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Body weight impact of the sugar‐sweetened beverages tax in Mexican children: A modeling study
Author(s) -
TorresÁlvarez Rossana,
BarránZubaran Rodrigo,
CantoOsorio Francisco,
SánchezRomero Luz M.,
CamachoGarcíaFormentí Dalia,
Popkin Barry M.,
Rivera Juan A.,
Meza Rafael,
BarrientosGutiérrez Tonatiuh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/ijpo.12636
Subject(s) - medicine , obesity , environmental health , consumption (sociology) , childhood obesity , population , body mass index , body weight , demography , overweight , social science , pathology , sociology
Summary Background In Mexico, a 10% tax to sugar‐sweetened beverages was implemented in 2014. Projections of the potential health effect of this tax in children are not available. Objective To estimate the 1‐year effect of the tax on the body weight of children 5 to 17 years old, and estimated alternative scenarios with higher tax rates (20%, 30%, and 40%). Methods We used a dynamical mathematical model, recalibrated to the Mexican population. Input data were obtained from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 and 2012. We estimated the expected average weight reduction, stratified by category of sugar‐sweetened beverages consumption. Results With a 10% tax, we estimated an overall weight reduction of 0.26 kg for children and 0.61 kg for adolescents; in high consumers, the reduction could reach 0.50 and 0.87 kg, respectively. Higher tax rates would produce larger weight decreases; in high consumers a 40% tax would result in a reduction of 1.99 kg for children and 3.50 kg for adolescents. Conclusion The tax represents an effective component of any child or adolescent weight control program, and must be considered as part of any integrated population‐level program for children and adolescent obesity prevention.