Background: Low health literacy and increased sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption are two broad public health concerns facing the United States. For example, it is estimated that 90 million Americans have insufficient literacy skills (IOMC, 2004) and low health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes (Berkman et. al., 2011). Furthermore, SSBs contribute about 80% of added sugars in the diet (Nielsen & Popkin, 2004) and have been associated with poor health outcomes, including obesity, type II diabetes, bone fractures, dental caries, and coronary heart disease. Despite these findings, there is limited research related to how to effectively decrease SSB intake among adults. Additionally, there have been few studies investigating health literacy interventions that target health behaviors in community settings (Allen et.al, 2011). Objective: As guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and constructs of health literacy, this 5-week, 2-arm randomized controlled pilot trial, used mixed methods to examine the effects of an intervention to decrease SSB (SipSmartER), as compared to a matched-contact control condition targeting physical activity (Move More). The primary aims of this pilot project were to evaluate participant's feedback through process and summative evaluation as well as evaulate intervention content and/or delivery through process evaluation by staff tracking for quality improvements. Secondary aims included the assessment of changes in theorized mediating variables and health behaviors among participants. Methods: Twenty-five participants (mean age = 42±14 years, mean BMI = 34.3±7.5 kg/m₂, 19 females, 12 African Americans, 9 (high school education) residing in Roanoke, VA were randomized to either SipSmartER (n=14) or Move More (n=11) to begin the 5-week intervention. Inclusion criteria consisted of participants being 18 years of age or older, English speaking, consuming greater than 200 kcal/day of SSB, and being without medical conditions in which physical activity would be contraindicated. Both 5-week interventions included two interactive small group sessions (Weeks 1 & 5) and three support telephone calls (Weeks 2, 3 & 4). Pre-post data was obtained using previously validated instruments including Beverage Intake Questionnaire (Bev-Q), Theory of Planned Behavior constructs addressing SSB and physical activity, media literacy, subjective numeracy, Stanford Leisure-Time Activity Categorical Item (L-CAT), and quality of life. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and regression models were used in data analysis. Results: Although SSB consumption decreased more among the SipSmartER participants (-257±622.6 kcal/day) than Move More (-200±404.6 kcal/day) there were no significant group by time differences. However, among all participants, changes in TPB constructs significantly predicted changes in SSB (R²=0.592; F=2.485; p=0.080) and physical activity behaviors (R2=0.621; F=2.813; p=0.056). Participant and staff feedback were very positive, ranging from 4.2-5.0 on a 5-point likert scale that included questions about intervention organization, flow, effectiveness, engagement, and enjoyment. Favorite themes that emerged with SipSmartER participants when asking about small group sessions included, realizing how much sugar is found in SSBs, understanding the health risks associated with drinking too much sugar, realizing how much sugar was being consumed during the day, and learning about better alternatives. Conclusion: Findings suggest promise for the piloted intervention to reduce SSB consumption through targeted TPB and health literacy strategies. This pilot study has allowed further refinement and execution of a larger trial that includes a larger sample and longer study duration (i.e. 6-months) and follow-up period (i.e. 18-months). / Master of Science

O objetivo desta tese é analisar a influência do preço dos alimentos sobre o crescimento da obesidade no Brasil e avaliar os efeitos de uma política baseada no preço como instrumento de prevenção da obesidade. Essas questões foram analisadas em três ensaios que utilizam da estrutura econômica, baseada no princípio de racionalidade econômica, para compreender as escolhas individuais quanto à ingestão e gasto calóricos e a dinâmica do ganho de peso dos brasileiros. O ensaio 1 identifica as principais mudanças no índice de massa corporal (IMC) dos brasileiros e estima a contribuição dos preços dos alimentos a partir dos métodos de distribuição relativa e de decomposição contrafactual. Verificou-se que, concomitante ao aumento da obesidade, um deslocamento para a direita da distribuição do IMC revelando: a) uma maior densidade de indivíduos nas regiões de sobrepeso e obesidade; e b) um aumento do IMC mediano uma maior dispersão em torno deste. Os resultados indicaram que o aumento de preço observado entre 2002 e 2009 foi importante para conter o avanço da obesidade. Contudo, o efeito dessa variação (efeito nível) foi inferior àquele verificado para a mudança do impacto dos alimentos sobre o IMC (efeito estrutura). Os preços de alimentos como refrigerantes, carne