Baltimore Statement on Dangers of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
As doctors and public health leaders, we are concerned about the future of Baltimore’s children.
In our city, one in three school-aged children are overweight or obese. One major cause is sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). One in four of our city’s children drink at least one soda every day. Scientific studies show that SSBs promote weight gain and are the primary sources of added sugar and calories in children’s diets. In fact, drinking one SSB per day increases a child’s odds of becoming obese by 60%.
For the first time in history, we are treating children with diseases previously seen only in adults, such as adult-onset diabetes and early heart disease. Studies directly link this startling trend to the consumption of sugary drinks.
Research shows that many parents are not aware of these dangers, and would make different choices about their children’s drinks if they did. There are warning labels on cigarettes and alcohol for this reason; consumers must have the facts at point-of-sale to make informed choices for their families.
Studies have shown that beverage companies disproportionately market their sugary drinks to low-income communities that are already hardest hit by health disparities and have the highest rates of diabetes and heart disease. The consumption of SSBs is increasing rampant inequities, speeding our most vulnerable children toward poor health and shortened life spans.
This is why we stand in support of legislative efforts to require warning labels on all SSB advertisements, on restaurant menus, and in any store that sells SSBs. These warning labels should state what doctors and scientists already know: that sugary drinks can lead to tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, and other preventable illnesses.
We stand together as the medical and public health communities of Baltimore to fight the epidemic of childhood obesity and raise awareness of the dangers of SSBs. By advocating for the health and well-being of our patients, we are driven by the rules of science and grounded in the principles of social justice.
Children and their parents deserve to know the facts about threats to their health. We cannot wait until another generation grows up with poor health and preventable disease; now is the time for bold action.
Leana S. Wen, M.D. Commissioner Baltimore City Health Department | Steven J. Czinn, MD Chairman, Department of Pediatrics University of Maryland School of Medicine Physician-in-Chief University of Maryland Children's Hospital | LaMar Hasbrouck, M.D., MPH Executive Director National Association of County and City Health Officials On behalf of 2,800 local health departments across the U.S. |
Scott Krugman, M.D. Chairman Department of Pediatrics Director Medical Education MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center | Susan Dulkerian, M.D. Interim Chair, Pediatrics Director of Newborn Services Mercy Medical Center | Brian J. Browne, M.D. Professor and Chairman Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine |
Michael G. Burke, M.D. Chairman of Pediatrics St. Agnes Hospital | Timothy Doran, M.D. Chairman of Pediatrics Greater Baltimore Medical Center | Robert Atlas, M.D. Chair Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Mercy Medical Center |
George J. Dover, M.D. Director of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins Children’s Center | Melly Goodell, M.D. Chair Department of Family Medicine MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center | Stephen D. Sisson MD FACP Philip A. Tumulty Professor of Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Executive Director, Ambulatory Services The Johns Hopkins Hospital |
Jon Falck, M.D. Chairman Emergency Department St. Agnes Hospital | Jean Silver-Isenstadt, M.D., Ph.D. Executive Director National Physicians Alliance On behalf of 20,000 NPA members | Michael Winters, M.D. Associate Professor and Clinical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine University of Maryland Medical Center |
Dr. Tracey L. Murray, Dean Coppin State University | Esther Rae Barr, CAE Executive Director Maryland Academy of Family Physicians On behalf of 1,400 MDAFP members | Eric Balighian, M.D. Director, Pediatric Emergency Medicine St. Agnes Hospital |
Jane E. Clark, Ph.D. Dean School of Public Health University of Maryland | Carmel A. McComiskey DNP, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN Director, Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants University of Maryland Medical Center | Joshua M. Sharfstein, M.D. Associate Dean Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health |
Peter Beilenson, M.D., MPH President and Chief Executive Officer Evergreen Health Cooperative | Robert Wm. Blum, M.D., MPH, Ph.D. William H. Gates, Sr. Professor and Chair Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health Director, Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health | Joneigh Khaldun, M.D., MPH Chief Medical Officer Assistant Commissioner for Clinical Services Baltimore City Health Department |
Deborah Vozzella Hall, M.D. National President American Medical Student Association On behalf of over 30,000 AMSA members | Michael Crocetti, M.D. Chief of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins Community Physicians | Darren Brownlee, MHA President National Association of Health Services Executives Baltimore Chapter |
Georges C. Benjamin, MD, MACP, FACEP(E), FNAPA, Hon FRSPH, Hon FFPH Executive Director American Public Health Association | Joseph Wiley, M.D. Medical Director for Population Health LifeBridge Health | Robin Weiss, M.D. Private Practice in Psychiatry Baltimore, MD |
Eric Sundel, M.D. Pediatric Emergency Medicine St Agnes Hospital | Maureen Black, Ph.D. Director, Division of Growth & Nutrition Department of Pediatrics University of Maryland School of Medicine | Bob England, M.D., MPH Director Maricopa County, AZ Department of Public Health (On behalf of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health) |
Stephen L. Williams, M.Ed., M.P.A. Director Houston Health Department (On behalf of the Houston Health Department) | Abdul El-Sayed, MD, DPhil Executive Director & Health Officer Detroit Health Department City of Detroit (On behalf of the Detroit Health Department) | Kelly Colopy Director Long Beach, CA Department of Health & Human Services (On behalf of the Long Beach Department of Health & Human Services) |
Tomás J. Aragón, MD, DrPH Health Officer, City & County of San Francisco Director, Population Health Division (PHD) San Francisco Department of Public Health Faculty, UC Berkeley School of Public Health | Tina Cheng, M.D. Chair of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center | Cheryl Bettigole, MD, MPH Director, Division of Chronic Disease Prevention -- Get Healthy Philly Philadelphia Department of Public Health (On behalf of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health) |
Brooke Buckley, M.D., FACS President of MedChi The Maryland State Medical Society | Big Cities Health Coalition Representing 28 local health departments in the largest, most urban areas in the U.S. | Kathryn Chenault, M.D. Pediatrician University of Maryland Medical System |
Sumeska Thavarajah, M.D. Chair, Medical Advisory Board National Kidney Foundation of Maryland | Traci A. Barnett, MBA President and Chief Executive Officer National Kidney Foundation of Maryland | Michaeline R. Fedder, MA Government Relations Director, Maryland American Heart Association/American Stroke Association |
Jim Krieger, MD, MPH Executive Officer Healthy Food America Clinical professor of Medicine and Health Services University of Washington | Laurie David Author, Producer, and Environmental Advocate | Michael F. Jacobson, PhD President Center for Science in the Public Interest (On behalf of the 1,374 CSPI members in Baltimore) |
League of Women Voters Baltimore City |