Pediatricians Say No Fruit Juice For Children Under One Year, Less For Older Kids
Posted on May 22, 2017 | Forbes by Nancy Fink Huehnergarth
You may soon see fewer children drinking fruit juice from baby bottles, sippy cups or glasses.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a new policy statement that urges reductions in fruit juice consumption for infants, children and adolescents. The recommendations, which point out the “potential detrimental effects” of drinking fruit juice, are published in the May issue of Pediatrics
The statement links excessive fruit juice consumption to “inappropriate” weight gain and dental decay among children due to its high sugar content and “the lack of protein and fiber in juice.” It encourages pediatricians to become “knowledgeable about juice [and] to inform parents and patients on its appropriate uses.”
Illinois soda tax could cut health costs, raise $561 million in revenue annually
Posted on April 25, 2017 | Chicago Tribune by Greg Trotter
A penny-per-ounce state tax on sugar-sweetened beverages could raise $561 million a year in new revenue for Illinois, while also saving millions in health care costs associated with obesity and diabetes, according to a new study released Tuesday by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The report was commissioned and funded by Healthy Food America.
Berkeley Soda Tax Cut Consumption By 10%, Boosting Efforts Of Anti-Soda Crusaders
Posted on April 19, 2017 | Forbes by Rob Waters
A two-year-old tax on soda in Berkeley, California, led to a 9.6% drop in sales of sugary beverages by Berkeley retailers and raised $1.5 million for health and nutrition programs in its first year of operation, according to a study released yesterday.
The results add momentum to the growing movement to brand soda as a bad actor that is fueling the rise of obesity, diabetes and heart disease and to use taxes as a weapon to reduce consumption, said James Krieger, executive director of Healthy Food America, a Seattle nonprofit that is helping coordinate anti-soda efforts.
Multiple studies in Berkeley and Mexico, which imposed a nationwide tax on soda and junk food in 2014, have now shown that the taxes do reduce consumption. The taxes also raise money that can fund health initiatives and help educate the public about the health risks posed by soda.
“It’s a trifecta,” Kreiger said. “Soda taxes have become a public policy tool that achieves three goals. It’s a win-win-win.”
Fruit Juice, in Moderation, Not Tied to Obesity in Children
Posted on March 27, 2017 | NY Times by Nicholas Bakalar
Some experts believe that drinking fruit juice may lead to obesity in children, but a new review has found that juice in moderation does not cause excess weight gain in children under 18.
Researchers from Healthy Food America pooled data from eight prospective observational studies of the association between regular 100 percent fruit juice consumption and weight gain. The analysis, published in Pediatrics, includes 34,470 boys and girls under 18.
Will 100% fruit juice make your child gain weight?
Posted on March 23, 2017 | CNN by Jacqueline Howard
Sugar can easily sneak into the diet, both for you and for your child, even through 100% fruit juices.
Debating the merits of a soda tax, featuring HFA's Jim Krieger
Posted on March 21, 2017 | KUOW by Bill Radke
Bill Radke spoke with Dr. Jim Krieger and law professor Baylen Linnekin about the proposed tax on sugary beverages in Seattle. Dr. Krieger feels that the tax will steer people away from the unhealthy drinks and produce crucial tax revenue; Linnekin argues that this kind of taxation does little to help America's obesity epidemic while putting a tax strain on lower income communities.
Should Seattle tax sugary drinks? Here’s what the health research says — and doesn’t say
Posted on March 13, 2017 | Seattle Times by Bob Young
At the start of 2016 only one U.S. city had imposed a tax on soda and other sugary drinks: Berkeley, Calif.
By the time we ushered in 2017, six other jurisdictions had joined the club — including San Francisco, Philadelphia and Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago.
Mayor Ed Murray hopes Seattle will keep the momentum rolling. Murray has proposed a tax of 2 cents per ounce on sugary drinks, with full details to come next month when he sends legislation to the City Council.
Philadelphia soft drink vendors say soda tax is 'devastating' sales
Posted on March 1, 2017 | Fox News
Philadelphia’s recent move to implement a tax on sugary soft drinks has been the subject of criticism from both the city’s residents and the American Beverage Association. Now soda venders are popping their tops.
According to Bloomberg, some soda distributors and grocers are complaining that the soda tax has drastically reduced revenue from soft drinks, with some companies reporting decreased sales of nearly 50 percent since the tax went into effect on January 1.
Canada Dry Delaware Valley, a company that distributes several soft drinks in the area, claims to have seen a 45 percent decrease in business over the same time period in 2016, reports Bloomberg.
Turning the tide away from soda in Indian Country
Posted on Feb 21, 2017 | Indian Country Today by Kim Baca
In many Southwest Native languages, there are no words for soda or its popular brands. Yet the drink has been absorbed in many traditions, often served during Pueblo feasts, community give-aways or other ceremonial events, often replacing more nutritious drinks, including water.
“Water is sacred – why don’t we drink it?” asked Andrea Pepin, Zuni Youth Enrichment Project nutrition education coordinator, during the Notah Begay III Foundation’s first Healthy Beverage Summit on February 8 tackling the issue of the high intake of sugary drinks among Native youth.
Pepin said that it was colonization that likely has made so many Native Americans think of soda as the go-to beverage. “It’s time to decolonize your drink,” she said, quoting another colleague.
Philadelphia’s Soda Sellers Say Tax Has Reduced Sales by as Much as 50%
Posted on Feb 17, 2017 | Bloomberg by Jennifer Kaplan
Philadelphia’s six-week-old tax on sweetened beverages is already taking a toll on drink distributors and grocers, with some reporting sales drops of as much as 50 percent.
Canada Dry Delaware Valley -- a local distributor of Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Sunkist, A&W Root Beer, Arizona Iced Tea and Vita Coco -- said business fell 45 percent in Philadelphia in the first five weeks of 2017, compared with the same period last year. Total revenue at Brown’s Super Stores, which operates 12 ShopRite and Fresh Grocer supermarkets, fell 15 percent at its six retailers in the city.
“In 30 years of business, there’s never been a circumstance in which we’ve ever had a sales decline of any significant amount,” said Jeff Brown, chief executive officer of Brown’s Super Stores. “I would describe the impact as nothing less than devastating.”