e leite integral mostraram-se bastante significativos. Por outro lado, a renda e os anos de estudo contribuíram positivamente para o aumento do IMC no período analisado. Considerando os efeitos obtidos para o preço de refrigerantes sobre o IMC, bem como sua associação positiva do consumo desta bebida com obesidade, os ensaios 2 e 3 avaliaram os efeitos individuais e agregados, respectivamente, da adoção uma política de saúde baseada no aumento de impostos sobre bebidas açucaradas. No ensaio 2, adotou-se o modelo de duas partes para estimar as elasticidades preço demanda, as quais indicaram que o aumento do preço de bebidas açucaradas (refrigerantes e sucos) reduz o consumo, especialmente dos grupos que mais consomem destas bebidas. O resultado sobre o peso apresentou magnitude modesta, porém esta medida mostrou-se relevante na prevenção da obesidade, dado que maiores perdas de peso foram observadas na faixa próxima ao IMC correspondente à obesidade. Os efeitos em termos agregados foram simulados a partir do modelo de preços derivado da matriz de insumo produto, e os resultados mostram que uma política tributária sobre refrigerantes tende a gerar poucos efeitos adversos para a economia, com redução da produção do referido setor e daqueles diretamente inter-relacionados sendo compensada pelo aumento na produção de outros setores. O mesmo foi observado para o emprego, que apresentou variação positiva. No que se refere ao consumo, dado que em termos individuais o aumento tributário de 10% contribui para reduzir o consumo em 6,1%, a despesa de consumo agregado das famílias sofreria redução de 2,1%, com maior redução verificada na faixa de renda intermediária. Diante disso, conclui-se que a redução no preço dos alimentos mais calóricos observada nos últimos anos teve impacto sobre o peso dos brasileiros, e portanto, poderia ser levada em consideração na estruturação de políticas públicas para o combate à obesidade. / The objective of this thesis is to analyze the influence of the price of food on the growth of obesity in Brazil and to assess the effects of a policy based on price as a prevention instrument against obesity. These issues were analyzed in three essays that make use of the economic structure, based on the principle of economic rationality, in order to understand individual choices about calorie intake and expenditure and the dynamics of weight gain of Brazilians. Essay 1 identifies the main changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) of Brazilians and estimates the contribution of food prices from the relative distribution method and of counterfactual decomposition. It was verified that, concomitant to the increase in obesity, there is a shift towards the right of the BMI distribution revealing: a) a greater density of individuals in the regions of overweight and obesity; and b) an increase of the medium BMI a major dispersion around this. The results indicated that the price increases observed between 2002 and 2009 were important to contain the advance of obesity. However, the effect of that variation (level effect) was lower than that observed for the change of the impact of food on BMI (structure effect). The prices of foods such as soft drinks, meat and whole milk showed to be quite significant. On the other hand, income and years of study contributed positively for the increase of the BMI in the analyzed period. Considering the effect obtained for the price of soft drinks on BMI, as well as the positive association of consumption of this type of beverage with obesity, essays 2 and 3 evaluated the individual and aggregate effects, respectively, of the adoption of a health policy based on the increase of taxes on sugary drinks. In essay 2, the two part model was adopted in order to estimate the price-demand elasticity, which indicated that the price increase of sugary drinks (soft drinks and juices) reduce the consumption, especially of the groups that most consume these beverages. The result on weight presented a modest magnitude; however this measure showed to be relevant in the prevention of obesity, since the greater weight losses were observed in the group nearest to the BMI corresponding to obesity. The effects in aggregate terms were simulated parting from the price model derived from the product input matrix, and the results show that a tax policy on soft drinks tends to generate few adverse effects for the economy, with a production reduction of that sector and those directly interrelated being offset by increased production in other sectors. The same was observed for employment, which presented a positive variation. Regarding consumption, since in individual terms the 10% tributary increase contributed to reduce consumption in 6,1%, the aggregate consumption expenditure of households would suffer a reduction of 2.1%, with greater reductions observed in the middle-income range. Therefore, it is concluded that the reduction in the price of high-calorie foods observed in recent years has had an impact on the weight of Brazilians, and therefore, could be taken into account in the structuring of public policies for the fight against obesity.

