Beverage Consumption and Weight Change

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health recently conducted a study examining the relationship between beverage consumption and changes in weight with results confirming what doctors and dieticians have been telling patients all along: sugary drinks are not good for the waistline.

The study finds that not only are both liquid and solid calories associated with weight changes, but reduction of liquid calories can significantly affect weight loss after a 6-month follow-up, Benjamin Caballero, MD, PhD, told the ScienceDaily.

“A reduction in liquid calorie intake was associated with a weight loss of 0.25 kg at 6 months and 0.24 kg at 18 months. Among sugar-sweetened beverages, a reduction of 1 serving was associated with a weight loss of 0.5 kg at 6 months and 0.7 kg at 18 months. Of the seven types of beverages examined, sugar-sweetened beverages were the only beverages significantly associated with weight change.”

Other study findings include that sugar-sweetened beverages were the only type of beverage associated with significant weight change over periods of 6 and 18 months, supporting recommendations to reduce liquid calories, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages, to aid weight loss.

Source: ScienceDaily.com; April 2, 2009