Medical evidence mounts to support junk food tax

CLEVELAND - New research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests adults tend to eat less junk food as the price increases, and their body weight and overall calorie intake also appear to decrease.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil researched the dietary habits of more than 5,000 young adults from 1985 to 1986 and then from 2005 to 2006.

Food prices were documented for the same period of time.

Over the 20-year period, a one dollar increase in the cost of pop or pizza was associated with a lower overall daily calorie intake, lower body weight and an improved insulin resistance score.

The researchers suggest an 18 percent tax on these foods would result in a weight loss of about 5 pounds per person per year and would reduce obesity-related illness.