scholarly journals Is the development of obesogenic food environments a self-reinforcing process? Evidence from soft drink consumption

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Ferretti ◽  
Michele Mariani ◽  
Elena Sarti
Keyword(s):  
Prevalence Rate ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Feedback Effects ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Understanding how the development of obesogenic food environments and the consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages influence each other can help policymakers to identify effective ways to curb the current obesity epidemic. This paper was designed to investigate whether, and to what extent, the consumption of soft drinks and the prevalence of obesity are linked through feedback effects. Methods An ecological study design and a simultaneous equation model were used to investigate the existence of a vicious cycle between the consumption of soft drinks and the prevalence of obesity. The analysis was based on a longitudinal dataset covering per capita sales of soft drinks, the age-standardised prevalence rate of obesity and several demographic and socio-economic control variables in a sample of 98 countries worldwide for the period 2005–2019. Results Using a Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression model with fixed effects, we documented a self-reinforcing process that links consumption and obesity. Changes in the spread of obesity were associated with changes in soft drink consumption: a one-unit increase in the age-adjusted prevalence rate of obesity increased consumption by about 2.39 l per person per year. Similarly, as the consumption of soft drinks rose, so did the prevalence of obesity: the age-adjusted rate of obesity increased by 0.07% for every additional litre consumed per capita. Computing the impact multipliers, we found that the outcome of a one-unit decrease in the average price of soft drinks was twofold: a) the prevalence of obesity increased by around 0.17%; and b) consumption increased by around 2.40 l per person, the sum of the increase directly caused by the price reduction (2 l) and the increase due to the interplay between consumption and obesity (0.4 l). Conclusions This study has identified a feedback loop between unhealthy habits (i.e. the consumption of soft drinks) and health outcomes (i.e. the prevalence of obesity). This interplay amplifies the impact of any exogenous changes in the determinants of consumption and obesity. These feedback effects should be considered and exploited in planning effective strategies to tackle the burden of obesity and the global epidemic of non-​communicable diseases.

scholarly journals Does the Prevalence of Obesity Affect the Demand for Soft Drinks? Evidence from Cross-Country Panel Data

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 938
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Ferretti ◽  
Michele Mariani ◽  
Elena Sarti
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Least Squares Method ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Variable Approach ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
The Impact

The impact of soft drinks on obesity has been widely investigated during the last decades. Conversely, the role of obesity as a factor influencing the demand for soft drinks remains largely unexplored. However, understanding potential changes in the demand for soft drinks, as a result of changes in the spread of obesity, may be useful to better design a comprehensive strategy to curb soft drink consumption. In this paper, we aim to answer the following research question: Does the prevalence of obesity affect the demand for soft drinks? For this purpose, we collected data in a sample of 97 countries worldwide for the period 2005–2019. To deal with problems of reverse causality, an instrumental variable approach and a two-stage least squares method were used to estimate the impact of the age-standardized obesity rate on the market demand for soft drinks. After controlling for several demographic and socio-economic confounding factors, we found that a one percent increase in the prevalence of obesity increases the consumption of soft drinks and carbonated soft drinks by about 2.37 and 1.11 L per person/year, respectively. Our findings corroborate the idea that the development of an obesogenic food environment is a self-sustaining process, in which obesity and unhealthy lifestyles reinforce each other, and further support the need for an integrated approach to curb soft drink consumption by combining sugar taxes with bans, regulations, and nutrition education programs.

scholarly journals Natural Experiment on Trade and Investment Liberalization and Soft Drink Consumption

