Sugary drink fact sheet

The Harvard School of Public Health produced this fact sheet discussing how sugary drinks contribute to the obesity epidemic in this country. The sheet detailed how soft drink sizes increased from 6.5 ounces in the 1950s to the 20-ounce size commonly consumed today. Sugary drink consumption as a percentage of calorie intake increased from 4 percent in the 1970s to 9 percent in 2001. The sheet also contained 28 references and would be an excellent source for my research paper.

Harvard School of Public Health. (2012, June). Fact sheet: Sugary drink supersizing and the obesity epidemic.  Retrieved from http://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf

Penny tax would save lives

This Los Angeles Times story reviewed a study published in Health Affairs that said a penny tax on soda would raise $13 billion a year and save $17 billion in health costs. The study summarized in the article said Americans drank almost 14 billion gallons of sugar-sweetened beverages in 2009. A penny-per-ounce tax would cut consumption 15 percent and reduce the number of obese adults by 867,000 over a 10-year period.
The article provided an overview of the study but did not include quotes or material from other sources.

Kaplan, K. (2012, January 10). Soda tax could prevent 26,000 premature deaths, study finds. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/

Penny-per-ounce tax on soda (good summary)

This article examines the effects of a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages. The authors, professors and a graduate student at different universities, predicted the tax would reduce consumption of sugar-sweeetened beverages by 15 percent in adults 25-64. "The estimate is conservative but consistent with other findings." They predicted an estimated 867,000 fewer people would become obese as a result of the tax and cut new diabetes cases by 2.6 percent. The greatest health improvements would occur among those 45 to 64 years old. Pop prices would increase between 20 and 25 percent with the tax. "In addition to generating substantial revenue, which can be used to fund health services or other infrastructure, the proposed penny-per- ounce excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages is predicted to greatly reduce the adverse health and cost burdens of obesity, diabetes, and car- diovascular diseases among US adults."
The article contains excellent material related to my topic and also includes an extensive bibliography.


Wang, Y.C, Coxson, C., Shen, Y., Goldman, L., & Bibbings-Domingo. (2013, January 7). A penny-per-ouncetax on sugar-sweetened beverages would cut health and cost burdens of diabetes. Health Affairs, 31(1). Retrieved from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/31/1/199.full?sid=7e334a4c-3941-4039-8329-84dcfe6777c5
 

Penny-per-ounce tax on soda (bad summary)

This article examined what the effects of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages. The authors looked at what would happen to consumption if a one cent per ounce tax was added to the price of all sodas. The study also revealed the health effects of the tax and broke out results for various age groups. The report also discussed how much pop Americans consume and some of the connections between soda and obesity. This article would be a good source for my paper.

Pro-con debate about soda taxes

This article from the Atlanta Journal presents two sides of the issue. The director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest says all those empty calories add up and taxing "liquid candy" would help reduce obesity and other health effects. The president of Coca-Cola North America said a tax would eliminate jobs and hurt the economy. She also said "No one single food or beverage is responsible for obesity" and almost 95 percent of calorie intake comes from foods other than beverages. The opinion pieces provide a look at the issue from different perspectives and will be useful in my research.

Sugar-sweetened taxes

Local communities and states are considering taxing sugar-sweetened beverages to "generate revenue, reduce consumption of unhealthy beverages and promote public health" (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 1). The research brief cites studies that show increasing prices can reduce consumption of certain foods. Some studies indicate that a 10-percent increase in costs could cut consumption of sugar-sweetened could reduce consumption by 8 percent to 11 percent. The brief also contains an extensive list of sources and will provide valuable information for my topic.

Soft drink taxes report

Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity released a report in 2009 that looked at the impact a national sales tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would have on sales and obesity. A one-cent tax would raise $14.9 billion in the first year. The money raised could be used for nutrition education and the tax hike would discourage the consumption of this liquid sugar and also encourage the development of healthier alternatives. The report also provides a variety of other resources and will be a good source for my paper.