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	Podcast:		UC Science Today
	Episode:		The largest source of added sugars in the American diet
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:01:03
	Publish Date:		2016-10-25 19:00:00
	Description:		If everyone acknowledged that added sugars in our diet are one of the most significant contributors to diseases like diabetes and heart attacks, there would be a better chance that public health agencies and municipalities could partner with industry to produce healthier products for people to consume. At least that’s the hope of Kris Madsen of the University of California, Berkeley. She recently found that a soda tax in Berkeley led to lower consumption or sugary drinks. "I think some would say “sugar-sweetened beverages have been unfairly singled out. They are not the only problematic item in our diet.” This is true. There’s a few things about them that really make them stand out. They are the largest source of added sugars in the American’s diet. The other problem with sugar-sweetened beverages is that we don’t usually compensate for those calories." Madsen’s study found a 21 percent drop in soda consumption in low-income communities a year after the city of Berkeley passed an excise tax. Now other cities are looking to do this, too. "My hope is that there will be strong evaluations in place to see what’s the impact then as this spreads to other places."
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