In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open , researchers investigated whether implementing a tax on sweetened beverages was associated with changes in the body mass index (BMI) of children in Seattle. Their findings indicate that the tax was significantly associated with a decrease in BMI among children residing in the Seattle area, suggesting that such taxes may effectively contribute to modest improvements in children's BMI. Study: Sweetened Beverage Tax Implementation and Change in Body Mass Index Among Children in Seattle .
Image Credit: WH_Pics / Shutterstock To date, seven US cities have implemented excise taxes on sweetened beverages to improve public health by reducing sugar-sweetened beverage intake, the largest source of added sugar in the US, and to generate revenue for other health programs. Previous studies have shown that these taxes increase beverage prices and reduce beverage purchases, potentially lowering calorie intake. However, the relationship between these taxes and self-reported sugary beverage consumption is often null, likely due to measurement difficulties and small study sizes.
Assessing health outcomes remains crucial as children, who consume more sweetened beverages, might be more affected by these taxes than adults. Prior research on sweetened beverage taxes and children's BMI is limited and shows mixed results: no association in Mauritius, a reduction in obesity among adolescent girls in Mexico, and a BMI decrease among children in three U.