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Tcholakov
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
P Value ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Obesity And Diabetes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Globalization is recognized to as a contributing factor to a health harming environment through a variety of mechanisms including through changes in food systems and food availability. Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is linked to obesity and diabetes and its regulation is a key priority for public health. The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is an international trade agreement between 11 countries. Methods This project uses of natural experiment methods to predict the impact of the entry into force of the CPTPP on SSB consumption. These methods allow quantitative inferences to be drawn in the situations where the exposure is not randomly assigned. Soft drink consumption data was collected from the Euromonitor database for 80 countries from all regions. This data was used to estimate the effect of agreements similar to the TPP. Results Eleven country trade agreement pairs were identified. In 5 cases out of the 11, the exposed country had a higher soft drink consumption at five years after the trade agreement. The effect of the trade agreement exposure for an average country in the sample in a trade agreement was found to be 1.10 (95% CI: 1.01-1.18; p-value: 0.03) after adjusting for GDP and the involvement of the US. In 7 of the 11 member-countries soft drink consumption is expected to increase yielding an average increase of 9.0% in those countries; the changes did not yield statistically significant differences in others. Conclusions This projected extended the use of synthetic methods to the projection of future effects of policy implementation. While it showed that there may be increasing trend of SSB consumption in certain scenarios, this could not be generalized to all cases. This illustrates the wide range of effects of international trade liberalization and highlights that national policy probably plays a strong modulating role on the impact that it has on local food environments. Key messages Globalization can lead to health harming environments and its impacts should further be studied by public health professionals and researchers. Many global policies have the potential to lead to significant health impacts but are negotiated without involving public health experts.

Consumption of carbonated soft drinks among Ghanaian adolescents: associations with socio-demographic factors, health risk factors and psychological distress

2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602199693
Author(s):  
Prince Atorkey ◽  
Mariam Akwei ◽  
Winifred Asare-Doku
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Health Risk Factors ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Carbonated Soft Drinks ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors

Background: Carbonated soft drinks consumption is associated with weight gain and other chronic diseases. Aim: To examine whether socio-demographic factors, health risk factors and psychological distress are associated with carbonated soft drink consumption among adolescents in selected senior high schools in Ghana. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2012 Ghana Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Participants consisted of 1756 school-going adolescents sampled using a two-stage cluster sampling method. Binomial logistic regression was used to determine whether socio-demographic factors, health risk factors and psychological distress were associated with consumption of soft drinks. Results: The prevalence of carbonated soft drinks consumption was 34.9%. Males (odds ratio (OR) = 0.73 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.59–0.92); p = 0.007), and participants with high socio-economic status (OR = 0.76 (95% CI 0.48–0.97); p = 0.033) had smaller odds for consumption of soft drinks. Also, adolescents in Senior High School (SHS) 3 (OR = 0.72 (95% CI 0.53–0.97); p = 0.034) and SHS 4 (OR = 0.63 (95% CI 0.43–0.91); p = 0.014) had smaller odds for soft drinks intake compared to those in SHS 1. Health risk factors associated with greater odds of high soft drink consumption were tobacco use (OR = 1.68, (95% CI 1.07–2.65); p = 0.025), fast food consumption (OR = 1.88, (95% CI 1.47–2.41); p = 0.011) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.43, (95% CI 1.02–1.99); p = 0.039). Consuming adequate fruit (OR = 0.19 (95% CI 0.15–0.24); p = 0.000) and adequate vegetable (OR = 0.55 (95% CI 0.34–0.87); p = 0.011) were associated with lower odds for soft drink consumption. Adolescents who reported feeling anxious had smaller odds for soft drink intake (OR = 0.65, (95% CI 0.47–0.91); p = 0.011). Conclusions: The findings from this study show that socio-demographic characteristics, health risk factors and psychological distress are associated with the soft drink consumption among adolescents in Ghana. Interventions aimed at reducing soft drink consumption and other health risk factors are needed.

Can labor productivity growth reduce carbon emission? Evidence from OECD countries and China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueli Chen ◽  
Wanshu Ma ◽  
Vivian Valdmanis
Keyword(s):  
Labor Productivity ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Ekc Hypothesis ◽  
Initial Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the challenges involved in the trade-offs of labor productivity and per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) emission.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, we used a balanced dataset of 36 OECD countries and China between 1990 and 2018. We examined the relationship between labor productivity and per capita CO2 emission for OECD countries and China based on an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Further, the fixed effects model of estimation was employed to examine the impact of variables during the sample period and explore the relationship between predictor and outcome variables within an entity while controlling for all time-invariant differences.FindingsThis study confirmed the existence of the N-shape EKC hypothesis in 36 OECD countries and China. This implies that at the initial development stage, per capita CO2 emission increased with labor productivity; however, after reaching certain threshold, per capita CO2 emission began to fall with rising labor productivity. Then the per capita CO2 emission rises again when labor productivity continually increases.Originality/valueIn this study, we explored the dynamic association between labor productivity and per capita CO2 emissions for 36 OECD countries and China under the EKC framework from 1990 to 2018 by using the labor productivity and per capita CO2 emission as economic and environmental indicators of one country respectively. This study’s contribution showed the following: first, the empirical findings confirmed the N-shape relationship between labor productivity and per capita CO2 emissions for 36 OECD countries and China; second, the findings demonstrated that the association among the underlying variables by testing through the fixed effect model.

