Favor an Anti-Obesity Tax? Fat Chance

Mark Dolliver - With a population that's too hefty and governmental coffers that are too skimpy, soft drinks and fast food have become likely targets for new taxation. But an AdweekMedia/Harris Poll finds plenty of resistance to proposals that have been floated for taxing those edibles and drinkables as a way to deter obesity (see the chart).

Since Americans demonstrably do like fast food and soft drinks, and demonstrably don't like taxes, the overall pattern of response isn't surprising. But some population cohorts in the poll (fielded last month) were less hostile than others to such a nutritional-sin tax.

The 18-34-year-olds split almost evenly between those in favor (41 percent) and those opposed (42 percent). By comparison, the 45-54-year-olds were opposed by a lopsided 68 percent to 24 percent.

Among college graduates, 41 percent were pro and 48 percent con.

The voting was heavily anti-tax (60 percent vs. 24 percent) in the high-school-or-less cohort. There was also considerable regional variation. In the East, "support" didn't lag all that far behind "oppose" (42 percent vs. 50 percent).

But in the South, more than twice as many respondents opposed such a tax as supported it (61 percent vs. 25 percent).