Staff Reports
Kevin W. Keane and the American Beverage trade group are right to push back against the political panic over soda and sugary drinks and to insist the solution to America’s obesity problem is innovation and choice, not Washington diktats. For years the industry has moved in the direction consumers demand—more zero-sugar options, clearer labeling, and smaller portion choices—showing that free markets correct problems faster than bureaucrats ever will.
Look at the facts the industry itself points to: hundreds of no-sugar alternatives, voluntary front-of-package calorie information, and an emphasis on offering parents real choices for their families. Those are tangible, market-driven solutions that respect personal responsibility while giving Americans better tools to make healthy decisions.
Meanwhile, the left’s reflex is to tax, ban, and shame—policies that have a long track record of failing to fix complex social problems. Scholars who study regulation remind us that one-size-fits-all government mandates rarely produce better health outcomes and often crowd out private innovation that people actually want. Markets respond to demand and deliver variety; government decrees just deliver resentment and unintended consequences.
The industry has been transparent about the choices it’s offering and has even defended sensible tactics like smaller portion sizes against opportunistic attacks that label them “shrinkflation.” That’s the kind of common-sense pushback Americans should applaud: explain, innovate, and let consumers decide rather than playing nanny from the halls of Congress.
It’s also worth remembering what’s at stake beyond calories: millions of American jobs and a multibillion-dollar supply chain that feeds towns across the country. Conservatives should demand policy that promotes innovation and economic security—encouraging the private sector to keep creating lower-calorie choices and clearer information instead of strangling it with punitive taxes and heavy-handed regulation.
If policymakers really want to help families, they should partner with, not punish, businesses that are listening to consumers and public-health experts. Reforming outdated regulatory hurdles, embracing transparency, and defending the free market will drive better outcomes than the coercive experiments politicians keep foisting on the American people. That’s not ideology; it’s common sense and respect for the hardworking citizens who deserve freedom to choose.
