RT Journal
A1 Brownell KD, Ludwig DS
T1 SUgar-sweetened beverages in the supplemental nutrition assistance program—reply
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2011
FD December 28
VO 306
IS 24
SP 2670
OP 2670
DO 10.1001/jama.2011.1885
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2011.1885
AB 
In the last half century, obesity among low-income families has increased several-fold. For this reason, it is appropriate to consider whether the balance between potential benefit and harm for certain product classes may have changed as a consequence. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which includes many sports drinks in addition to soda, erodes overall diet quality and has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.2 Therefore, this unique category of beverages comprises a logical place to begin reassessment of US Department of Agriculture policy. Restricting the use of SNAP benefits for the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages may do more good than harm, or more harm than good, and may or may not justify any administrative costs involved, but the only way to know is to conduct a test. Without such a test, policy decisions that affect the lives of many millions of people, and possibly billions of dollars of health care expenditures, cannot be based on objective evidence.