Balance of Food

Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), is at it again. Jacobson has filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration, requesting that warning labels be put on soft drinks with more than 13 grams of refined sugar for each 12 ounces. Having just come off the "caffeine warning" labels from Canada, and the end to my own personal addiction to soft drinks, I watch all of this with some bemusement. Yes, Jacobson is correct in that young people are in his words, "drowning in soda pop." And yes, 13 grams of refined sugar in a 12-oz. can is plenty. But will the warnings work? Are cigarette smokers affected by our pitiful warning labels here? Likely not. The cigarette warnings in Canada have actual meat to them, with gross pictures and everything. If we are going to "warn" people of the dangers, let's really make it scary. Right now, no one is scared of our warning labels. Show us the rotting teeth, the blood-sugar readings, and the bloated stomachs of soft drink addicts.