Soda Intake & Obesity Risk

Study Finds Frequent Soft Drink Consumption Does Not Lead to Higher Obesity Rates

A peer-reviewed study published in the August 2007 issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology found that those who frequently consume sweetened soft drinks do not have a higher obesity rate than those who rarely drink them. The study found higher obesity rates correlated with several other factors, such as the amount of time in front of the computer or TV, or the consumption of high amounts of dietary fat. (15)

The authors noted, "Obesity is a multi-factorial problem which is rooted in a positive balance between energy intake and expenditure. Lifestyle, behavior, and environment appear to have a more dominant role in obesity prevalence than do individual foods."

You can read the full study by clicking here.

An abstract of the study is below.

Lack of findings for the association between obesity risk and usual sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in adults - A primary analysis of databases of CSFII-1989-1991, CSFII-1994-1998, NHANES III, and combined NHANES 1999-2002

Sam Z. Sun, Mark W. Empie
Regulatory, Nutritional and Scientific Affairs Group, James R. Randall Research Center, Archer Daniels Midland Company, 1001 Brush College Road, Decatur, IL 62521, USA

Abstract
The relationship between obesity risk and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption was examined together with multiple lifestyle factors. Statistical analysis was performed using population dietary survey databases of USDA CSFII 1989-1991, CSFII 1994-1996, CDC NHANES III, and combined NHANES 1999-2002. Totally, 38,409 individuals, ages 20-74 years, with accompanying data of dietary intake, lifestyle factors, and anthropometrics were included in the descriptive statistics and risk analysis. Analytical results indicate that obesity risk was significantly and positively associated with gender, age, daily TV/screen watching hours and dietary fat content, and negatively associated with smoking habit, education and physical activity; obesity risk was not significantly associated with SSB consumption pattern, dietary saturated fat content and total calorie intake. No elevated BMI values or increased obesity rates were observed in populations frequently consuming SSB compared to populations infrequently consuming SSB. Additionally, one-day food consumption data was found to overestimate SSB usual intake by up to 38.9% compared to the data of multiple survey days. Conclusion: multiple lifestyle factors and higher dietary fat intake were significantly associated with obesity risk. Populations who frequently consumed SSB, primarily HFCS sweetened beverages, did not have a higher obesity rate or increased obesity risk than that of populations which consumed SSB infrequently.