Changing Prices of Seven Foods Could Save Thousands of Lives Each Year

Adjusting the prices of seven foods through taxes and subsidies could save thousands of lives in the U.S. every year, according to a new study, by reducing deaths caused by stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.  The researchers used a risk assessment model to estimate the potential effects of making healthy foods — fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds — cheaper through subsidies, and placing taxes on processed and unprocessed red meats and sugary drinks to raise their prices. They found that changing the prices of these seven foods by ten percent each could potentially prevent 23,000 deaths each year, and a 30 percent price change could prevent 63,000 deaths per year. Read more

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