If you can’t convince people to eat healthy, make junk food expensive. That is the idea behind soda tax. Why not? If it is true as this article from Mother Jones states that 21% of medical expenses are from obesity than I say tax away the fat.
Would you be more likely to buy a healthy drink (with little or no sugar and no additives and no food coloring and no corn syrup) OR a soda if they cost the same?
For me it is an easy choice. I had a root canal years ago and decided to stop drinking soda and to cut back on my sugar intake. I can’t say for sure that my teeth are okay now because of that decision, but the rest of my body sure feels great. It wasn’t easy, but I don’t miss all those sugary sweet drinks. Actually, my cravings for sweets has diminished a lot since I cut back on sugar and went cold turkey on soda.
Individual Empowerment 
I think that’s half the battle; getting people the information. I’m very blessed to be in a family that can afford to eat healthy. We have lots of home cooked meals and a garden in our backyard.
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I think you are right for the majority of people. I was brought up to eat healthy and even though I did not for some time, when I decided to make a change to a healthy diet I had that information.
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Personally, I feel like of they cost the same then it does just as much damage to the pocket book as something healthy, so why WOULD you buy the healthy one? I think it would have to cost more than the healthy product. Then, when people are looking at prices it really won’t make sense for them to by the sugary/yummy/bad for you food. Or we have to find a way to make the healthy things cheaper. Either way, the same won’t be a good enough deterrent in my opinion.
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