Daily intake of soft drinks is associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in Chinese adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 2553-2560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingyu Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyan Huang ◽  
Yi Xiao ◽  
Danrong Jing ◽  
Yuzhou Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Drink ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Clinically Significant

AbstractObjective:The association of soft drink consumption with mental problems in Asian adolescents has not been reported. The present study aimed to investigate the association of soft drink consumption and symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents in China.Design:A cross-sectional study to investigate the association of intake of soft drinks and sugars from soft drinks with symptoms of anxiety and depression measured by the two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), respectively.Setting:A comprehensive university in Changsha, China.Participants:Newly enrolled college students in 2017.Result:In total, 8226 students completed the investigation and 8085 students with no systemic disorders were finally analysed. Students consuming soft drinks ≥7 times/week had significantly higher (mean difference; 95 % CI) GAD-2 (0·15; 0·07, 0·23) and PHQ-2 (0·27; 0·19, 0·35) scores compared with those barely consuming soft drinks, adjusted for demographic and behavioural factors. Those consuming >25 g sugar/d from soft drinks had significantly higher GAD-2 (0·11; 0·04, 0·18) and PHQ-2 (0·22; 0·15, 0·29) scores compared with non-consumers. The mediation effect of obesity in the associations was not clinically significant.Conclusions:Adolescents consuming soft drinks ≥7 times/week, or >25 g sugar/d from soft drinks, had significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression. Dietary suggestion is needed to prevent anxiety and depression in adolescents.

scholarly journals Mirroring the zeitgeist: an analysis of CSR policies in the UK’s food, soft drink and packaging industries

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Topić ◽  
Gemma Bridge ◽  
Ralph Tench
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Pay Gap ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Activism ◽  
Modern Slavery ◽  
Packaging Industry ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore changes in corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies in food, soft drinks and packaging industries to capture changes in CSR implementation given increased environmental activism. The paper takes an exploratory approach in reviewing CSR policy changes to explore to what extent companies change CSR policies with increased environmentalism. Design/methodology/approach A comparative website analysis was used to analyse CSR policies of companies in the food, soft drinks and packaging industries in the UK. The companies were selected for the analysis based on their annual turnover and 23 companies were analysed (seven for the soft drinks industry, eight for the food industry and eight for packaging industry). Five interviews were conducted with packaging and retail professionals, and the findings were analysed by using thematic analysis, which captured trends in responses. Findings The findings show that companies are implementing and communicating CSR policies heavily focussed on reducing the environmental impact of their work and matching social debates on human rights, with which traditional CSR policies (corporate governance, supporting local communities and consultation with stakeholders) are fading away. Instead, companies have shifted attention towards the gender pay gap, modern slavery and extensive environmentalism. The interviews with packaging professionals and CSR managers from the retail industry show that the packaging industry designs CSR policies in line with requests from supermarkets, which are, in turn, influenced by consumer activism. Practical implications This paper shows the circular relationship between media coverage, consumer activism, which comes as a result, and the impact and changes this brings to the industry. To avoid reputation damage, companies should closely follow media debates to pre-empty consumer criticism and activism. Social implications The findings show that companies are “mirroring the zeitgast” and going with trends to meet consumer expectations, which brings into question the sincerity of CSR policies and revives the criticism of capitalism and raises a question whether CSR is used by companies as a smokescreen that on the outset makes a difference to the society but keeps status quo intact. Originality/value The paper provides an insight into CSR implementation of three industries that faced heavy criticism from campaigners and the general public for their environmental impact. The paper shows how the CSR policy shifted to match this expectation and thus provides a good ground for studying the evolution of CSR using a case study from three selected industries.

scholarly journals Soft drink consumption is associated with increased incidence of the metabolic syndrome only in women

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunjin Kang ◽  
Jihye Kim
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
The Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazard ◽  
Hazard Ratios ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Specific Association

