Beverage consumption and BMI of British schoolchildren aged 9–13 years

Abstract

Objective: Adequate fluid intake has been well documented as important for health but whether it has adverse effects on overall energy and sugar intakes remains under debate. Many dietary studies continue to refrain from reporting on beverage consumption, which the present study aimed to address. Design: A cross-sectional survey investigated self-reported measures of dietary intake and anthropometric measurements. Setting: Primary and secondary schools in south-west London, UK. Subjects: Boys and girls (n 248) aged 9-13 years. Results: Boys consumed 10 % and girls consumed 9 % of their daily energy intake from beverages and most children had total sugar intakes greater than recommended. Beverages contributed between a quarter and a third of all sugars consumed, with boys aged 11-13 years consuming 32 % of their total sugar from beverages. There was a strong relationship between consumption of beverages and energy intake; however, there was no relationship between beverage type and either BMI or BMI Z-score. Fruit juices and smoothies were consumed most frequently by all girls and 9-10-year-old boys; boys aged 11-13 years preferred soft drinks and consumed more of their daily energy from soft drinks. Milk and plain water as beverages were less popular. Conclusions: Although current health promotion campaigns in schools merit the attention being given to improving hydration and reducing soft drinks consumption, it may be also important to educate children on the energy and sugar contents of all beverages. These include soft drinks, as well as fruit juices and smoothies, which are both popular and consumed regularly.

Water and beverage consumption patterns among 4 to 13-year-old children in the United Kingdom

“…Patterns of beverage consumption varied by age. Milk consumption declined with age whereas the consumption of sweetened beverages increased, consistent with other data from France [26, 27], the UK [16], and the US [5]. Total water intakes in the UK, but not in France, varied with income.…”

Sweetened beverage intake in association to energy and sugar consumption and cardiometabolic markers in children

“…Sugar‐sweetened beverages are the main contributors of sugar intake in UK children, but few observational studies have examined associations between ASBs and energy and sugar in children, together having uncertain results . A clinical trial in children found that total energy and sugar intake were reduced after replacing SSBs with non‐sugary drinks for 2 years, but non‐sugary drinks comprised varying unsweetened options, including water, so definite conclusions concerning ASBs are hard to be drawn .…”

Added Sugars and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

“…Although evidence from cross-sectional studies has been mixed, many of these studies support a positive association between added sugar intakes and adiposity. 34–49 …”

“…60 Other studies have found no association with weight gain or adiposity in all age groups specifically when adjusted for total energy. 34,37–39,41,45,61–66 A few studies have shown mixed results in which SSBs were associated with BMI increases in their sample in girls 66 or boys 39 but not both.…”