Pediatricians Call For Tax on Sugary Drinks
April 3, 2019
Sugary drinks are putting kids at risk—so let's take bold steps to protect them. That's the message of a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, who are calling for a tax on sweetened beverages, as well as limits on advertising them to children and teens.
"Excess consumption of added sugars, especially from sugary drinks, poses a grave health threat to children and adolescents," the authors write. The groups say added sugar contributes to obesity for kids and teens and ups the risk for cavities, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Sweetened beverages, which are the top source of added sugar for kids and adults, are a key target for slashing sugar. These drinks (which include soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee and tea but not diet drinks, 100 percent fruit juice, and flavored milk) have little to no nutritional value and are high in calories—but don't satisfy like calories from food do, according to the statement.
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The groups are calling for local, state, or national taxes on sugary drinks. The taxes could include education on the benefits of reducing sugar intake and the revenues could, in part, go towards programs for boosting health and wellness, like diabetes prevention and children's health programs. A price hike might be an especially effective deterrent for kids. Case in point: When taxes were placed on tobacco, cigarette consumption fell among youth.
Besides, these kinds of taxes on sweetened drinks are already working, say the statement's authors. After a sugary drink tax went into effect in Chile in 2014, purchases of sweet beverages dropped 21 percent. And when Berkeley, CA passed a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sweet drinks the next year, sales of sugary drinks fell nearly 10 percent while sales of milk and water rose more than three percent. A research review found that for every ten percent increase in price, sugary drink consumption fell by seven percent.
The statement also says the federal and state governments should limit sugary drink advertising to kids and teens on TV, the internet, and places like movie theaters. They also note that these drinks shouldn't be marketed to kids in school, including sponsorships of school teams by soda companies.
Kids and teens get about 17 percent of their calories from added sugar. The most recent Dietary Guidelines recommended less than 10 percent of calories (that's about 7-8 teaspoons for kids ages 4-8). The AHA's recommendation is even lower: no more than about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for kids age 2 and older (and no more than 8 ounces of sugary drinks per week). Teenage boys, who tend to be the biggest consumers of sweetened beverages, get as much as 300 calories from them per day.
Sally Kuzemchak, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and mom of two who blogs at Real Mom Nutrition. She is the author of
The 101 Healthiest Foods For Kids
. She also collaborated with Cooking Light on
, a cookbook for busy families. You can follow her on Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest , and Instagram . In her spare time, she loads and unloads the dishwasher. Then loads it again.
