Under the law, restaurants, fast food chains, delis,
sports venues, movie theaters and street vendors would not be allowed to
sell bottles and cups of sugar-sweetened beverages that exceeded the
size limit. Refills, however, and the option to purchase additional
16-ounce beverages are permitted under the law.
A new study suggests this type of law may backfire and actually cause people to purchase more sugary beverages.
"Our research shows the New York City ban on large-sized drinks may
have unintended consequences that policy makers need to consider," study
author Brent M. Wilson, a graduate student in the department of
psychology at UC San Diego, said in a press release.
The city's soda ban was set to go into effect in
March 2013, before New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling ruled
the day before its implementation that the city may not enforce the new
regulation. Tingling called the law "arbitrary," because of loopholes in
the regulations, such as exemptions for milk-based beverages sold at
restaurants and sugary drinks sold at grocery and convenience stores.
The researchers wanted to see anyway whether this type of ban would have its intended effects.
For the study, published April 10 in PLoS One,
Wilson and fellow researchers offered 100 participants three kinds of
menus. One "unregulated" menu offered drinks in 16 ($1.59), 24 ($1.79)
or 32-ounce sizes ($1.99), one menu offered only 16-ounce drinks (also
for $1.59) for sale and the third offered either one 16-ounce soda
($1.59) or bundles of two 12-ounce ($1.79) or 16-ounce ($1.99) sodas.
The
menus were presented on paper that had drawings of cups, a popcorn
container and slices of pizza . Participants were randomized to purchase
the items as if they were at a fast food restaurant, movie theater or
stadium to mimic establishments where the New York City ban would take
place.
Participants bought significantly more soda from the menu
with bundles of 12 ounce and 16 ounce drinks than they did when offered
individual sodas of different sizes.
The researchers also determined based on these choices, that
businesses could make more money bundling drinks than only offering one
small size. Bundled drinks also outsold the unregulated menu with
multiple sizes, which suggests this type of soda ban could make
businesses more money.
"Sugary drinks are a major source of
business revenue, and businesses will adjust their menus in order to
maximize profits," said Wilson.
The researchers wrote that the
study had limitations, including that it didn't actually measure how
much soda participants consumed, only what they bought.
Barbara Jean Rolls, chair of nutritional studies at Penn State University, also pointed out to HealthDay
that the study lacked the real-world component because it did not take
place in an actual restaurant, and participants were simply told the
setting they were in.
However, one expert thought there was truth to this effect.
"Most people getting ready to buy soda will go for the regular size,"
David Just, a professor of behavioral economics at Cornell University in
Ithaca, N.Y., told the Los Angeles Times. He was not involved in the research.
However,
for those who want a large soda and are prevented from buying one,
"they're going to display what we call reactance -- a rebelliousness, a
determination to circumvent this policy, an attitude of 'I'll show
them.' And the people selling the soda are all too willing to comply."
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