Abstract
The contemporary American food environment makes energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages the “default” option for most consumers. Economic interventions like taxes can shift the relative prices of unhealthy foods to nudge consumers towards healthier options. Beverages with added sugar are a good starting point for food taxation; they constitute over 10 percent of caloric intake nationwide and provide little or no nutritional value. Current levels of taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are too low to affect consumer behavior, but the implementation of a penny-per-ounce excise tax could lead to substantial public health benefits. Current estimates predict that a tax that raised the cost of SSBs by 20 percent could lead to an average reduction of 3.8 pounds per year for adults, causing the prevalence of obesity to decline from 33 to 30 percent. SSB taxes would also generate considerable revenue for public health and obesity prevention programs. Although the beverage industry is fighting such taxes with massive lobbying and public relations campaigns, support for the policies is increasing, especially when revenue is earmarked for obesity prevention.
Keywords: Sugar-sweetened beverages, soda, obesity, taxation, prevention, retina, Sugar-sweetened, gratification, overweight, grassroots, calories, consumption, synergistic, environment, Beverages, implementation, energy
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Taxation as Prevention and as a Treatment for Obesity: The Case of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Volume: 17 Issue: 12
Author(s): Nicole L. Novak and Kelly D. Brownell
Affiliation:
Keywords: Sugar-sweetened beverages, soda, obesity, taxation, prevention, retina, Sugar-sweetened, gratification, overweight, grassroots, calories, consumption, synergistic, environment, Beverages, implementation, energy
Abstract: The contemporary American food environment makes energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages the “default” option for most consumers. Economic interventions like taxes can shift the relative prices of unhealthy foods to nudge consumers towards healthier options. Beverages with added sugar are a good starting point for food taxation; they constitute over 10 percent of caloric intake nationwide and provide little or no nutritional value. Current levels of taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are too low to affect consumer behavior, but the implementation of a penny-per-ounce excise tax could lead to substantial public health benefits. Current estimates predict that a tax that raised the cost of SSBs by 20 percent could lead to an average reduction of 3.8 pounds per year for adults, causing the prevalence of obesity to decline from 33 to 30 percent. SSB taxes would also generate considerable revenue for public health and obesity prevention programs. Although the beverage industry is fighting such taxes with massive lobbying and public relations campaigns, support for the policies is increasing, especially when revenue is earmarked for obesity prevention.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
L. Novak Nicole and D. Brownell Kelly, Taxation as Prevention and as a Treatment for Obesity: The Case of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2011; 17 (12) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161211795656783
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161211795656783 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Air Pollution Exposure and Blood Pressure: An Updated Review of the Literature
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Association between Labor Induction and Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Children: A Meta-Analysis
Current Pediatric Reviews Age-Related Changes and Effects of Mild Hypothermia on Carotid Artery Reactivity in Newborn Rats
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B9 – Occurrence, Biosynthesis Pathways and Functions in Human Nutrition
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Proteomic Profiling of Maternal Serum for Early Risk Analysis of Preterm Birth
Current Proteomics Immunomodulation in Polytrauma and Polymicrobial Sepsis - Where Do We Stand?
Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery Pharmacological Applications of Antioxidants: Lights and Shadows
Current Drug Targets Current HIV Treatment Guidelines - An Overview
Current Pharmaceutical Design Mild Carbohydrate Intolerance in Pregnancy
Current Diabetes Reviews Anti-islet Cell Antibodies in a Sample of Egyptian Females with Gestational Diabetes and its Relation to Development of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Current Diabetes Reviews Managing the Suicidal Risk in Pregnant Women with Severe and Persistent Psychiatric Disorder: Focus on Antisuicidal Drugs and Somatic Interventions
Current Psychiatry Reviews Pregnancy Complicated by the Most Frequent Forms of Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young: A Narrative Review on Its Pharmacological Implications
Current Reviews in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Exploring the Incidence of Premature Rupture of Membrane and its Associated Factors in Public Hospitals of Eastern Zone Tigray Region, Ethiopia, 2019
Current Women`s Health Reviews Regulation of Leptin Receptor Expression in Human Polarized Caco-2/15 Cells
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets The Effect of Counseling on Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy (BSFE) in Women with Gestational Diabetes
Current Women`s Health Reviews Influences of Maternal Nutritional Status on Vascular Function in the Offspring
Current Drug Targets Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ and Its Ligands in the Treatment of Tumors in the Nervous System
Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy Human Chorionic Gonadotropin: A Model Molecule For Oligopeptide-Based Drug Discovery
Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets (Pro)renin Receptor: Pathological Role and Therapeutic Potential in Primary Hypertension
Current Hypertension Reviews The Vitamin D Saga: Breaking Dawn
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued)