Work

Can Soft Drink Taxes Reduce Population Weight?

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: Soft drink consumption has been hypothesized as one of the major factors in the growing rates of obesity in the US. Nearly two-thirds of all states currently tax soft drinks using excise taxes, sales taxes, or special exemptions to food exemptions from sales taxes to reduce consumption of this product, raise revenue, and improve public health. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of changes in state soft drink taxes on body mass index (BMI), obesity, and overweight. Our results suggest that soft drink taxes influence BMI, but that the impact is small in magnitude.

Source: Contemporary Economic Policy

DOI: 10.1111/j.1465-7287.2009.00182.x

Authors: JASON M. FLETCHER, DAVID FRISVOLD, NATHAN TEFFT

Institutions: Yale University, Emory University, Bates College

Language: English

Topic: Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of Mental Health