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Health experts from the University of California are suggesting that public health policy should begin controlling sugar the same way it does alcohol and tobacco. Their advice is to increase sales taxes on sugary products, control access to them, and change licensing requirements on vending machines.

"Sugar, they argue, is far from just "empty calories" that make people fat. At the levels consumed by most Americans, sugar changes metabolism, raises blood pressure, critically alters the signaling of hormones and causes significant damage to the liver - the least understood of sugar's damages. These health hazards largely mirror the effects of drinking too much alcohol, which they point out in their commentary is the distillation of sugar."

Most people would agree that we don't want the government intervening in our lives. However, we can't disagree with what one researcher suggests. "We're not talking prohibition," one of the researchers, Laura Schmidt said. "We're not advocating a major imposition of the government into people's lives. We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making foods that aren't loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get."

Wouldn't we all agree that we'd like more choices? Most of us would choose healthier options if they were there. It's a no-brainer, too much sugar is bad for our health. However, more regulation and more taxes aren't the best idea. What do you think: Would taxes on sugar help decrease obesity?