Voices for Healthy Kids volunteer and Professor of Nutrition at the University of Vermont, Dr. Rachel Johnson, issued the following comments on a new study predicting that a .04 cent per-calorie tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would reduce consumption by 5,800 calories per person annually and could do so at a lower cost to consumers than an ounce-based tax, according to a study published online by the American Journal of Agricultural Economics: “As our nation looks for effective strategies to decrease obesity, it’s important to recognize that sugary drinks are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. On any given day half of all Americans consume a sugary drink. Sugary drinks are the number one source of added sugars in the American diet and among teens the number one source of calories, even beating out pizza. This study provides additional evidence that pricing strategies have the capacity to improve the health of millions of people over time. While sugary drink taxes, by ounce or by calorie, have not yet been enacted at the levels the American Heart Association recommends for effective consumer behavior change, I am confident it’s just a matter of time before these taxes are put in place. State, city and local leaders can use these new modeling data as another tool in their toolbox to consider as a viable option for improving the health of their community. We must do everything we can to make the healthy choice the easy choice whether at the grocery store, corner store, vending machine or eating out.”