When it comes to obesity there are no silver bullet solutions. Public health professionals tell us that obesity has many risk factors, including diet, genetics, age, even lack of sleep.

A tax that targets one item in the grocery cart is sometimes floated as a way to address obesity. But no tax has ever improved public health, and the evidence for that keeps mounting.

Take this recently released report from StateOfObesity.org, which ranks the most obese states. Arkansas and West Virginia are the No. 1 and No. 2 states with the highest obesity rates, and have historically been in the Top Ten year after year. But both have longstanding soda taxes.

On the other hand, Colorado and Vermont are among the 10 states that have the lowest obesity rates. Neither has a soda tax.

How can legislators and public health activists continue to believe that taxes on beverages will improve public health when the data speaks for itself?

States like Arkansas and West Virginia aren’t alone in their struggle to address obesity and other public health issues, which is why the beverage industry is dedicated to bringing solutions that actually work to communities across the country. We are helping Americans achieve a balanced lifestyle by providing them with the options and information they need to make the choices that are right for them.

To learn more about why taxes don’t make people healthy, visit YourCartYourChoice.com.