[roenxi]

> What alternative is there?

You could let people who think soda is unhealthy avoid it, and people who don't care buy it from the soda makers. Maybe set up some official nutritional advice [0].

There doesn't have to be a centralised determination on whether soda is to be encouraged or discouraged.

[0] https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/the-austral...

[seanmcdirmid]

This is what already happens. Richer people who are more informed and mindful about their health have been decreasing sugar consumption for awhile now. However, city and state budgets are still heavily affects because the poorer people who more heavily use public services aren’t in that bucket and have much higher obesity rates as a result. They have less access to education and are more likely to ignore advice from their doctor (if they have seen one recently at all).