December 11, 2008
Over
the past two decades, the number of adults consuming sugar-sweetened
beverages such as soft drinks, fruit drinks and punches has increased
dramatically, according to a study led by researchers at the
.
Researchers examined changes over the past two decades in
sugar-sweetened beverage consumption based on nationally representative
survey data, and found that sugar-sweetened beverages comprise a
significant source of total daily beverage intake and are the largest
source of beverage calories consumed daily. Their results are published
in the January 2009 issue of the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“More adults are drinking sugar-sweetened beverages and, among those drinkers, consumption has increased,” said Sara N. Bleich, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health Policy and Management.
“From 1988 to 2004, the percentage of sugar-sweetened beverage drinkers
increased five percent. Per capita consumption of energy from
sugar-sweetened beverages increased 46 kilocalories (kcal) per day, and
daily sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among drinkers increased 6
ounces per day.”
The study also examined trends in
sugar-sweetened beverage consumption by age, race/ethnicity and weight
loss intention. Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was highest among
young adults (231-289 kcal/day), who consumed roughly 20 percent of
their sugar-sweetened beverage calories at work, and lowest among the
elderly (68-83 kcal/day). Among race/ethnicity groups, the percentage
of sugar-sweetened beverage drinkers and per capita consumption of
sugar-sweetened beverages was highest among blacks followed by Mexican
Americans. Overweight/obese adults who were trying to lose weight were
less likely to drink sugar-sweetened beverages compared to those who
were not, but they still consumed a considerable amount from 1999 to
2004 (278 kcal/day).
Using dietary data collected in the National
Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1988 to 1994 and 1999 to
2004), researchers examined national trends in sugar-sweetened beverage
consumption (percentage of drinkers, amount consumed, consumption
location and type of beverage) among U.S. adults. Bleich, along with
colleagues, identified six mutually exclusive beverage categories:
sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks and
punches, low-calorie drinks, sweetened tea, and other sweetened
beverages), 100 percent juice, diet beverages, milk, coffee or tea, and
alcohol.
Earlier studies have linked consumption of
sugar-sweetened beverages to the obesity epidemic, which affects
two-thirds of adults and increases the risk for adverse health
conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Adults are considered to be
overweight if their body mass index is 25 or higher, and obese, if 30
or higher.
“Although this analysis does not attempt to estimate
the effect of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on obesity incidence, a
number of studies have linked sugar-sweetened beverage consumption to
obesity and type 2 diabetes,” said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, author and associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Center for Human Nutrition.
“Based on these nationally representative surveys, our study found
higher sugar-sweetened beverage consumption also happened to be among
populations at greater risk for obesity. There are few signs of
improvement over the past decade and the situation seems to become
worse among young adults aged 20 to 44.”
According to Bleich and
colleagues, efforts to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption may
be an important strategy for reducing empty calorie intake in the adult
diet in the United States.
“Increasing Consumption of
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Among US Adults: 1988-1994 to 1999-2004” was
written by Sara N. Bleich, Y. Claire Wang, Youfa Wang, and Steven L.
Gortmaker.
The researchers were supported in part by the Johns
Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, grant 57891.
Media contact for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Natalie Wood-Wright at 410-614-6029 or
[email protected].