Sugary-drink tax could help tackle obesity in kids

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-01 01:00

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A US study has found that cities in California with a sugar-sweetened beverage tax saw reductions in the body mass index of kids aged two to 19 after the tax was brought in, compared to other similar cities. The researchers say that policymakers should consider implementing sugar-sweetened beverage taxes to prevent or reduce youth overweight and obesity and, ultimately, chronic disease, particularly among children younger than 12 years.

News release

From: JAMA

City-Level Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes and Youth Body Mass Index Percentile

About The Study: Sugar-sweetened beverage excise taxes were associated with lower body mass index percentile among youth in this cohort study. Policymakers should consider implementing sugar-sweetened beverage excise taxes to prevent or reduce youth overweight and obesity and, ultimately, chronic disease, particularly among children younger than 12 years.

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Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Kaiser Permanente, USA

Funder: This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grant R01 DK123204-01A1).

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