Unlike last year, the governor is not calling for a tax on sodas, since it was rejected by the Legislature.

But he remains obsessed with obesity, an issue also of great concern to Michelle Obama:

The fact remains that the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and health is undeniable. I have proposed the establishment of a task force, with members from the public and private sectors, to identify and then implement a solution to this very real health issue in our state. The group’s objective will be navigating us away from the path that has led obesity rates in Hawai’i to have doubled in the last 15 years. Sadly, more deaths and illnesses have occurred from chronic diseases than from contagious diseases in Hawai’i.

The governor is VERY passionate about this, speaking spontaneously and with vigor.