A systematic review of the impact of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on children and adolescent obesity

Abstract

Background The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSBs) among children and adolescents, particularly carbonated soft drinks, are always blamed to be the contributor to the epidemic of overweight and obesity. With the number of obese population increased, people become increasingly more focus on the relationship between SSB and the weight gain problems. However, because there are some characteristics of these beverages that people can get energy and happiness, so that people enjoy drinking sugar-sweetened beverage especially children who like sugar and sweet. So, people are still wondering the association between SSB and obesity.

Methods A literature search was performed using Google scholar and Pubmed to locate all relevant articles in English that study the impacts of SSB on the weight gain and obesity on children and adolescent up to December 2013.

Findings Eleven core references were found to study the association between SSB and the weight gain among children and adolescent including 4 randomized trial studies, 6 cross-sectional studies and 1 case-control study.

Conclusions The data collected from large cross-sectional studies, especially the long-term studies shows that there is a positive association between the intake of SSB and the weight gain and obesity in children and adolescent. A case control study based on hospital shows that the children who with less soft-drink consumptions have lower prevalence of obesity and overweight. In addition, the randomized control trials indicate that the greater consumption of SSB, the easier to gain weights among children and adolescents. Although more evidence are needed, the sufficient evidence exists now are not encouraging the public to intake too many sugar-sweetened beverage as a healthy behavior.