O objetivo desta tese é analisar a influência do preço dos alimentos sobre o crescimento da obesidade no Brasil e avaliar os efeitos de uma política baseada no preço como instrumento de prevenção da obesidade. Essas questões foram analisadas em três ensaios que utilizam da estrutura econômica, baseada no princípio de racionalidade econômica, para compreender as escolhas individuais quanto à ingestão e gasto calóricos e a dinâmica do ganho de peso dos brasileiros. O ensaio 1 identifica as principais mudanças no índice de massa corporal (IMC) dos brasileiros e estima a contribuição dos preços dos alimentos a partir dos métodos de distribuição relativa e de decomposição contrafactual. Verificou-se que, concomitante ao aumento da obesidade, um deslocamento para a direita da distribuição do IMC revelando: a) uma maior densidade de indivíduos nas regiões de sobrepeso e obesidade; e b) um aumento do IMC mediano uma maior dispersão em torno deste. Os resultados indicaram que o aumento de preço observado entre 2002 e 2009 foi importante para conter o avanço da obesidade. Contudo, o efeito dessa variação (efeito nível) foi inferior àquele verificado para a mudança do impacto dos alimentos sobre o IMC (efeito estrutura). Os preços de alimentos como refrigerantes, carne e leite integral mostraram-se bastante significativos. Por outro lado, a renda e os anos de estudo contribuíram positivamente para o aumento do IMC no período analisado. Considerando os efeitos obtidos para o preço de refrigerantes sobre o IMC, bem como sua associação positiva do consumo desta bebida com obesidade, os ensaios 2 e 3 avaliaram os efeitos individuais e agregados, respectivamente, da adoção uma política de saúde baseada no aumento de impostos sobre bebidas açucaradas. No ensaio 2, adotou-se o modelo de duas partes para estimar as elasticidades preço demanda, as quais indicaram que o aumento do preço de bebidas açucaradas (refrigerantes e sucos) reduz o consumo, especialmente dos grupos que mais consomem destas bebidas. O resultado sobre o peso apresentou magnitude modesta, porém esta medida mostrou-se relevante na prevenção da obesidade, dado que maiores perdas de peso foram observadas na faixa próxima ao IMC correspondente à obesidade. Os efeitos em termos agregados foram simulados a partir do modelo de preços derivado da matriz de insumo produto, e os resultados mostram que uma política tributária sobre refrigerantes tende a gerar poucos efeitos adversos para a economia, com redução da produção do referido setor e daqueles diretamente inter-relacionados sendo compensada pelo aumento na produção de outros setores. O mesmo foi observado para o emprego, que apresentou variação positiva. No que se refere ao consumo, dado que em termos individuais o aumento tributário de 10% contribui para reduzir o consumo em 6,1%, a despesa de consumo agregado das famílias sofreria redução de 2,1%, com maior redução verificada na faixa de renda intermediária. Diante disso, conclui-se que a redução no preço dos alimentos mais calóricos observada nos últimos anos teve impacto sobre o peso dos brasileiros, e portanto, poderia ser levada em consideração na estruturação de políticas públicas para o combate à obesidade. / The objective of this thesis is to analyze the influence of the price of food on the growth of obesity in Brazil and to assess the effects of a policy based on price as a prevention instrument against obesity. These issues were analyzed in three essays that make use of the economic structure, based on the principle of economic rationality, in order to understand individual choices about calorie intake and expenditure and the dynamics of weight gain of Brazilians. Essay 1 identifies the main changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) of Brazilians and estimates the contribution of food prices from the relative distribution method and of counterfactual decomposition. It was verified that, concomitant to the increase in obesity, there is a shift towards the right of the BMI distribution revealing: a) a greater density of individuals in the regions of overweight and obesity; and b) an increase of the medium BMI a major dispersion around this. The results indicated that the price increases observed between 2002 and 2009 were important to contain the advance of obesity. However, the effect of that variation (level effect) was lower than that observed for the change of the impact of food on BMI (structure effect). The prices of foods such as soft drinks, meat and whole milk showed to be quite significant. On the other hand, income and years of study contributed positively for the increase of the BMI in the analyzed period. Considering the effect obtained for the price of soft drinks on BMI, as well as the positive association of consumption of this type of beverage with obesity, essays 2 and 3 evaluated the individual and aggregate effects, respectively, of the adoption of a health policy based on the increase of taxes on sugary drinks. In essay 2, the two part model was adopted in order to estimate the price-demand elasticity, which indicated that the price increase of sugary drinks (soft drinks and