Impacts of the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax on the Perceived Healthfulness of Sweetened Beverages

Sweetened beverage taxes are associated with significant reductions in the purchase of sweetened beverages. However, it is unclear whether these taxes play a role in shifting perceptions about sweetened beverages and their health impacts. We utilized pre- and post-tax survey data collected from residents in Seattle, WA, a city that implemented a sweetened beverage tax in 2018 and from residents in an untaxed comparison area. We used income-stratified difference-in-difference linear probability models to compare net changes in the perceived healthfulness of overall sweetened beverage consumption and of different types of sugary beverages over time and across income groups. We found significant increases in the percentage of Seattle respondents with lower incomes who agreed that sweetened beverage consumption raises the risk of diabetes (DD = 9 percentage points (pp) (95% CI: 5 pp, 13 pp); p = 0.002), heart disease (DD = 7 pp (95% CI: 2 pp, 12 pp); p = 0.017), and serious health problems (DD = 12 pp (95% CI: 5 pp, 19 pp); p = 0.009), above and beyond changes in the comparison area. The most prominent changes in perceived health impacts of sweetened beverages were found among lower-income Seattle respondents, while fewer changes were found among higher-income Seattle respondents. Future work could examine the relationship between exposure to pro-tax messaging and changes in consumer perceptions of sweetened beverages.     

Sweetened Beverages Consumption and Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

No study has summarized earlier findings on the association of sweetened beverages (SBs) consumption and risk of Pancreatic Cancer (PC). This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to systematically review available observational studies that examined the association of SB consumption with risk of PC. Relevant papers published up to December 2017 were searched through PubMed, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases, using relevant keywords. Cohort and case–control studies that examined the association of SB with PC in adults were included. Overall, 5 cohort studies with 2,041,689 participants (58.68% female, 41.32% male) and 4 case–control studies [enrolled 1,496 cases with PC (55.82% male, 44.18% female) and 3,179 controls (53.32% male, 46.68% female)] were included. Combining effect sizes from cohort studies, we found no significant association between SB consumption and risk of PC (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.87–1.29). Although, stratification by the study location, follow-up duration, exposure and outcome assessment method, and adjustment for physical activity and race/ethnicity removed between-study heterogeneity, it did not affect the association. We found that 50?g/d increment in SB consumption was not linearly associated with risk of PC (RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.04). No significant nonlinear association was also reached (P-nonlinearity = 0.13). In addition, pooling effect sizes from case–control studies, we did not find significant association between SB consumption and risk of PC (RR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.92–1.35). We did not find any significant association between SB consumption and risk of PC. Additional studies are required to shed light on this issue.     

Sweetened Beverages and Health: Current State of Scientific Understandings

This article summarizes the presentations from the “Sweetened Beverages and Health: Current State of Scientific Understandings” symposium held at the ASN Annual Meeting in Boston, MA on April 23, 2013. The metabolic and health effects of sugar-sweetened beverages were discussed from a variety of points of view by 5 different presenters. Dr. David Allison drew a distinction between conjecture and proof related to sweetened beverages and obesity. Dr. Richard Mattes discussed differences between solid and liquid calories. Dr. Miguel Alonso-Alonso reviewed potential contributions of functional neuroimaging, particularly as they relate to whether sugar is potentially “addictive.” Dr. Kimber Stanhope discussed work related to experiments comparing fructose to glucose. Dr. James Rippe presented evidence from randomized controlled trials from his research organization showing no differences among high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, or fructose at normal human consumption amounts.     

Retailer Marketing Strategies and Customer Purchasing of Sweetened Beverages in Convenience Stores

BackgroundMarketing strategies for sweetened beverages (SBs) are pervasive across food retail. Yet few studies have examined how these strategies associate with planned and unplanned SB purchasing.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine whether customers with greater exposure to SB retail marketing (eg, advertisements and product placement) were more likely to purchase an SB and whether this varied by customer characteristics.DesignThis was an observational, cross-sectional study using objective customer purchasing and store assessment data from convenience and other small food stores.Participants/settingParticipants were 1,604 food and beverage customers at 144 randomly sampled convenience and other small food stores in Minneapolis-St Paul, MN.ExposureMarketing strategies, including SB advertisements, placement, and shelf space were included.Main outcome measuresWe determined the probability of customers purchasing ≥4 fluid ounces of a ready-to-drink sugar and/or artificially sweetened beverage.Statistical analyses performedAssociations between marketing strategies and purchasing were estimated using mixed regression models, controlling for customer characteristics and accounting for customers nested within stores.ResultsFifty-six percent of customers purchased an SB; 14% also specified that it was an unplanned purchase. Customers were more likely to purchase an SB when exterior advertisements (P < .001) and advertisements hanging from the ceiling (P < .001) that promoted SBs were present. Customers with moderate and high cumulative exposure to SB marketing were significantly more likely to purchase SBs (51.2% and 54.9%, respectively) than those with lower exposure (34%); this effect was particularly salient for men. There were no significant associations between retail marketing strategies and unplanned purchases.ConclusionsFindings demonstrate that feasible and sustainable approaches are required from policy makers, retailers, and public health professionals to shift store environments away from cues that promote unhealthy beverage selections. Given that numerous retail actors are invested in the availability, promotion, and sales of SBs, changing the predominance of SB marketing in convenience stores will likely be challenging and require cross-sector collaboration.     

