Study: Fruit & veg incentives more effective than "soda tax"

A study conducted by the University of Liverpool and published by the journal PLOS Medicine says giving consumers a break on fresh produce cost does more to improve peoples' health than taxing unhealthy foods.

The study, “Reducing U.S. cardiovascular disease burden and disparities through national and targeted dietary policies: A modelling study,” analyzed the effect of five different types of health initiatives on heart disease mortality over a 15-year period.

The initiatives were:

1. 10% national tax on sugar-sweetened beverages
2. 10% subsidy on fruits and vegetables
3. 30% subsidy on fruits and vegetables for SNAP only
4. A national mass media campaign promoting fruit and vegetable consumption and reducing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption
5. A combination of the above

“The findings of this study have important implications for crafting specific price and incentive policy approaches to optimize access to fruits and vegetables and reduce consumption of sugar sweetened beverages,” said University of Liverpool's Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, one of the study's co-authors, in a report of the study.

“Policies effectively increasing fruit and vegetable consumption or reducing sugar sweetened beverage consumption might powerfully reduce cardiovascular disease mortality and disparities,” said University of Liverpool's Piotr Bandosz, study co-author.