Penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks ‘could prevent 100,000 cases of heart disease and 26,000 deaths over a decade’

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Penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks ‘could prevent 100,000 cases of heart disease and 26,000 deaths over a decade’

January 11th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Americans drink 13.8 billion gallons of sugary drinks every year. Experts say it’s the leading source of excess calories

By
Claire Bates

Last updated at 4:56 PM on 10th January 2012

Taxable? U.S scientists have urged the government to increase the cost of sugary drinks to discourage high consumption

Medical experts are calling for a tax to be imposed on sugary drinks to help tackle the obesity crisis affecting Western countries.

Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, said applying such a levy on sweetened beverages would prevent nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease and 8,000 strokes over the next decade. They estimated this would save a total of 26,000 lives.

The study follows in the wake of a decision in France to impose a so-called ‘cola tax’ on sugary drinks in a bid to beat the country’s growing problem with obesity.

The UK has no such levy but David Cameron said the Coalition would consider following Denmark’s example of taxing foods with higher saturated fat.

In the U.S, Americans drink 13.8 billion gallons of soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and sports drinks in a mass consumption of sugar that is fueling soaring obesity and diabetes rates.

Study leader Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo said the penny tax ‘would also prevent 240,000 cases of diabetes per year.’

The move would raise £8.5billion ($13bn) in direct tax revenue and save the public £11bn ($17bn) in healthcare-related expenses.

‘Our hope is that these types of numbers are useful for policy makers to weigh decisions,’ Dr Bibbins-Domingo said.

Fizzy drinks are the number one source of added sugar and excess calories in the American diet.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed reducing the intake of these beverages as one of its chief obesity prevention strategies in 2009, and several states and cities, including California and New York City, are already considering such taxes.

The analysis by Dr Bibbins-Domingo and her colleagues is among the first study to generate concrete estimates of the health benefits and cost savings of such a tax.

They modeled these benefits by taking into account how many sodas and sugary beverages Americans drink every year and estimating how much less they would consume if a penny-per-ounce tax were imposed on these drinks.

Economists have estimated that such a tax would reduce consumption by 10 to 15 percent over a decade.

The team then modeled how this reduction would play out in terms of reducing the burdens of diabetes, heart disease and their associated healthcare costs.

The study appears in the January issue of the journal Health Affairs.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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Isn’t “healthy” fruit juice high in sugar (fructose)? Isn’t skimmed milk high in sugar (lactose)? Isn’t “healthy “dietary fibre” high in sugar (polysaccharides like cellulose)?

– John S, Bromley, 11/1/2012 01:39

A tax on sugary drinks “could” also save the world from Climate Change. Epidemiology sucks – especially in the hands of self-serving fanatics.

– John S, Bromley, 11/1/2012 01:31

I think it’s a good idea and agree it should go on more unhealthy products, BUT they should have to apply the collected revenue to discount the price of good food items like vegetables, eggs, fish, wholegrain rice etc.

– JJ, expat, Canada (will return when the government represents its people), 10/1/2012 23:53

People can get fat on eating ‘clean’ food.

– Bob, Brighton, 10/1/2012 22:42

It’s not a sugary drink making people fat, it is all food they are eating.

– Bob, Brighton, 10/1/2012 22:41

Come on folks, get a grip on reality. If the money from taxing the soda saves the lives of some of the folks who consume the soda, then banning the foods would save all of the lives! So why does money come in to it? Why don’t these doctors call for a ban instead? It’s just another way of raising taxes for some other eventual purpose. Don’t be fooled by these ‘doctors’. I suspect the study at very liberal San Francisco University might have been commissioned by some legislators.

– Adrienne, Lincoln, CA, USA, 10/1/2012 22:16

Sugar has no nutritional component – its just energy. In nature highly concentrated sources of sugar are difficult to find. Honey is the closest to refined sugar but even that has some health benefits. Normally humans would have eaten fruit, when it was in season, and along with the sugar they would get important minerals, nutrients and vitamins. Also it certainly wouldn’t have made up a large part of their daily caloric intake. Cutting refined sugars, especially in fizzy drinks, from your daily consumption goes a long way to preventing many “Modern” diseases.

– Al beback, Cornwall, 10/1/2012 21:54

What a load of baloney just another excuse for the government to take money off you.

– kuryakin, uk, 10/1/2012 21:38

blah, blah, blah-it’s just another government money grab-get your hands out of my wallet-stop pretending you’re looking out for my health

– oldoak, Houston TX, USA, 10/1/2012 20:43

Well it’s a good start but it needs to be a hefty tax. All sugary food needs to be taxed more along with most starchy foods like bread. Breakfast cereals should also be added to the list of major sinners.

– Real Food lover, Shrewsbury, 10/1/2012 19:21

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