks, flavored waters, etc.) account for only 7 percent of the calories in the average American’s diet. That means Americans get 93 percent of their calories from other foods and beverages.

While we are such a small piece of the diet, some assign us 100 percent of the blame for the very complex and serious issue of obesity.  This is just more proof that sugar-sweetened beverages are playing a small and declining role in the American diet.

As the federal tax filing deadline approaches and families have been taking a look at what they spent and saved last year, we thought today would be a good opportunity to take a look at financial fitness.   After all, April is not only the month federal income taxes are due; it is also National Financial Literacy Month.

In recent years as Americans have faced challenging economic times, this subject has gotten considerably more attention.  There are dozens of ways Americans can obtain helpful information – from online websites to magazines, broadcast and cable programs and newspaper personal finance columnists.  And for the next generation, the subject is part of the curriculum in many schools.

Using your favorite search engine, you’ll find online budget plans, tips, spending calculators and answers to common questions.  If you’d like to check out your knowledge, there are plenty of financial literacy IQ tests.

Americans across the nation have taken stock and have applied more discipline to their spending and saving habits.  As the family budget has been discussed around the kitchen table, Americans also have been paying close attention to government spending habits.  Hard-working families are holding their own during these tough economic times by spending responsibly and they want lawmakers to do the same —not squeeze them further with new taxes.

“Childhood obesity is a real problem facing families and we need to fix it. But we don’t need the government to tax us more. Let’s get outside and play with our kids and enjoy getting well together.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.  State budget shortfalls are very important for lawmakers to address, and we agree that obesity is a complex problem that needs to be tackled immediately.  But taxing common grocery items like beverages is hardly a solution for either.

Families are holding their own in this difficult economy, but they can’t afford to pay more for their groceries.  And they know that taxes don’t make people healthy – balanced diet and exercise do that.  We need to focus on comprehensive solutions that will bring all groups – parents, teachers, lawmakers and other community leaders – together working toward a common goal.

People don’t want government getting more involved in their lives—telling them what to eat and drink by taxing common grocery items.  Taxes don’t make kids healthier.  Education about diet and exercise does that, not government trying to do the job of parents.  These new taxes are a money grab, which will just lead to more government spending and higher taxes for Americans.

Hard-working families have been doing a good job holding their own in tough economic times, but they can’t afford higher grocery taxes.  Instead, government needs to trim its budget fat and leave family grocery budgets alone.

Fortunately, a number of governors and lawmakers agree; but the prudent course is to stay in touch and share your views.  So, as you start working on your 2010 tax returns, take a few extra moments and reach out to those whose decisions can impact family budgets.

“We intend to make maximum use of the public dollars,” candidate Abercrombie told voters back in October.  “We will not be raising any taxes. What we will be doing is utilizing state government in a way that brings the hope and change that people want.” You can read a press release here.

Fast forward to Monday’s “State of the State” speech.  Abercrombie has included in his proposal several new tax increases, including a new tax on beverages. And his public relations team is spinning to clarify how he was able to justify going back on his word.

The people of Hawaii are already working hard to make ends meet in this difficult economy.  And while the Aloha State is a great place to live, its residents already pay huge amounts in taxes.  Adding to the tax burden now is a bad idea.  Residents of Hawaii can voice their opposition, and tell Abercrombie to keep his promise, by logging on and sign the “No Beverage Tax” petition at www.nohawaiibeveragetax.com.

Congress will return next week to try and complete its unfinished agenda.  What once looked like a hefty, multi-dimensional session is shaping up as a slimmed down version.  The two biggest challenges are temporarily funding the government to keep it running through January and deciding what becomes of the Bush era tax cuts which expire Dec. 31.

Among other unresolved business:  Medicare reimbursement payments, a treaty with Russia, extended unemployment benefits, a child nutrition reauthorization bill, food safety legislation,  a natural gas and electric vehicles bill, and a defense authorization bill.

Some are predicting that only the stopgap government funding bill and the tax cuts will be in play.

The lame duck-so named because some members, in this case a lot of members, will not be returning in January-serves as a reminder.  Citizenship needs to be exercised beyond November.  We at Sip & Savor hope you’ll stay engaged and make your voices heard in the weeks and months ahead.

Americans Against Food Taxes is a growing coalition of people, organizations and businesses that are concerned about the role of government.  The American Beverage Association is a founding member.  Coalition members are worried that government is getting too big and too involved in their personal lives and don’t want it telling them what to eat or drink by taxing their food and beverages.

We hope you will head over to the Americans Against Food Taxes website and check out the new “Give Me a Break” ad, and be sure to check in with the coalition on Facebook and Twitter.