Abstract
Due to the role that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) play in the obesity epidemic, SSB taxes have been enacted in the United States in the California cities of Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco, as well as in Boulder, Philadelphia, and Seattle. We pooled five years of Nielsen Consumer Panel and Retail Scanner Data (2014–18) to examine purchasing behaviors in and around these cities that have instituted SSB taxes. We included households that were either subject to the tax during the study period or were in surrounding areas within the same state. The goal was to test for the differential impact of SSB taxes by income level and type of tax. Multivariate analyses of beverage purchases found that (1) there is a dose–response relationship with the size of the SSB tax; (2) the Philadelphia tax, which is the only one that includes low-calorie beverages, is associated with greater reductions in SSB purchases and an increase in bottled water purchase; and (3) approximately 72% of the tax is passed through to consumers, but this does not vary by income level of the household. Few income-related effects were detected. Overall, our findings suggest that the Philadelphia model may be the most effective at encouraging healthy habits in beverage choice.
Highlights
Rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States continue to climb, reaching all-time highs of 42.4% of adults and 10.2%, respectively [1,2]
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that added sugar be less than 10% of daily total caloric intake, and additional health benefits may be attained if further reduced to 5% [7]
C improves the overall fit of the model such that we identify a significant relationship between the size of the tax in cents and carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) purchasing, with a reduction of 0.327 ounces per household per day per cent of tax
Summary
Rates of obesity and diabetes in the United States continue to climb, reaching all-time highs of 42.4% of adults (in 2017–18) and 10.2% (in 2013–16), respectively [1,2]. Explanations for these trends include many lifestyle changes, technological advances, and policy changes, many of which have made certain foods, e.g., energy-dense foods, significantly cheaper in real terms. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that added sugar be less than 10% of daily total caloric intake, and additional health benefits may be attained if further reduced to 5% [7] These daily recommendations can be exceeded by consuming a 500 mL single-serve bottle of SSB
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
