Americans' opinions about policies to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages

• Experts endorse policies to reduce Americans' high consumption of sugary beverages.
• U.S. public support is the highest for calorie labeling and school-based restrictions.
• U.S. public support is the lowest for taxes and portion size restrictions.
• Unfavorable attitudes toward soda companies independently predict policy support.

ObjectiveStrategies to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages are a key component of public health promotion and obesity prevention, yet the introduction of many of these policies has been met with political controversy. The objective of this study is to assess the levels of and determinants of U.S. public support for policies to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.MethodsAn Internet-based survey (N = 1319) was fielded with a nationally-representative sample of U.S. adults aged 18–64 during fall 2012.ResultsRespondents have the highest support for calorie labeling (65%) and removing drinks from schools (62%), and the lowest support for taxes (22%) or portion size restrictions (26%). Examining several determinants of support simultaneously, Democrats and those with negative views of soda companies are more likely to support these policies.ConclusionsThe results provide policymakers and advocates with insights about the political feasibility of policy approaches to address the prevalent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, as well as the role of attitudes toward soda companies as an independent predictor of the public's opinions.