Should We Regulate Sugar Like Alcohol or Tobacco?

Art Carden, an economist, is against regulating the sugar in the same way that we regulate alcohol and tobacco. He feels that the declaration that "chronic non-communicable diseases... pose a greater health burden... than do infectious diseases" is misleading because it is actually a "testimony to our ability to treat infectious diseases" and that we are not living long enough to get these diseases. This can be applied to rising cancer rates as well because a larger percentage of the population is now living long enough to get cancer, making it more of an issue. Carden also feels that instead of the government being able to spend less money to care for people with metabolic syndrome (from eating too much sugar) if there was a regulation, people should instead take responsibility for their eating habits, and in turn, any health-related illness that this creates. If the government does not pay to treat these people, the hope is that people will have more incentive to be healthy. Another point that is brought up is the expense that it takes to regulate alcohol and tobacco. To try to enforce any kind of similar regulations on sugar would cost a ton of money and would be unrealistic. Lastly, Carden feels that people will simply "find ways around restrictions on sugar," and it is therefore not worth the time and money.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/artcarden/2012/02/02/should-we-regulate-sugar-like-alcohol-or-tobacco/