This is a step in a good direction.
Recent research reveals that children residing in Seattle experienced a more significant decrease in their body mass index (BMI) following the enactment of a soda tax, compared to children in nearby untaxed regions.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the analysis examined over 6,300 children aged 2 to 18 years living in urban areas of Seattle, surrounding King County, or neighboring Snohomish and Pierce counties. These children had recorded weight measurements both before and after Seattle implemented an excise tax on sugary beverages in 2018.
Lead author Jesse Jones-Smith, a professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health, notes that BMIp95, a metric indicating a child’s BMI percentile compared to a reference group, decreased notably among Seattle children after the tax implementation. This decline was more pronounced than that observed in children from non-taxed areas.
Specifically, BMIp95 decreased from an average of 84% to 82% among Seattle children post-tax, compared to a decrease from 86% to 85% in non-taxed regions. This trend was consistent across various demographic groups, including gender, race, socioeconomic status, and insurance coverage.
Jones-Smith emphasizes that no known factors could explain this divergence in BMI trends between Seattle and non-taxed areas, underscoring the potential impact of the soda tax on children’s health.
These findings align with previous research indicating a correlation between sugar-sweetened beverage taxes and reduced BMI among children in other cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Oakland. The revenue generated from such taxes, averaging $134 million annually across seven U.S. cities, underscores their economic significance.
Jones-Smith suggests that evidence from this and prior studies supports the effectiveness of soda taxes in improving children’s BMI and potentially curbing obesity rates. With sugary drink consumption declining post-tax implementation, these policies demonstrate promise in promoting healthier habits among children.
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