Benefits of Fiscal Policies on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Objectives: Overweight, obesity, and their associated chronic diseases have become prevalent in many developing countries in Asia, defining them as major public health issues. One of the main contributors to overweight and obesity is the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). In this article, we reviewed the latest literature examining the benefits of a SSB tax. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted on: (i) policy documents and government reports to examine the current applications of SSB taxation; and (ii) published studies on price elasticity of demand (PED) of SSBs to examine the health and economic benefits of SSB taxation. Results: Articles included in our review have used or estimated negative PED, ranging from -0.63 to -1.3, and have shown an associated decrease in BMI and prevalence of overweight and obesity. Conclusion: Most studies so far have focused on the health and economic impacts of SSB taxation among high- and upper-middle income countries. Further research is needed to understand the impact of SSB taxation on lower-middle and low-income countries, which are facing comparable, if not more serious, obesity and overweight threats

Environmental injustice and childhood lead exposure in peri-urban (ger) areas of Darkhan and Erdenet, Mongolia

Abstract Background The ger (“tent city”) areas in Mongolia are a product of rapid urbanization and transitional economic development combine with lack of institutional, administrative and financial capacity of governments to cope with the pace. These areas have become traps for inequities in social and environmental services and the associated effects on human health. Disparities in childhood lead exposure in such communities are largely unexplored. Methods We measured the concentrations of lead in blood of children, aged 4–7 years, in Erdenet (Orkhon Province) and Darkhan (Darkhan-Uul Province), the second and third largest cities in Mongolia. A survey instrument was used to gather information on influencing factors on lead exposure and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess a spectrum of behavioral problems among the children. Results The mean blood lead level (BLL) of children in the two cities was found to be 3.8 ± 2.6 μg/dL (range: < 1.5–17.2 μg/dL) and 27.8% of the children had BLLs ≥5 μg/dL. Average BLL of children in Erdenet (a mining center) was significantly higher than that for children in Darkhan, and there was statistically significant difference between average BLL of children who live in ger district (4.2 ± 2.8 μg/dL) compared to those of children in housing units within the city (3.2 ± 2.4 μg/dL). In spite of the low values, BLLs was significantly associated with a number of effects on the spectrum of behavioral disorders, specifically with the scores for hyperactivity, conduct disorder and pro-social behavior. Conclusions This study shows that childhood lead poisoning is common especially in ger communities of the urban areas of Mongolia. It contributes evidence showing that BLL low as 3.8 μg/dL can selectively activate some effects from a spectrum of likely behavioral disorders in children.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147734/1/12889_2019_Article_6486.pd