60秒科学:可乐涨价 帮你减肥

今年纽约州提交的财政预算案中有一项引发热议：向汽水等高热量饮料征收“肥胖税”。若预算案得以通过，含糖饮料将面临每盎司1美分的额外征税。这将给州政府带来每年10亿美元左右的财政收入，同时敦促人们减少汽水消费。然而涨价是否真能使消费者望而却步，转而支持健康饮食呢?

Here in New York, the pending¹ state budget includes one provision that’s probably making more news than the rest of the budget’s contents combined: a tax on nondiet soda² and other high-calorie drinks. If the budget is passed by the legislature, sugary drinks would be slapped with an extra penny-per-ounce excise³ tax. The idea is to both raise money for the state—an estimated billion dollars a year—and motivate people to consume less soda. But do higher costs really get people to eat more healthfully?

A study published in the March 8th issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine [Kiyah Duffey et al, says yes. Researchers tracked the eating habits and health of over 5,000 young adults for two decades. They found that a 10 percent increase in the price of soda was associated with a 7 percent decrease in soda calories consumed. Higher prices were also associated with lower total calorie intake⁴, lower body weight and improved insulin resistance.

The higher tax is, of course, a political decision, not a scientific one. But the science does support the idea that such sin taxes accomplish their healthful intent.
 

1 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

2 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

3 excise   

n.(国产)货物税；vt.切除，删去

参考例句：

• I'll excise the patient's burnt areas.我去切除病人烧坏的部分。
• Jordan's free trade zone free of import duty,excise tax and all other taxes.约旦的自由贸易区免收进口税、国内货物税及其它一切税收。

4 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。