1. 1. There may be no more contested food policy issue today than whether sugar-sweetened drinks like soda have expanded America’s waistlines—and whether government has the authority to limit access to these drinks if they’re found to be a culprit.
    1. Government policy to deter people from drinking sweetened beverages has caused serious controversy.
    2. There is currently much debate about whether sugary drinks have contributed to obesity in America and whether the Government has the right to restrict their consumption.

    B. The Government has not introduced a policy limiting the sale of drinks, so paraphrase a) is inaccurate.


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  2. 2. The latest research to address the issue came out late last week in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). A trio of studies published there conclude that sugar-sweetened drinks are a major driver of what New York Times food opinion writer Mark Bittman has taken to mischaracterizing as an “obesity pandemic.” Furthermore, the studies suggest some segment of the population has a genetic predisposition toward obesity that is triggered by consuming sugary drinks.
    1. Recent research contends that sweetened drinks have seriously contributed to weight gain and that people of a certain genetic make-up are particularly at risk.
    2. The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) recently published research proving a link between obesity, sweetened drinks and genetic make-up.

    A. The link between the three elements in b) is not explained. The paraphrase is not clear.


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  3. While none of the three studies themselves address whether government has the authority to limit access to these beverages, that hasn’t stopped many—including at least one study author—from suggesting the studies virtually mandate a host of policy prescriptions. The Times reports, for example, that one of the studies’ authors, Dr. David Ludwig, “said the finding only underscored the need for public policy changes,” including “long-term, permanent changes in the environment for children.” "These randomized, controlled studies… provide a strong impetus to develop recommendations and policy decisions to limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages,” writes Dr. Sonia Caprio in a NEJM editorial published alongside the studies. Even the Association Press jumped on the bandwagon. “That adds weight to the push for taxes, portion limits like the one just adopted in New York City, and other policies to curb consumption of soda, juice drinks and sports beverages sweetened with sugar,” writes the AP’s Maryilynn Marchione.

    3. Opponents of increased regulations—a group that includes many scientists, academics, policymakers, and advocates—note in reply that even as sales of full-calorie sodas decreased during the first decade of this century by more than 10 percent, obesity rates continued their rise. They also note that during that same period Americans drank 39 percent less added sugar in soda.
    1. One argument against making changes to government policy is that despite a decrease in the consumption of sweetened drinks and of the amount of sugar in drinks over the past few years, the rates of obesity have continued to rise.
    2. Opponents of increased government regulations point out that obesity rates are still on the rise despite the fact that sales of full-calorie sodas decreased during the beginning of this century by more than 10 percent and 39% less sugar was added to soda.

    B. The detail given in a) is unnecessary.


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  4. 4. As an opponent of increased regulations, I find these latter scientific points noteworthy. But I also believe that even if sugar-sweetened drinks turn out to be virtually everything their opponents claim, people still have a right to buy and drink these beverages—just as much, as I argued in a recent Bloggingheads debate, as they have a right to buy a Big Mac. After all, we don’t have a right to free speech or to travel from one state to another because speech or travel has been proven by the scientific community to promote good health.
    1. Even if sweetened drinks do contribute to the rise in obesity as the researchers claim, the author maintains that people have a right to choose what they want to drink.
    2. People should have the right to choose what they want to drink even if consuming them is not particularly healthy.

    A. The reader of paraphrase b) will assume that this opinion is yours, and you are therefore misleading the reader. This opinion is not yours. It is the opinion of the writer of the article and this should be made clear.


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  5. 5. But suppose, for the sake of argument, I was to take at face value the assertions of those who claim the NEJM studies justify some combination of sugary drink taxes and bans. There is still this problem: The solutions these advocates propose won’t likely solve the problem of obesity. For example, studies have suggested taxes will have little or no impact on obesity. And not one person has (to the best of my knowledge) even attempted to argue that soda bans would have any specific impact, either—unless one counts "sending a message" or "creating a debate" as conditions precedent to weight loss.
    1. The author also suggests that obesity rates would not decrease as a result of taxing or banning sweetened beverages.
    2. The author also argues that studies have indicated that taxing such beverages would have almost no impact on obesity rates.

    B. Paraphrase a) is not quite as accurate as b), because it does not provide the important evidence-based reason for the author’s opinion.


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  6. 6. There is also the issue of a genetic predisposition, which again is one finding of the studies. Many people are genetically predisposed to certain food allergies—including soy, dairy, gluten, nuts, and seafood—and food intolerances. I have never seen a researcher or AP journalist like Marchione argue seriously that the widespread impact of food allergies "adds weight to the push for taxes" on wheat, tofu, and shrimp. Yet if one were to buy the argument of those calling for taxes and bans to combat consumption of sugary drinks in light of theNEJM studies, one would have to accept the idea of taxing society writ large based largely on the outcomes of what these researchers argue is a genetic condition.
    1. Many people are allergic to foods such as soy, dairy, gluten, nuts and seafood and Linneken does not understand why researchers believe foods such as wheat, tofu and shrimps should be taxed.
    2. Linneken insists that it is nonsense for the government to tax foods because some people have an allergic reaction or intolerance to them.

    B. Listing examples is not necessary.


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  7. 7. Instead of a dystopian future of gene-based taxes and bans that likely won’t curb obesity, government, industry, and consumers can help curb obesity in other ways. The federal government should stop subsidizing sugar and corn (which gets turned into the sweetener high fructose corn syrup). Ending these subsidies is and always has been good policy—whether these sweeteners are unhealthy or not.
    1. Instead of taxing sweet foods, one alternative solution would be for the Government to cease its subsidies on the sweeteners themselves; namely, sugar and corn.
    2. The federal government can help curb obesity by stopping its subsidies on sugar and corn.

    A. The idea in b) has not been rephrased sufficiently and the language is too similar to the original.


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  8. Beverage makers—who have every reason to believe that questions about public health are sure to continue spurring calls for new health regulations—are already looking ahead to what may become the next mainstream, calorie-free sweetener.

    8. And consumers can do what they’ve always been able to do—take hold of their own health and well-being by making those food choices they believe are right for them.
    1. In the end, people can take more responsibility for their own health and make healthier food choices.
    2. People should take more responsibility for their own and make better food choices.

    A.Paraphrase b) distorts the meaning of the original slightly. The author does not say that consumers ‘should’ take responsibility for their own health. He uses ‘can’, which means ‘are able to’ or ‘it is possible to’.


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