K A S H R U T . C O M_©

Philly's Tax on Sugary Drinks Did Not Trim Kids' Obesity

November 25, 2024 from Medpage Today:

"Philadelphia's beverage tax on sugary drinks was not associated with changes in pediatric weight outcomes 2 years after it took effect, researchers found.

"Among 2- to 18-year-olds with BMI measured both before and after the $0.015/oz tax was implemented in 2017 on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and artificially sweetened beverages, standardized body mass index (zBMI) dropped by only a nonsignificant 0.004 (P=0.13) between youth in Philadelphia and those in surrounding counties who served as controls without the tax, reported Emily Gregory, MD, MHS, of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues.

"Obesity prevalence didn't change either, with an odds ratio of 1.02 (95% CI 0.97-1.08) for BMIs in the 95th percentile or higher with versus without the tax, according to the findings published in JAMA Pediatrics

"Philadelphia's tax led to a 30% increase in price and a 35% decrease in overall sales of sweetened drinks.

"Indeed, four prior studies looking at beverage taxes and weight outcomes found "modest" BMI reductions for youth in Seattle and adolescent girls in Mexico, no BMI changes for youth in Mauritius, and reductions in low birth weight across U.S. cities that adopted beverage taxes.

"Although the weight-related outcomes of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax were "minimal," there were some other benefits -- small reductions in dental cavities and adult weight.

"Limitations included that the research team was not able to match on dietary factors, that data from a single health system may not be broadly representative, that data were observational, and that BMI is not a perfect measure of adiposity."