Beverage Consumption a Big Factor in Weight Gain | Arthritis Information

 

Newswise — When it comes to weight loss, what you drink may be more important than what you eat, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers examined the relationship between beverage consumption among adults and weight change and found that weight loss was positively associated with a reduction in liquid calorie consumption and liquid calorie intake had a stronger impact on weight than solid calorie intake. The results are published in the April 1, 2009, issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Both liquid and solid calories were associated with weight change, however, only a reduction in liquid calorie intake was shown to significantly affect weight loss during the 6-month follow up,” said Benjamin Caballero MD, PhD, senior author of the study and a professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health. “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.”

Researchers conducted a prospective study of 810 adults aged 25-79 years old participating in the PREMIER trial, an 18-month randomized, controlled, behavioral intervention. Caballero along with colleagues from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute; Duke University; the Pennington Biomedical Research Center; the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research; the University of Alabama; and Pennsylvania State University measured participant’s weight and height using a calibrated scale and a wall-mounted stadiometer at both 6 and 18 months. Dietary intake was measured by conducting unannounced 24-hour dietary recall interviews by telephone.

Researchers divided beverages into several categories based on calorie content and nutritional composition: sugar-sweetened beverages (regular soft drinks, fruit drinks, fruit punch, or high-calorie beverages sweetened with sugar), diet drinks (diet soda and other “diet” drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners), milk (whole milk, 2 percent reduced-fat milk, 1 percent low-fat milk, and skim milk), 100 percent juice (100 percent fruit and vegetable juice), coffee and tea with sugar, coffee and tea without sugar and alcoholic beverages. They found that at 37 percent sugar-sweetened beverages were the leading source of liquid calories.

Consumption of liquid calories from beverages has increased in parallel with the obesity epidemic. Earlier studies by Bloomberg School researchers project that 75 percent of U.S. adults could be overweight or obese by 2015 and have linked the 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. Researchers recommend limited liquid calorie intake among adults and to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption as a means to accomplish weight loss or avoid excess weight gain.

“Among beverages, sugar-sweetened beverages was the only beverage type significantly associated with weight change at both the 6- and 18-month follow up periods,” said Liwei Chen, MD, PhD, MHS, lead author of the study and a Bloomberg School graduate. “Changes in the consumption of diet drinks and alcoholic beverages were inversely associated with weight loss, but were not statistically significant. Our study supports policy recommendations and public health efforts to reduce intakes of liquid calories, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages, in the general population.”

“Reduction in Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages is Associated with Weight Loss: The PREMIER Trial” was written by Liwei Chen, Lawrence J. Appel, Catherine Loria, Pao-Hwa Lin, Catherine M. Champagne, Patricia J. Elmer, Jamy D. Ard, Diane Mitchell, Bryan C. Batch, Laura P. Svetkey and Benjamin Caballero.

The research was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health; the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Human Nutrition; and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Back when the boys were infants, and I was dealing with the stress of a husband recovering from massive heart attack (and several other family crises), I tended to drown my sorrows in soda.  I drank as many as 4 or 5 cans of Coke a day.  My weight hovered around 150 - I just couldn't get rid of the pregnancy weight.  At 150 and 5/3 I wasn't obese, but I was definitely overweight.  I decided to cut the soda to one can per day (and some days that one can was an 8-ounce shorty instead of the standard 12-ounce can!).  I lost 30 pounds within 6 weeks. Since I can only consume 1200-1400 calories a day just to MAINTAIN my weight anything I drink is 0 calories. I can't afford to waste anything on a beverage.If you take the time to actually look at the list of sweeteners in a can of soda/pop you will realize the vast majority contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). The body isn't easily assimilated by the liver and thus the calories aren't used by your body and they are stored as fat.
Also, HFCS was thought to be a positive for people dealing with diabetes. This, too, has been disproved.
[QUOTE=watchingwolf]If you take the time to actually look at the list of sweeteners in a can of soda/pop you will realize the vast majority contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). The body isn't easily assimilated by the liver and thus the calories aren't used by your body and they are stored as fat.
Also, HFCS was thought to be a positive for people dealing with diabetes. This, too, has been disproved.
[/QUOTE]

I've also seen research that says it's just the sheer number of calories involved.  If the average woman has a 2000 calorie/day intake necessary to maintain a healthy weight, then a 20-ounce Coke has 15% of their daily caloric intake!  20 years ago people just didn't drink soda in the sheer volumes they do today.  It's not uncommon now for someone to have a 20-ounce soda (that's typically the "small" or "regular" size at fast-food joints) at lunch AND dinner.  Over 30% of your daily calories right there.  Orange juice has about 50% fructose (about the same as HFCS), but we don't typically guzzle 20 or more ounces in a sitting (Joonie is an exception Jamine: You are so correct!  However, a major difference between "fructose" and "high fructose corn syrup" is that fructose is assimilated by the liver. Thus, if people carefully watch how many calories they are getting from "fructose" they can maintain a healthy weight. [QUOTE=watchingwolf]Jamine: You are so correct!  However, a major difference between "fructose" and "high fructose corn syrup" is that fructose is assimilated by the liver. Thus, if people carefully watch how many calories they are getting from "fructose" they can maintain a healthy weight. [/QUOTE]

Fructose is fructose.  The source doesn't matter.
[QUOTE=JasmineRain]  I think my behind is allergic to Coke, because if I drink too much, my backside swells up [/QUOTE]

JamineRain! By George, I think you got it! I have the same allergic reaction to beer. This theory deserves additional study, say eh?
[QUOTE=Spelunker] [QUOTE=JasmineRain]  I think my behind is allergic to Coke, because if I drink too much, my backside swells up[/QUOTE]