Taxing unhealthy food and drinks to improve health.

The majority of the UK population is either overweight or obese. A high intake of sugary beverages has been suspected to be one of the contributing factors to excess weights. Health economists, nutritionists and doctors are calling for the UK to follow the example of other European countries and introduce a tax on soft drinks. This study uses household level scanner data on beverage purchases in the UK to investigate the effects of a tax on soft drink consumption. We partition the sample according to the amount of soft drinks a household consumes and estimate an Almost Ideal Demand system for beverages. Applying hypothetical tax rates, we find that taxes on soft drinks and juice drinks at levels currently imposed in France and Hungary would mainly reduce soft drink demand by high volume consumers and that taxing regular soft drinks and juice drinks would have a complementary effect on demand for diet soft drinks and juice and nectar. http://www.aes.ac.uk/cms/upload_area/member_documents/Ariane_Kehlbacher_AES6.pdf Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes in Brazil By Rafael M. Claro, PhD, Renata B. Levy, PhD, Barry M. Popkin, PhD, and Carlos A. Monteiro, PhD American Journal of Public Health 2012 ABSTRACT Objectives. We investigated whether taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) would improve the diets of households in Brazil. Methods. We used household food consumption data that the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics collected in 2002–2003 from a nationally representative sample of 48 470 Brazilian households. The consumption of SSBs is expressed as the total SSB calories consumed and as the SSB percentage of the total calories purchased. We investigated price elasticity with regression models, controlling for demographic variables, income, and prices of all other foods and drinks. Results. Increases in the price of SSBs led to reductions in consumption. A 1.00% increase in the price of SSBs led to a 0.85% reduction of SSB calories consumed (1.03% reduction for the poor and 0.63% for the nonpoor). Increased income had a positive effect on SSB consumption, but the effect was less than half the size of the price elasticity (0.41% increase in SSB calories consumed for every 1.00% increase in income). Conclusions. High SSB price elasticity in Brazil indicates that a tax on purchased weight or volume would lead to reductions in SSB consumption.Objectives. We investigated whether taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) would improve the diets of households in Brazil. Methods. We used household food consumption data that the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics collected in 2002–2003 from a nationally representative sample of 48 470 Brazilian households. The consumption of SSBs is expressed as the total SSB calories consumed and as the SSB percentage of the total calories purchased. We investigated price elasticity with regression models, controlling for demographic variables, income, and prices of all other foods and drinks. Results. Increases in the price of SSBs led to reductions in consumption. A 1.00% increase in the price of SSBs led to a 0.85% reduction of SSB calories consumed (1.03% reduction for the poor and 0.63% for the nonpoor). Increased income had a positive effect on SSB consumption, but the effect was less than half the size of the price elasticity (0.41% increase in SSB calories consumed for every 1.00% increase in income). Conclusions. High SSB price elasticity in Brazil indicates that a tax on purchased weight or volume would lead to reductions in SSB consumption. http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300313 Study: A 20% ‘Fat Tax’ Would Improve Public Health People are packing on the pounds worldwide, but a recent analysis finds taxing junk food could curb obesity rates. http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/16/study-a-20-fat-tax-would-improve-public-health/?iid=hlmain-lede Soft drinks in GCC may be costlier GCC ponders 50% tax on beverages and cigarettes Staff May 8, 2012 http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/soft-drinks-in-gcc-may-be-costlier-2012-05-08-1.457717 France approves soda tax Agence France-Presse December 29, 2011 http://business.inquirer.net/37515/france-approves-soda-tax Anyone for a great big, fat tax? The Western world is beginning to embrace measures to fight obesity but Australia is a conspicuous absentee. Cosima Marriner October 16, 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/national/anyone-for-a-great-big-fat-tax-20111015-1lq4i.html How About a Little Danish? Mark Bittman October 4, 2011 “Last month, Hungary, almost unnoticed, began taxing foods with high levels of fat, salt and sugar. And earlier this week, with just a little more fanfare, Denmark instituted an excise tax on foods high in saturated fat. “ http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/how-about-a-little-danish/ Hungary Introduces 'Fat Tax' By Catherine Cheney September 9, 2011 http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,783862,00.html Beverage consumption among European adolescents in the HELENA study By KJ Duffey, I Huybrechts, T Mouratidou, L Libuda, M Kersting, T DeVriendt, F Gottrand, K Widhalm, J Dallongeville, L Hallstro ̈m, M Gonza ́lez-Gross, S DeHenauw, LA Moreno and BM Popkin on behalf of the HELENA Study group European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012 ABSTRACT Background/Objectives: Our objective was to describe the fluid and energy consumption of