It’s a matter of healthy living

Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times: Americans generally and health scientists specifically are particularly concerned about the rising wave of obesity, and rightly so. It threatens the health of adults and children alike, and it is spurring health care costs dramatically upwards. Few, however, have stepped out boldly to take actions that might actually influence the sugar intake of obese people. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg may change that.

Bloomberg filed a request with the federal government Oct. 6 for approval to bar his city’s 1.7 million food stamp recipients from using the stamps to buy sodas and other sugary drinks. Bloomberg may be accused of nannyism and intrusive government meddling in personal food choices, but his proposal is perfectly sensible.

The mayor is not picking just on food stamp recipients. His latest action is part of a broad public campaign to ban smoking in public places and to tamp down obesity and its myriad related and costly diseases, which have an enormous impact on public health care costs for the indigent and those on Medicaid.

He’s also pressured schools to restrict the sales of sugary drinks and unhealthy foodstuffs and sponsored advertising to persuade the public to eat healthier. He also wants to impose an additional tax on the sale of sugary drinks.

There’s good reason for his concern about the impact of obesity.