Opinion: Combat Obesity by Expanding Proposed Soda Tax

A proposal (AB 669) by Assembly member William Monning (D-Carmel) to "slap a penny-an-ounce levy on drinks sweetened with sugar or corn syrup" to combat obesity should be expanded "to fast food -- say, a penny for every 500 calories served," Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus writes. Lazarus concludes, "The food industry is right: A soda tax won't solve the obesity epidemic. Sin taxes in general aren't going to make problems go away. But they're a good place to start."

• "Junk Food Tax: Fighting Obesity One Penny at a Time" (Lazarus, Los Angeles Times, 2/25).