beverages in a large sample of European adolescents. Subjects/Methods: We used data from 2741 European adolescents residing in 8 countries participating in the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence Cross-Sectional Study (HELENA-CSS). We averaged two 24-h recalls, collected using the HELENA-dietary assessment tool. By gender and age subgroup (12.5–14.9 years and 15–17.5 years), we examined per capita and per consumer fluid (milliliters (ml)) and energy (kilojoules (kJ)) intake from beverages and percentage consuming 10 different beverage groups. Results: Mean beverage consumption was 1611 ml/day in boys and 1316 ml/day in girls. Energy intake from beverages was about 1966 kJ/day and 1289 kJ/day in European boys and girls, respectively, with sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) (carbonated and non-carbonated beverages, including soft drinks, fruit drinks and powders/concentrates) contributing to daily energy intake more than other groups of beverages. Boys and older adolescents consumed the most amount of per capita total energy from beverages. Among all age and gender subgroups, SSBs, sweetened milk (including chocolate milk and flavored yogurt drinks all with added sugar), low-fat milk and fruit juice provided the highest amount of per capita energy. Water was consumed by the largest percentage of adolescents followed by SSBs, fruit juice and sweetened milk. Among consumers, water provided the greatest fluid intake and sweetened milk accounted for the largest amount of energy intake followed by SSBs. Patterns of energy intake from each beverage varied between countries. Conclusions: European adolescents consume an average of 1455 ml/day of beverages, with the largest proportion of consumers and the largest fluid amount coming from water. Beverages provide 1609 kJ/day, of which 30.4%, 20.7% and 18.1% comes from SSBs, sweetened milk and fruit juice, respectively. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21952695 Patterns and trends of beverage consumption among children and adults in Great Britain, 1986–2009 By Shu Wen Ng, Cliona Ni Mhurchu, Susan A. Jebb and Barry M. Popkin British Journal of Nutrition 2011 ABSTRACT Many dietary recommendations include reduction of excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and other energy-rich beverages such as juices and alcohol. The present study examines surveys of both individual dietary intake data and household food expenditure surveys to provide a picture of patterns and trends in beverage intake and purchases in Great Britain from 1986 to 2009, and estimates the potential for pricing policy to promote more healthful beverage purchase patterns. In 2008–9, beverages accounted for 21, 14 and 18% of daily energy intake for children aged 1·5–18 and 4–18 years, and adults (19–64 years), respectively. Since the 1990s, the most important shifts have been a reduction in consumption of high-fat dairy products and an increased consumption of fruit juices and reduced-fat milk among preschoolers, children and adolescents. Among adults, consumption of high-fat milk beverages, sweetened tea and coffee and other energy-containing drinks fell, but reduced-fat milk, alcohol (particularly beer) and fruit juice rose. In testing taxation as an option for shifting beverage purchase patterns, we calculate that a 10% increase in the price of SSB could potentially result in a decrease of 7·5 ml/capita per d. A similar 10% tax on high-fat milk is associated with a reduction of high-fat milk purchases by 5 ml/capita per d and increased reduced-fat milk purchase by 7 ml/capita per d. This analysis implies that taxation or other methods of shifting relative costs of these beverages could be a way to improve beverage choices in Great Britain.Many dietary recommendations include reduction of excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and other energy-rich beverages such as juices and alcohol. The present study examines surveys of both individual dietary intake data and household food expenditure surveys to provide a picture of patterns and trends in beverage intake and purchases in Great Britain from 1986 to 2009, and estimates the potential for pricing policy to promote more healthful beverage purchase patterns. In 2008–9, beverages accounted for 21, 14 and 18% of daily energy intake for children aged 1·5–18 and 4–18 years, and adults (19–64 years), respectively. Since the 1990s, the most important shifts have been a reduction in consumption of high-fat dairy products and an increased consumption of fruit juices and reduced-fat milk among preschoolers, children and adolescents. Among adults, consumption of high-fat milk beverages, sweetened tea and coffee and other energy-containing drinks fell, but reduced-fat milk, alcohol (particularly beer) and fruit juice rose. In testing taxation as an option for shifting beverage purchase patterns, we calculate that a 10% increase in the price of SSB could potentially result in a decrease of 7·5 ml/capita per d. A similar 10% tax on high-fat milk is associated with a reduction of high-fat milk purchases by 5 ml/capita per d and increased reduced-fat milk purchase by 7 ml/capita per d. This analysis implies that taxation or other methods of shifting relative costs of these beverages could be a way to improve beverage choices in Great Britain. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8465923 Caloric beverage consumption patterns in Mexican children By Simon Barquera, Fabricio Campirano, Anabelle Bonvecchio, Lucia Hernández-Barrera, Juan A Rivera, Barry M Popkin Nutrition Journal 2010