全面启动“五关爱”活动 创新计划生育工作思路和方法

为适应我国人口和计划生育工作新形势的发展需要，吉林省适时转变工作思路和方法，进一步创新工作理念，在全省范围内开展“关爱新生儿，提高出生人口素质；关爱女孩，促进出生人口性别比平衡；关爱独生子女成长，强化生育政策导向；关爱育龄群众生殖健康，建设文明幸福家庭；关爱计划生育困难家庭，推进创业致富工程”的“五关爱”活动。     

Added Sugar,Sugar-Sweetened Beverages,and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings from the Women’s Health Initiative and a Network Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

Much remains unknown about the role of added sugar in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the relative contributions of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) or artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) to CVD risk. Among the 109,034 women who participated in Women’s Health Initiative, we assessed average intakes of added sugar, SSB and ASB, and conducted Cox regression to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals for CVD risk. The consistency of findings was compared to a network meta-analysis of all available cohorts. During an average of 17.4 years of follow-up, 11,597 cases of total CVD (nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease (CHD) death, stroke, coronary revascularization, and/or incident heart failure) were confirmed. Added sugar as % energy intake daily (%EAS) at ≥15.0% was positively associated with total CVD (HR = 1.08 [1.01, 1.15]) and CHD (HR = 1.20 [1.09, 1.32]). There was also a higher risk of total CVD associated with ≥1 serving of SSB intake per day (HR = 1.29 [1.17, 1.42]), CHD (1.35 [1.16, 1.57]), and total stroke (1.30 [1.10, 1.53]). Similarly, ASB intake was associated with an increased risk of CVD (1.14 [1.03, 1.26]) and stroke (1.24 [1.04, 1.48]). According to the network meta-analysis, there was a large amount of heterogeneity across studies, showing no consistent pattern implicating added sugar, ASB, or SSB in CVD outcomes. A diet containing %EAS ≥15.0% and consuming ≥1 serving of SSB or ASB may be associated with a higher CVD incidence. The relative contribution of added sugar, SSB, and ASB to CVD risk warrants further investigation.     

Concerns in the USA about IUDs -- IMAP's comments

This statement sets forth the views of the International Planned Parenthood Federation's (IPPF) International Medical Advisory Panel (IMAP) on the safety of IUD use. There has been concern about the recent withdrawal from the US market by Ortho Pharmaceuticals and GD Searle & Co. of 3 widely used IUDs: Lippes Loop, Copper 7, and Copper T200. It is noted that these actions were taken for commercial reasons related to profitability and/or liability insurance concerns, and not for medical or scientific reasons. The 3 IUDs that were withdrawn from the USmarket continue to be approved for contraceptive use by the US Food and Drug Administration. After extensive review of available data, IMAP at its London meeting in February 1986, reaffirmed its earlier position on the IUD, supporting it as a safe and effective method of contraception. Although concern has been expressed about potential increases in the risks of pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal infertility as a result of IUD use, recent research suggests that women who use copper-bearing devices, particularly married women in primarily monogamous relationships, are a relatively low risk. On the other hand, women with multiple partners, especially nulliparous women, who are already at risk of sexually transmitted diseases, are not good candidates for IUD use. IPPF will continue to provide IUDs upon request to its member associations.     

The Association between Fasting Glucose and Sugar Sweetened Beverages Intake Is Greater in Latin Americans with a High Polygenic Risk Score for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Chile is one of the largest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) world-wide. However, it is unknown whether the effects from this highly industrialized food will mimic those reported in industrialized countries or whether they will be modified by local lifestyle or population genetics. Our goal is to evaluate the interaction effect between SSB intake and T2D susceptibility on fasting glucose. We calculated a weighted genetic risk score (GRSw) based on 16 T2D risk SNPs in 2828 non-diabetic participants of the MAUCO cohort. SSB intake was categorized in four levels using a food frequency questionnaire. Log-fasting glucose was regressed on SSB and GRSw tertiles while accounting for socio-demography, lifestyle, obesity, and Amerindian ancestry. Fasting glucose increased systematically per unit of GRSw (β = 0.02 ± 0.006, p = 0.00002) and by SSB intake (β[cat4] = 0.04 ± 0.01, p = 0.0001), showing a significant interaction, where the strongest effect was observed in the highest GRSw-tertile and in the highest SSB consumption category (β = 0.05 ± 0.02, p = 0.02). SNP-wise, SSB interacted with additive effects of rs7903146 (TCF7L2) (β = 0.05 ± 0.01, p = 0.002) and with the G/G genotype of rs10830963 (MTNRB1B) (β = 0.19 ± 0.05, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The association between SSB intake and fasting glucose in the Chilean population without diabetes is modified by T2D genetic susceptibility.