Two recent news stories concerning the American Medical Association:

AMA wants warning labels on high-salt food

The American Medical Association voted Tuesday to urge the government to require high-salt foods to be labeled and also vowed to push the food industry to drastically cut the amount of salt in restaurant and processed foods. The goal would be 50 percent less salt within a decade.

Americans eat almost twice the amount of salt they should, and that contributes to high blood pressure and heart problems, the AMA says.

And:

AMA Wants to Tax Soda

A can of soda pop may cost you more if the American Medical Association gets its way. Doctors with the AMA have voted in favor of a resolution for a tax on sugary soft drinks.

They say pop is a large contributor to the nation’s obesity epidemic. The doctors want to use the money from the tax for public health programs that fight America’s unhealthy eating habits.

I’ve got to say, I think both actions are a step in the right direction. The warning labels for high-salt foods is easier to get behind, since it won’t “punish” the consumer for making poor dietary choices. Rather, it simply provides consumers with the information needed to make sound choices. Of course, it doesn’t guarantee that shoppers will pay much attention to the AMA’s cautionary note, but it does help in terms of education.

The soda (I call it “pop”, but whatever!) tax is bound to be more controversial, as it mandates economic disincentives in the form of a “sin tax.” Even so, I think it’s a great idea, as long as the tax remains minimal (because people should still be free to make their own choices - even bad ones). For starters, the funds generated will go to help fight obesity - a war that we’re quickly losing. Additionally, many lower-income individuals buy junk food because it’s cheap and available. A tax, then, will start to bridge the price gap between the junk food and the good stuff. As we’ve already seen, the prices of many foods are artificially low (as opposed to “organics” and health foods being ridiculously expensive). So a sin tax on the junky, inexpensive stuff will help to level the playing field.

Thoughts? (C’mon, Shane, I’m sure you have something to say as a tax-hating libertarian!)