A growing list of countries around the world are starting to tax sugar-sweetened beverages in hopes to combat the health risks associated with them, including South Africa. The tax is aimed at helping decrease future associated health risk costs related to diseases like obesity. According to a recent article Professor Tess van der Merwe says half of South African adult women and a third of adult men are "overweight" and obesity rates are rising sharply in african children. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported obesity rates of children under five have nearly doubled. The levy, announced in February this year by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his budget is set to take effect in April 2017. Copy & Share on Twitter: South Africa to have #sodatax in April 2017 ...
Health organizations around the world are asking the largest beverage industries, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to adopt changes in regards to marketing to kids ages 16 and younger. Gathering with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Wash. D.C., groups such as The World Public Health Nutrition Association, World Obesity Federation, Healthy Latin America Coalition, Alianza por la salud Alimentaria, and more wrote to big soda's CEO's and institutional investors to consider the soda-related health risks that communities in low-income countries continue to face with rising rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Billions of dollars is spent in marketing soda world-wide and much of the "core demographic" according to CSPI's recent article, are teens and low-income ...
High Schools in St. Joseph, Missouri are now able to help students make the healthier choice the easier choice with the school's new water bottle stations. To help encourage students to chose water over sugary beverages, local health departments helped purchase the new water bottle filling fountains for various local schools and put up sugar shocker signs to help students know how much sugar is in various sugary beverages. The grant came through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and then the new fountains were purchased by the City of St. Joseph Health Department to help encourage students to drink more water. Quick-fill water bottle stations that transform regular water fountains into bottle filling stations were put into various local schools including ...
Eating high sugar diets have been known to cause health risks for many years, but a new study based on nearly 3,200 U.S adults whose diet habits and cancer rates were tracked for more than 2o years, show that 565 people were diagnosed with cancer. In the study, results showed that women whose diets consisted of healthy carbohydrates like vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes, had a 67 percent less likelihood of developing breast cancer, compared to women who favored refined carbs like white bread, potatoes and white baked goods. The study also revealed that men who drank sugary juices or beverages were more than three times as likely to develop disease verses men who didn't drink sugary juices or beverages. The lead researcher, Ph.D. candidate in nutrition at New York ...
Plans to put a soda tax on the November ballot were announced from Oakland Council member Annie Campbell Washington this week. Washington stated in a recent article that for her it was all about the public health crisis, saying that "Sugar is the new tobacco." Sugary beverages have been linked to chronic disease like diabetes and research show that one in every three children is at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other chronic diseases that used to affect only adults. According to a local article , one in seven Oakland youth drink two or more sodas each day, increasing their risks for diet-related diseases. Washington plans to run a grass-roots campaign to help push the efforts, and also plans to have an advisory board of residents, doctors, and ...
Drinking water is a vital component to staying healthy, and now a new study from JAMA Pediatrics shows how students in New York who had more restrictive beverage option at school and access to clean and cold water, also came to have healthier weights. But recent news stories have shown that not all schools water is safe. Schools need to make sure water is safe through lead tests and having safe water accessible for all students, and visitors, especially since water may help students weight, finds the new study. The study looked at more than 1 million students across New York schools after a new rule banned sodas and high sugar and calorie drinks, but replaced vending machines with new water jets. The students were given cups to use in conjunction with the water jets, and ...
Update May 2016: City Council President suggests an alternative lower priced soda tax Update March 2016: Mayor Kenney cast supporters as everyday residents who stand to benefit from the levy. Mayor Kenney officially launched his campaign to tax sugary drinks on Wednesday, March 16th, 2016. In a recent article Kenney stated that he believes he cannot fail, and will plan to put the tax revenues back into low-income neighborhoods through universal pre-K, community schools, and upgrades to parks and recreation centers. The purposed soda tax would levy a three-cents-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, hoping to bring $432 million over five years to the community. However, coalitions like the Philadelphians Against the Grocery tax, funded by the American Beverage Association, are ...
Many states across the nation are working towards healthier beverage and health policies locally, but in moving towards healthier policies there are many topics and ideas that need to be evaluated. ChangeLab Solutions and Healthy Food America has created a space for best practices towards creating or developing tax legislation that will be effective and workable for different communities. Current resources include information that includes best practice recommendations for: understanding what type of tax to employ
defining beverages subject to the tax
defining the tax base
tax rate
exemptions for small businesses
earmarking tax proceeds To read in full about the resources offered by Healthy Food America and ChangeLab, click ...
A long debated soda tax, since 2011, is being proposed by Mayor Jim Kenny on Thursday, March 3, 2016. The tax of three cents per ounce of sugary beverages is estimated to bring over $400 million over five years for various city projects. The plan for the estimated revenue from the tax is proposed to help rebuild parks and recreation centers, develop more jobs and bring universal pre-K to the area. There is also plans for funds to be put into the city's pension system, helping to level out the city's billion dollar deficit. According to a recent article, the American Beverage Association (ABA) is "gearing up" to sway the city council to vote against the tax. To learn more about this movement, click here. Share this on Twitter: Soda Tax discussions bubble up in Philly ...