juices) reduce the consumption, especially of the groups that most consume these beverages. The result on weight presented a modest magnitude; however this measure showed to be relevant in the prevention of obesity, since the greater weight losses were observed in the group nearest to the BMI corresponding to obesity. The effects in aggregate terms were simulated parting from the price model derived from the product input matrix, and the results show that a tax policy on soft drinks tends to generate few adverse effects for the economy, with a production reduction of that sector and those directly interrelated being offset by increased production in other sectors. The same was observed for employment, which presented a positive variation. Regarding consumption, since in individual terms the 10% tributary increase contributed to reduce consumption in 6,1%, the aggregate consumption expenditure of households would suffer a reduction of 2.1%, with greater reductions observed in the middle-income range. Therefore, it is concluded that the reduction in the price of high-calorie foods observed in recent years has had an impact on the weight of Brazilians, and therefore, could be taken into account in the structuring of public policies for the fight against obesity.

O objetivo desta tese é analisar a influência do preço dos alimentos sobre o crescimento da obesidade no Brasil e avaliar os efeitos de uma política baseada no preço como instrumento de prevenção da obesidade. Essas questões foram analisadas em três ensaios que utilizam da estrutura econômica, baseada no princípio de racionalidade econômica, para compreender as escolhas individuais quanto à ingestão e gasto calóricos e a dinâmica do ganho de peso dos brasileiros. O ensaio 1 identifica as principais mudanças no índice de massa corporal (IMC) dos brasileiros e estima a contribuição dos preços dos alimentos a partir dos métodos de distribuição relativa e de decomposição contrafactual. Verificou-se que, concomitante ao aumento da obesidade, um deslocamento para a direita da distribuição do IMC revelando: a) uma maior densidade de indivíduos nas regiões de sobrepeso e obesidade; e b) um aumento do IMC mediano uma maior dispersão em torno deste. Os resultados indicaram que o aumento de preço observado entre 2002 e 2009 foi importante para conter o avanço da obesidade. Contudo, o efeito dessa variação (efeito nível) foi inferior àquele verificado para a mudança do impacto dos alimentos sobre o IMC (efeito estrutura). Os preços de alimentos como refrigerantes, carne e leite integral mostraram-se bastante significativos. Por outro lado, a renda e os anos de estudo contribuíram positivamente para o aumento do IMC no período analisado. Considerando os efeitos obtidos para o preço de refrigerantes sobre o IMC, bem como sua associação positiva do consumo desta bebida com obesidade, os ensaios 2 e 3 avaliaram os efeitos individuais e agregados, respectivamente, da adoção uma política de saúde baseada no aumento de impostos sobre bebidas açucaradas. No ensaio 2, adotou-se o modelo de duas partes para estimar as elasticidades preço demanda, as quais indicaram que o aumento do preço de bebidas açucaradas (refrigerantes e sucos) reduz o consumo, especialmente dos grupos que mais consomem destas bebidas. O resultado sobre o peso apresentou magnitude modesta, porém esta medida mostrou-se relevante na prevenção da obesidade, dado que maiores perdas de peso foram observadas na faixa próxima ao IMC correspondente à obesidade. Os efeitos em termos agregados foram simulados a partir do modelo de preços derivado da matriz de insumo produto, e os resultados mostram que uma política tributária sobre refrigerantes tende a gerar poucos efeitos adversos para a economia, com redução da produção do referido setor e daqueles diretamente inter-relacionados sendo compensada pelo aumento na produção de outros setores. O mesmo foi observado para o emprego, que apresentou variação positiva. No que se refere ao consumo, dado que em termos individuais o aumento tributário de 10% contribui para reduzir o consumo em 6,1%, a despesa de consumo agregado das famílias sofreria redução de 2,1%, com maior redução verificada na faixa de renda intermediária. Diante disso, conclui-se que a redução no preço dos alimentos mais calóricos observada nos últimos anos teve impacto sobre o peso dos brasileiros, e portanto, poderia ser levada em consideração na estruturação de políticas públicas para o combate à obesidade. / The objective of this thesis is to analyze the influence of the price of food on the growth of obesity in Brazil and to assess the effects of a policy based on price as a prevention instrument against obesity. These issues were analyzed in three essays that make use of the economic structure, based on the principle of economic rationality, in order to understand individual choices about calorie intake and expenditure and the dynamics of weight gain of Brazilians. Essay 1 identifies the main changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) of Brazilians and estimates the contribution of food prices from the relative distribution method and of