Dr. Gary’s Nutritional Library

Taxation of sugar-sweetened drinks has been suggested as a way to reduce their use and to reduce health care costs resulting from their use. Sugar-sweetened beverages include those sweetened with sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, or fruit-juice concentrates (not artificially sweetened drinks.) These drinks have been shown to increase risk of diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, per capita, doubled in the United States. from 1977 to 2002. In Mexico, the per capita use of these drinks doubled from 1999 to 2006. The relationship between obesity and the use of sugar-sweetened beverages has been demonstrated more clearly by long term studies and by studies that are not funded by the beverage industry.

The subjects who were given non-caloric sweeteners for 10 weeks lost weight. Subjects given sugar-sweetened beverages for the same period of time gained weight.

Three studies have confirmed the relationship between diabetes and the use of sugar-sweetened beverages, even as little as one beverage a day. Diabetes risk was increased significantly by increased body weight. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases insulin resistance.

In the Nurses Study, consumption of as little as one sugar-sweetened beverage per day resulted in an increased rate of cardiovascular disease of 23%. Again, the risk was increased by increased body weight.

CONCLUSION: The cost of sugar-sweetened beverages does not cover the full cost of the consumption decision. Taxation is proposed as a way to reduce the use of sugar-sweetened beverages and to reduce the health problems arising from the use of those beverages. The money in taxes could be used for health related programs.

Tobacco taxation, as the model for this proposal, has been very successful.

NOTE: Read a news article about taxing unhealthy food in The New York Times. Read about the ability of the food prices to alter eating patterns.

To read the author’s abstract of the article click on the link to the author’s title of the article above.

PMID:19759377.

Summary #339.

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You are entering the portion of the website of Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, Inc., that is here “to strive to offer education”, as stated in our Mission Statement. Here we are reporting on scientific studies that are about the value of nutritional supplements and whole foods for our health. We will attempt to report on the latest studies regarding the supplements and foods sold at Rainbow Grocery. The summaries of the articles are our own. These summaries are not intended to promote any particular product or food that Rainbow sells, but only to provide information about them.

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Usted está entrando a la parte del portal de Internet de la Cooperativa de Rainbow Grocery, Inc. cuyo fin es “procurar ofrecer elementos educativos” tal como lo establece nuestra Declaración de Principios. Lo que aquí se reporta son estudios científicos sobre el valor nutricional de suplementos y alimentos completos para la salud. Trataremos de incluir los estudios más recientes sobre suplementos y productos alimenticios que se expenden en Rainbow Grocery. Los resúmenes de los artículos han sido elaborados por nosotros. Pero su inclusión no tiene como fin promover productos específicos que se venden en Rainbow, sino sólo proporcionar información sobre los mismos.

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