Monitoring the Consumption of Sugar-sweetened Beverages: an Input to Republic Act No. 10963 (TRAIN LAW)

Abstract

Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been alluded to as a contributorto increasing public health problems – including overweight and obesity, diabetes, and othermetabolic diseases. Republic Act No. 10693 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion(TRAIN), passed into law on 19 Dec 2017, has included in its scope the collection of excise taxon SSBs and earmarking of this for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act. Thestudy determined the trend in the consumption of SSBs among households and population groupsfrom 2013 to 2018–2019. The data were taken from the Food Consumption component of the2013 National Nutrition Survey (NNS), the 2015 Updating of the Nutritional Status of FilipinoChildren and Other Population Groups, and the 2018–2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey(ENNS). Data for this study also includes the household’s place of residence and wealth status,as well as individuals grouped by age and physiological status. Results showed the proportion ofhouseholds and individuals consuming SSB and volume intake declined from 2013–2018–2019.Volume intake per day and the percentage of households consuming carbonated beverages,sweetened powdered drinks, and sweetened tea declined in 2018–2019. The richest and richhouseholds had higher SSB volume intake. Sweetened juice drink intake declined across allage and population groups, whereas sweetened tea volume intake declined among adolescentsand adults. The decline in SSB intake may be attributed to the implementation of the TRAINLaw in 2018. Restricting inappropriate advertisement, clear labeling, and strong advocacy andpublic education on the health consequences of consuming SSBs in schools and communitiesshould be done to sustain further decline. Moreover, tax incentives may also be granted tomanufacturers that adhere to proper labeling.