The journal PLoS Medicine has published two articles and an editorial in a “major new series” on “Big Food” in this week’s issue, and will publish five additional related articles over the next two weeks. The editorial notes that the articles, focusing on “the role in health of Big Food, which we define as the multinational food and beverage industry with huge and concentrated market power,” were selected under the guidance of guest editors Marion Nestle of New York University and David Stuckler of Cambridge University. Contending that Big Food has “an undeniably influential presence on the global health stage,” the editorial introduces the other articles and observes, “We decided not to provide a forum for the industry to offer a perspective on their role in global health, since this point of view has been covered many times before and fails to acknowledge their role in subverting the public health agenda,…
Tag Archives soda/soft drink
The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) has issued a June 7, 2012, fact sheet calling on school districts to consider the energy costs of cold beverage vending machines when deciding whether to renew vending contracts. Claiming that a traditional vending machine consumes approximately 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year (kWh/yr), the fact sheet estimates that schools spend an average of $313 in annual energy costs per machine. “When multiplied over a total number of machines housed on school property, the electricity cost required to operate cold beverage vending machines amounts to a significant hidden expense for schools that should be subtracted from school beverage vending revenue,” argues PHAI, which has also provided a breakdown of vending machine energy costs by state. As an example, the fact sheet thus calculates that a large California school district with 225 traditional vending machines would accrue $477,000 in electricity fees over five years.…
A recent study has allegedly linked sugary drink consumption to narrowed retinal blood vessels in children as young as age 12, raising concerns about the youths’ long-term cardiovascular health. Bamini Gopinath, et al., “Carbohydrate nutrition is associated with changes in the retinal vascular structure and branching pattern in children,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2012. Designed to determine whether high-glycemic index (high-GI), high-glycemic load (high-GL) or carbohydrate-laden diets could lead to small vessel dysfunction, the study selected 12-year-old students from 21 schools to undergo “detailed eye examinations” measuring retinal vessel caliber and fractal dimension, that is, “the single ‘global’ measure of the branching pattern of retinal blood vessels as a whole.” In particular, the study noted that narrower arteriolar caliber and wider venular caliber have been associated with incident hypertension and CVD [cardiovascular disease], whereas fractal dimension has been associated with higher blood pressure, acute lacunar stroke and coronary…
A March 27, 2012, “Great Speculations” column on Forbes.com draws parallels between carbonated soft drink (CSD) companies and the tobacco industry, claiming that a recent decline in CSD consumption in the United States has created a competitive market environment similar to that faced by cigarette manufacturers. Authored by contributors from Trefis.com, an investment and market research tool, the article notes that decreased CSD sales volume has prompted soft drink manufacturers to adopt strategies allegedly used by tobacco companies, such as raising product prices, promoting alternatives like energy drinks and juices, and arguing against taxation. “Part of the reason why these industries attract high taxation is because the fiscal deficit of the government is in a mess and imposing taxes n hese industries ensures higher revenue collection in the name of political mileage,” concludes the article. “Cola companies won’t hesitate to ncrease the prices periodically (although certainly not as aggressively as…
After the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) informed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Margaret Hamburg that laboratory analyses of soft drinks revealed high levels of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) in certain caramel colored beverages, the major soft drink manufacturers reported that they were changing the way they manufacture the caramel coloring to address the issue. California added 4-MEI to its list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer (Prop. 65), and the companies had already apparently reformulated products sold there to avoid the need for a Prop. 65 cancer exposure warning. The changes will be expanded throughout the national market even though an FDA spokesperson reportedly indicated in response to CSPI’s claims that a person would have drink in excess of 1,000 cans of soda a day to achieve the levels to which rats were exposed in studies purportedly showing an association with cancer. The American…
California Assembly Member Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara) recently introduced a bill (A.B. 1746) that would restrict the sale of sports drinks from middle and high schools throughout the state. If enacted, the legislation would prohibit the sale of “electrolyte replacement beverages” during school hours as of July 1, 2013. “Sports drinks are an inappropriate option for California students,” said Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. “They were designed for athletes who have been sweating for an hour or more, not for children as they walk across campus or eat their lunch.” See Press Release of Assembly Member Das Williams, February 21, 2012.
A recent data brief issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suggested that children and adolescents consume more added sugar calories from food as opposed to beverages. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which relied on data from the National Health and Examination Survey, “Boys consumed more calories per day from added sugars than girls,” with caloric intake from added sugars increasing linearly with age for both boys and girls. In particular, NCHS reported that (i) pre-school aged boys and girls (2-5 years) consumed 13.5 percent and 13.1 percent of their calories from added sugars, respectively; (ii) school-age boys and girls (6-11 years) consumed 16.6 percent and 15.7 percent of their calories from added sugars, respectively; and (iii) adolescent boys and girls (12-19 years) consumed 17.5 percent and 16.6 percent of their calories from added sugars, respectively. NCHS also noted some differences in…
A recent study has allegedly linked diet soft drink consumption with an increased risk of vascular events. Hannah Gardener, et al., “Diet Soft Drink Consumption Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Vascular Events in the Northern Manhattan Study,” Journal of General Internal Medicine, February 2, 2012. Researchers evidently collected data from 2,564 adults in the Northern Manhattan Study for a mean follow-up of 10 years, controlling for a variety of factors such as age, race/ethnicity, smoking, BMI, and physical activity. Compared with those who did not consume diet soft drinks, participants who reported drinking diet soft drinks on a daily basis apparently exhibited “an increased risk of vascular events, and this persisted after controlling further for the metabolic syndrome, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, cardiac disease, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia.” The study authors noted, however, that many individuals “may consume diet soft drinks in an effort to reduce calories and sugar…
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) has proposed eliminating the state’s sales tax exemption on soft drinks and candy to combat obesity and control rising health care costs. Included in his fiscal year 2013 budget recommendation, Deval’s plan would reportedly raise $61.5 million targeted in large part to preserving public health programs and preventative care services. “In the past 10 years, the percentage of Massachusetts adults with diabetes has almost doubled, and obesity will soon pass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death,” according to a recent budget issue brief released by the governor. “Consumption of candy and soda is on the rise. Per capita candy consumption has increased steadily since the mid-1980s. Candy and soda add significant non-nutritional calories to the diets of Americans and are directly linked to obesity, especially among children.” See News Release of Governor Deval Patrick, January 25, 2012.
The New York City Health Department has launched a “hard-hitting” ad campaign encouraging subway riders to cut their portions of food and sugary drinks to reduce the health risks associated with obesity. One poster, for example, depicts a diabetic man with an amputated leg with the tagline, “Cut Your Portions, Cut Your Risk.” “The portion sizes that are marketed are often much more than humans need,” Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said. “We are warning people about the risks of super-size portions so they can make more informed choices about what they eat. Consuming too many calories can lead to weight gain, which greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.” The American Beverage Association (ABA) has reportedly criticized the campaign, claiming that it inaccurately depicts the health impacts of soft drink consumption. “Instead of utilizing scare tactics, the beverage industry is offering real solutions like smaller portioned containers and new…
