Reducing purchases of sugar sweetened beverages

   I am posting about a study that was discussed in the popular press this week (if I remember correctly, it was an on-line article from a Boston newspaper).  I have not reviewed the research though I did contact the lead author/scientist, Dr. Jason Block to see if a publication is pending.  That being acknowledged, I will summarize the news story and add a few thoughts.
   At the very least, this study on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs), like soda, juice, sports drinks, flavored whole milk and coffee drinks, offers promising results.  Dr. Block and his research associates tested whether raising the price of SSBs that contain 150 or more calories, would lead to a decrease in purchase of said drinks.  There was a 16% decrease in sales after the price change (1 cent per ounce, so $.20 increase in price).  Without seeing the research article, if there is one, I can't tell you the absolute change in number of beverages sold.  I also don't know what, if anything, the people spent their saved 'soda' money on.  They might have spent the money they did not spend on soda on foods that might be high in sugar or calories, on sugar free drinks, or on nothing. That is an important outcome to assess in these types of studies.
    In a second study, the same team labeled the SSBs with their calorie content and organized the display of drinks by amount of calories.  I assume that the first columns were sugar free items, then low calorie, then high calorie.  In this experiment, sales of low calorie drinks increased by about 11%.
   The results of this work support both the use of calorie labeling and taxation (price manipulation) to change behavior and thus, improve health.  However, I do not know the details of the study, so I make that assertion with some caution.  I would like to know more about any unintended consequences (substituting soda for chips, eg) and whether or not the changes that were seen were able to be sustained over time.  Lastly, this study took place at one work site and the results might be different elsewhere.  
    If/when I hear back about the study itself, I will write a follow up post.  I am very interested in this type of population level intervention.  In other words, putting effort toward changing the environment instead of changing people in one on one interventions (like a diet class).

Drinking Your Meals

I have been seeing advertisements for McDonalds - oh sorry,  "McCafe" - frozen strawberry lemonade.  I see the commercials on my computer when I am watching TV.  It played several times while I was watching a show last night and I just couldn't stop myself from Googling the drink name right then and there in order to get the calorie information.

It has 200 calories, which I think is a lot for a beverage.  For example, it is 200 calories MORE than water or a diet soda.  If you know how to choose and prepare food, 200 calories can take up a lot of space on a plate.

 The other beverages that came up on the website were even worse! Take a look at this link.  If you hover your mouse over the picture of a drink, the nutrient content info will appear in a little box.  Some of the shakes have over 500 calories - yikes! The list does not include the word sugar, I wonder why, but does say carbs - which is the same thing in this regard.  You will notice that they are very high in carbs!

The additive effect of SUGAR - or SSBs

I only have four or five items set aside for tomorrow's Odds and Ends post, so I checked out some trusted websites in search of something easy to post tonight (to conserve my brain).

I went to the RUDD Center for Food Policy and Obesity   where I emailed someone to find out what they heck is going on with the FDA final rule on menu and vending labeling, and then I ventured over to a website in LA County, CA.  
The LA cite has a sugar sweetened beverage calculator.   Here you enter the number of drinks of each type that you consume and it calculates several different measures.  For instance, the packets and pounds of sugar you consume in a week, month and year and how much you might be spending on these beverages.  

I do not drink SSBs (I even make my sports drink with a sugar substitute)- so I made believe I was someone else.  Startling results!

BTW - I do eat sugary snacks (real sugar) but I only have about one a day.

Oh I almost forgot - here is the website and calculator where LA County suggests that you ChooseHealth.  AMEN.