Penny-per-ounce tax on sugar drinks could save $17 billion, cut consumption and prevent disease and death, academics say

More than $17 billion in medical costs over 10 years could be saved if sugared drinks were taxed at 1 cent per ounce, and it would prevent 95,000 cases of coronary heart disease, 8,000 strokes and 26,000 premature deaths, say researchers at Columbia University and the University of California.

The tax would mean an extra 12 cents per can or 20 cents per bottle, and would generate about $13 billion in annual tax revenue. The study, published in this month's HealthAffairs, found the consumption of sugary drinks, including soda, sports drinks like Gatorade and energy drinks like Red Bull, would be cut by 15 percent among adults ages 25 to 64.

"Even our conservative estimates show that a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages could substantially reduce the negative health and financial impacts of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Y. Claire Wang, assistant professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia  and lead author of the study. "Putting the money raised by the tax into efforts to prevent obesity and other health problems could potentially increase the impact of such a policy."

In 2009, Americans consumed 13.8 billion gallons of sugar-sweetened beverages, which translates to about 45 gallons per person. The average 20-ounce bottle of a sugar drink contains almost 17 teaspoons of sugar. (Read more)

Most beverage companies targeting kids, teens even more to sell sugary drinks, despite pledges; Pepsi an exception

A study analyzing the marketing practices for 600 products made by 14 companies found there is more advertising of sugary drinks to children, despite industry pledges to the contrary.

Child and teen exposure to TV ads for full-calorie soda doubled from 2008 to 2010. "This increase was driven by Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. Children were exposed to nearly twice as many TV ads for sugary drinks from these companies," the report by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reads. "In contrast, children were exposed to 22 percent fewer ads for PepsiCo sugary drink products." PepsiCo makes Mountain Dew, so sugary and popular among youth in Eastern Kentucky that dentists have identified a tooth-decay syndrome of "Mountain Dew mouth."

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Kraft Foods produce two-thirds of the 900 products analyzed.

Coca-Cola accounted for three out of four brand appearances seen by children and teens. Nearly two-thirds of all full-calorie soda or energy drink ads on TV included sponsorship of an athlete, sports league or teams, or an event or cause.

In 2010, black children and Hispanic teens saw 80 to 90 percent more TV ads than white children. Marketing on Spanish-language TV is also growing. In 2010, Hispanic children and teens saw nearly twice the number of sugary drink and energy drink ads as in 2008.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says highly caffeinated energy drinks "have no place in the diet of children and adolescents." But in 2010, teenagers saw 18 percent more TV ads and heard nearly twice as many radio ads for energy drinks than adults did. (Read more)

Teens who drink sugary beverages add 300 calories a day to their diet, national survey finds

American teens who drink pop, energy drinks like Red Bull and other sugar-based beverages like Gatorade are consuming an average of 327 calories a day, the equivalent of two and a half cans of cola, according to an analysis conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data also show half of Americans drink sugary drinks on any given day, reports Nanci Hellmich of USA Today. Teens and young adults are drinking more of them than any other age group. About 25 percent of people drink at least 200 calories from them. Another 5 percent of the population age 2 and older consume nearly 600 calories a day from these drinks.

"Sugar-sweetened beverages are the No. 1 single source of calories in the American diet and account for about half of all added sugars that people consume," said Rachel Johnson, spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. "These are empty calories with no health benefits," said Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

The findings stem from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which studies the eating and drinking habits of Americans. The results are from more than 17,000 in-person interviews about dietary habits conducted from 2005 to 2008. Added calories can lead to obesity, which increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease. (Read more)