counterfactual decomposition. It was verified that, concomitant to the increase in obesity, there is a shift towards the right of the BMI distribution revealing: a) a greater density of individuals in the regions of overweight and obesity; and b) an increase of the medium BMI a major dispersion around this. The results indicated that the price increases observed between 2002 and 2009 were important to contain the advance of obesity. However, the effect of that variation (level effect) was lower than that observed for the change of the impact of food on BMI (structure effect). The prices of foods such as soft drinks, meat and whole milk showed to be quite significant. On the other hand, income and years of study contributed positively for the increase of the BMI in the analyzed period. Considering the effect obtained for the price of soft drinks on BMI, as well as the positive association of consumption of this type of beverage with obesity, essays 2 and 3 evaluated the individual and aggregate effects, respectively, of the adoption of a health policy based on the increase of taxes on sugary drinks. In essay 2, the two part model was adopted in order to estimate the price-demand elasticity, which indicated that the price increase of sugary drinks (soft drinks and juices) reduce the consumption, especially of the groups that most consume these beverages. The result on weight presented a modest magnitude; however this measure showed to be relevant in the prevention of obesity, since the greater weight losses were observed in the group nearest to the BMI corresponding to obesity. The effects in aggregate terms were simulated parting from the price model derived from the product input matrix, and the results show that a tax policy on soft drinks tends to generate few adverse effects for the economy, with a production reduction of that sector and those directly interrelated being offset by increased production in other sectors. The same was observed for employment, which presented a positive variation. Regarding consumption, since in individual terms the 10% tributary increase contributed to reduce consumption in 6,1%, the aggregate consumption expenditure of households would suffer a reduction of 2.1%, with greater reductions observed in the middle-income range. Therefore, it is concluded that the reduction in the price of high-calorie foods observed in recent years has had an impact on the weight of Brazilians, and therefore, could be taken into account in the structuring of public policies for the fight against obesity.

INTRODUCTION: Dental caries erosion are both multifactorial diseases. One common factor for both diseases is acid attack on dental enamel. Some beverages contain both erosive acids and cariogenic carbohydrates, thus, promoting both types of disease. Previous literature has examined beverages as single source exposures, despite the fact that beverage consumption is a complex process that contains several beverage. A few studies have examined the patterns of beverage consumption and dental caries in both children and adults. These studies found a significant positive relationship between sugar sweetened beverages consumption and caries. These studies did not differentiate between regular and diet soda, so the relationship between diet/low calorie sweetener drinks and dental caries is not established. In contrast with caries, the association between beverage consumption patterns and erosion has not been studied before. OBJECTIVES: Examine the effect of diet drinks on dental caries and erosion among a representative sample of US children and adults. METHODS: All analyses conducted using cluster analysis to account for the complexity of beverage consumption and to better understand the effect of different consumption patterns on the dentition. NHANES data was used to be able to generalize the results to the US population. RESULTS: In children, we managed to define 6 different clusters including: water, milk, juice drinks, 100% juice, soda, and diet drinks. None of the clusters demonstrated statistically significant associations with dental caries. While individuals with high soda consumption had the highest caries risk, diet drinks had no effect on dental caries. On the other hand, adults were grouped into 4 distinct clusters: water, soda, diet drinks, and coffee/tea. The diet drinks cluster was not associated with higher DMFT score, while high soda consumption demonstrated increased DMFT. In contrast, high diet drinks consumption increased the risk for erosion, although this relationship was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This dissertation showed that diet drinks are not associated with dental disease. While we can not recommend consuming these drinks based on this one cross sectional study, we believe that more studies should be conducted so that we can draw a final conclusion regarding oral disease and diet drinks. / 2022-10-24T00:00:00Z

