Seven years after Philadelphia implemented its so-called "soda tax," researchers are still trying to determine its effect on health. The law levies a 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages like sodas, energy drinks and sweetened coffees and teas.
Mayor Jim Kenney pushed it as a way to fund pre-K and other initiatives, but many supporters touted it as a way to help prevent obesity, diabetes and other health issues. Researchers at Penn Medicine recently put that to the test by analyzing data from 857,000 people 65 and under. Their study , published in Lancet Regional Health, found the average body mass index of those from Philadelphia rose at a slower rate than that of those from outside the city in the first three years the tax was in effect.
The link was particularly strong among Black residents. Researchers found no difference between men and women. The findings suggest there's "limited evidence" that the tax slows obesity over time, researchers said.
Sugary beverages, which contain many calories but few nutrients, are the leading sources of added sugar in Americans' diets, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular consumption has been tied to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other adverse conditions. Drinking one soda can per day can add 15 pounds in a year.
Even getting 150 minutes of exercise each week – the federal guideline – is not enough to counteract daily consumption, research shows. In 23 states, the adult .