Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review from 2013 to 2015 and a Comparison with Previous Studies

Abstract

Objective: Partly inconsistent findings from previous reviews have fueled discussions on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on obesity development. The aim was to systematically review the recent evidence in children and adults. Methods: Data were retrieved from the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane library for the period January 2013 to October 2015. A systematic review of prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relating SSBs to weight measures was conducted. Results: 30 publications met the inclusion criteria. Prospective cohort studies (96%; n = 26) showed a positive association between consumption of SSBs and weight/BMI in adults and children (n = 242,352), and only one cohort study in children showed no association. Findings from three RCTs in children demonstrated that SSB consumption had an effect on BMI/BMI z-score. The one RCT in adults showed no significant effect of the intervention. 63% of the studies were of good, 30% of medium quality, and none was funded by industry. Conclusion: Recent evidence suggests that SSB consumption is positively associated with or has an effect on obesity indices in children and adults. By combining the already published evidence with the new one, we conclude that public health policies should aim to reduce the consumption of SSBs and encourage healthy alternatives such as water.

Obesity and eating behavior from the perspective of twin and genetic research

“…However, in particular, increased availability of highly processed fast food (Zobel et al, 2016) and increased consumption of high-energy soft drinks are suggested to have importantly contributed to the obesity epidemic (Basu et al, 2013). There are convincing epidemiological data showing that soft drink consumption is associated with higher BMI (Garduño-Alanís et al, 2019) and increased weight gain in both children and adults (Luger et al, 2017;Malik et al, 2013). Physiologically, the association between soft-drink consumption and increased energy intake is expected, since high-energy drinks have only a weak satiety response (Maersk et al, 2012).…”

Use of Electronic Health Record Data to Study the Association of Sugary Drink Consumption With Child Weight Status

“…an important, modifiable risk factor for childhood obesity. 1−7 Several high-profile randomized controlled trials, 1,2 as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses 3,8 have consistently identified cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between SSBs and various indices of obesity. In longitudinal studies, the magnitude of weight change over short-term follow-up is typically small (on the order of 0.06 kg/m 2 per year per additional SSB), 3 potentially necessitating either long-term follow-up or large sample sizes for detection.…”

Impact of Mixed Reality Food Labels on Product Selection

“…Unhealthy food choices are a known risk factor that contribute to the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases and premature deaths [44,45]. In particular the consumption of sugarsweetened beverages in this context have been highlighted [30,35]. Consequently, dietary intake has become a recognized public health priority [10], and support for healthier food selection behavior is of key importance to achieve changes in consumer behavior and population health [23].…”