OBJECTIVE. The role of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in promoting obesity is controversial. Observational data link SSB consumption with excessive weight gain; however, randomized, controlled trials are lacking and necessary to resolve the debate. We conducted a pilot study to examine the effect of decreasing SSB consumption on body weight.
METHODS. We randomly assigned 103 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years who regularly consumed SSBs to intervention and control groups. The intervention, 25 weeks in duration, relied largely on home deliveries of noncaloric beverages to displace SSBs and thereby decrease consumption. Change in SSB consumption was the main process measure, and change in body mass index (BMI) was the primary end point.
RESULTS. All of the randomly assigned subjects completed the study. Consumption of SSBs decreased by 82% in the intervention group and did not change in the control group. Change in BMI, adjusted for gender and age, was 0.07 ± 0.14 kg/m2 (mean ± SE) for the intervention group and 0.21 ± 0.15 kg/m2 for the control group. The net difference, −0.14 ± 0.21 kg/m2, was not significant overall. However, baseline BMI was a significant effect modifier. Among the subjects in the upper baseline-BMI tertile, BMI change differed significantly between the intervention (−0.63 ± 0.23 kg/m2) and control (+0.12 ± 0.26 kg/m2) groups, a net effect of −0.75 ± 0.34 kg/m2. The interaction between weight change and baseline BMI was not attributable to baseline consumption of SSBs.
CONCLUSIONS. A simple environmental intervention almost completely eliminated SSB consumption in a diverse group of adolescents. The beneficial effect on body weight of reducing SSB consumption increased with increasing baseline body weight, offering additional support for American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines to limit SSB consumption.
Greetings noble Pediatrics,
First, congratulations on the excelent work over sugar reduction, a theme I try to embue in Brazil current industry production. My range of knowledge among you is limited, therefore your work give me substential information to continue to prove once and for all that, we shouldn't force our current generation to pick what they can eat or drink all the time, but most of what is on the market should garantee to be healthy. Looking at the root of this matter, I see only one reason that make all of us end up eating unhealthy meals and drinks is because it was once offered to us and sadly at a cheap cost, making us dependent and sometimes unlikely to choose a healthy costy food, depending on that person budget reality.
Nevertheless, my honest congratulations on this paper, hopeing to see more updated works on this as the situation with our children and teenagers is getting worse lookin upon sugar increasily foods they pick and out of control consuption of sugar in their daily diet.
Notably, I will estate my personal opinion dispate any other positions that your work does matter.
Thank you
Sincerely,
Itiberê Paquier
Legislative public worker from Brazil