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Arthur Lewbel / This thesis consists of two chapters. In Chapter 1, I studied the consumption inequalities between men and women, as well as boys and girls, within the households in Sierra Leone. Through a collective household model, I found that women on average experience lower levels of consumption than men, with the inequality concentrated in households that are large or consist of more women than men. Moreover, there is little evidence of overall consumption inequality by gender for children, while both boys and girls have very high poverty rates. In addition, I developed a new strategy for understanding who is perceived as a child vs. an adult in a household, which improved the estimation. In Chapter 2, I studied the associations between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes and adolescent obesity in the US. I found that the taxes were associated with a lower body mass index and a lower probability of being overweight or obese. I found that SSBs and milk consumption had mediating roles, as tax increases were associated with decreases in SSB consumption and increases in milk consumption. Given the limited implementation and recent preemption of SSB taxes across the US, these results would help in understanding the potential benefits of implementing SSB taxes on a larger scale. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2023. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

Poor diet, sedentary behaviors, sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSB) and alcohol intake seem to co‐exist in complex ways that are not well understood. The aim of this study was to provide an understanding of the extent to which unhealthy behaviors cluster in eight Latin America countries. A secondary aim was to identify socio‐demographic characteristics associated with these behaviors by country. Data from adolescents and adults from the “Latin American Health and Nutrition Study” was used and the prevalence of screen‐time, occupational and transportation–sedentary time, socializing with friends, poor diet, SSB and alcohol intake, alone and in combination, were identified. The eight Latin America (LA) countries added to analyses were: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Logistic regression was used to estimate associations between ≥2 behaviors clustering, socio‐demographics and weight status. Among 9218 individuals, the most prevalent behaviors were transportation and occupation–sedentary time, SSB and alcohol intake. Younger, female, married/living with a partner, low and middle‐income and obese individuals had higher chances for these clustering behaviors. These results provide a multi-country level of understanding of the extent to which behaviors co‐occur in the LA population. / University of San Francisco / Revisión por pares

Objective: To compare the fruit, vegetable, and sugar sweetened beverage intake of college students who do and do not participate in dinner groups. Also, to determine if dinner group participation affects college students' perception of their overall health and adequacy of their fruit and vegetable intake. Design: A quantitative study of college students' fruit, vegetable, and sugar sweetened beverage intake through a one-time online survey. Setting: The survey was accessed via the internet at the time and place of students' convenience. Participants: A sample of 10,000 students was randomly selected from Brigham Young University's population of single students. 3,651 responded (a 37% response rate), but only 548 met our requirements and completed the survey. Sixty-one percent were female, 39% were male. Subgroups included students not belonging to a dinner group (n=243), students who met with a dinner group 1-3 times per week (n=167), and students who met with a dinner group 4 or more times per week (n=138).Main Outcome Measure(s): The independent variable measured was dinner group membership. Food intakes and perceptions were dependent variables. Food intakes were collected using adapted Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System recall questions. Perceptions were reported on a 1-5 Likert rating scale. Analysis: Post-hoc Tukey-Kramer adjustments were made to analysis of variance comparing intake and perception means. Statistical significance was set at p <0.05. Results: Prevalence of dinner group membership was 13%. Dinner group members drank significantly less soda than non-dinner group members (p=0.03). Intakes of fruits and vegetables did not differ between subgroups. Students' perception of the adequacy of their fruit and vegetable intake was aligned with their actual intake (p=0.0001); students who ate fewer cups rated their intake as poor more frequently than students who ate more cups. Dinner group members perceived better overall health and improved intake of fruit and vegetables from their participation in dinner groups. Conclusions: Though dinner group membership does not appear to affect fruit and vegetable intake, benefits were seen in reduced sugar sweetened beverage consumption. Further research may be warranted to examine other nutritional factors associated with dinner group membership as dinner groups may provide a unique opportunity for nutrition education and interventions and may provide more long term benefits than short term.