AbstractProspective studies on the association between soft drink consumption and incident risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) have not been carried out in Asians. We explored the sex-specific association between soft drink consumption and incident risk of the MetS in Korean adults during 10 years of follow-up. A total of 5797 subjects who were free of the MetS at baseline were studied. Soft drink consumption was assessed using a semi-quantitative FFQ. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine hazard ratios (HR) of incidence of the MetS and its components in relation to soft drink consumption. In women, the multivariable-adjusted HR for developing the MetS was 1·8-fold higher in frequent consumers of soft drinks (≥4 servings/week) compared with rare consumers (95 % CI 1·23, 2·64). The adjusted HR for elevated blood pressure increased by 2-fold (95 % CI 1·24, 3·14) and for hypertriacylglycerolaemia by 1·9-fold (95 % CI 1·19, 2·88) in frequent consumers of soft drinks compared with rare consumers. However, in men, there was no association between soft drink consumption and incident risk of the MetS or its components. Frequent soft drink consumption was associated with increased risk of developing the MetS and its components only in middle-aged Korean women, suggesting sex differences for the risk of the MetS related to diet.

Impact of consumer socialization on soft drink consumption and mediating role of consumer generational behavior

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 1205-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faisal Shahzad ◽  
Jamshed Khan Khattak ◽  
Mobeen Jamshed Khattak ◽  
Fahad Shahzad
Keyword(s):  
Soft Drink ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Consumer Socialization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumption Behavior ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how consumers’ socialization influences soft drink consumption behavior in Pakistan. Since consumer socialization has long been considered but it is important to understand whether the extent of consumer socialization in terms of soft drink consumption influences consumer behavior by taking into consideration consumer cohorts. Design/methodology/approach – The quantitative research is based on consumer survey method by using Likert scale questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique with a sample size of 637 is used. Data are analyzed by using cronbach α, ANOVA, correlation and multiple regressions. Findings – Overall, the findings maintain the impact of consumer socialization on soft drink consumption. Such influence of consumer socialization through social media, cultural groups and social groups encourages soft drink socialization behavior. Additionally there is also an evidence of mediating role of consumer generational behavior in soft drink consumption. Research limitations/implications – The results of this paper extend knowledge of how consumer socialization affects soft drink consumption behavior and provide important insights into how consumer cohorts should be targeted. The Chosen research approach is a limitation of the study. Practical implications – The results are of value to academic researchers, soft drink industry practitioners in a way that it will help them to portray marketing and advertising activities by taking into consideration consumer cohorts behavior. Social implications – This paper addresses an untapped issue on how cohorts socialization at different social setting impact on consumer soft drink consumption behavior. Originality/value – This paper fulfills a recognized need to study soft drink socialization in terms of cohort’s behavior.

scholarly journals Faktor Risiko Konsumsi Soft Drink dengan Kejadian Kegemukan pada Remaja di SMK Kristen Bala Keselamatan Palu

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Elvyrah Faisal ◽  
Ridha Anayanti
Keyword(s):  
School Environment ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Salvation Army ◽  
P Value ◽  
Vocational High School ◽  
Total Carbohydrate ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption ◽  
Questionnaire Form

Adolescents are an age group that is prone to nutritional problems including obesity. Adolescent lifestyles that can trigger obesity include the consumption of soft drinks. The highest sweetener content in food and beverages is found in soft drinks, and it accounts for 12% of the total carbohydrate requirement which can trigger obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for soft drink consumption on the incidence of obesity in adolescents at the Vocational High School for Safety in Palu in 2018. This type of research used a case-control study. The sample in this study amounted to 64 people who were divided into 32 cases and 32 controls. A sampling of cases was carried out by the total population. Data collection techniques use digital scales and microtome to determine nutritional status, and the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire form to determine the frequency and level of consumption of soft drinks. The analysis showed that the p-value for the frequency of soft drink consumption was 0.802 and the level for consumption of soft drinks was 0.297, with the OR value for the frequency of consumption of soft drinks = 1.485  and the OR value for the level of consumption = 1.98. The conclusion is that there is no relationship between the frequency of consumption of soft drinks, the level of consumption of soft drinks with the incidence of obesity in adolescents at the Vocational School of Salvation Army Palu. but have a risk respectively 1.485 times and 1.98 times the incidence of obesity. It is recommended that schools pay more attention to the types of drinks that are marketed in the school environment and teenagers are expected to be wiser in choosing snacks.    

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