Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and central and total adiposity in older children: a prospective study accounting for dietary reporting errors

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prospective relationship between changes in sugarsweetened beverage (SSB) intake and central adiposity in older children. Design: Dietary intakes of children were obtained by 3 d food records at ages 10 and 13 years. Waist circumference (WC) and weight and height to determine BMI were measured at 10 and 13 years and total body fat mass (TBFM) at 13 years by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Analyses were conducted using multivariable linear regression. Reporting errors were measured and participants were categorized as under-, plausible and over-reporters of dietary intakes. Setting: Community-based British cohort of children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Results: Among 2455 older children, increased SSB consumption from ages 10 to 13 years was associated with higher WC (standardized β = 0·020, P = 0·19), BMI (β = 0·028, P = 0·03) and TBFM (β = 0·017, P = 0·20) at 13 years. Effects were strengthened among plausible dietary reporters (n 1059): WC (β = 0·097, P < 0·001), BMI (β = 0·074, P < 0·001) and TBFM (β = 0·065, P = 0·003). The association between change in SSB and WC was weakened, but remained statistically significant after accounting for BMI (β = 0·042, P = 0·02) and TBFM (β = 0·048, P = 0·01). Conclusions: Higher consumption of SSB from ages 10 to 13 years was associated with a larger WC at age 13 years independent of differences in total adiposity. Accounting for dietary reporting errors strengthened associations. Our findings further support recommendations to limit intakes of SSB to reduce excess weight gain in children and suggest that SSB have an additional deleterious effect on central adiposity. Keywords Sugar-sweetened beverages Waist circumference Children ObesityObesity is a primary threat to public health. Childhood obesity strongly tracks with age (1) , raising the risk of mortality, CVD, certain cancers and osteoarthritis, as well as other conditions in adulthood (2)(3)(4)(5) . In adults a key driver of the metabolic consequences of excess fat is that located abdominally, or central adiposity, which predicts mortality and CVD independent of BMI (5)(6)(7) . Currently 32 % and 17 % of children and adolescents in the USA are overweight and obese, respectively (8) . Moreover, waist circumference (WC) of children has increased over time and some evidence suggests that the rate of increase in WC has outpaced that of BMI (9)(10)(11)(12)(13) . Therefore, it is paramount to identify modifiable risk factors of excess total and abdominal weight gain in children to help prevent or reverse obesity and its related co-morbidities both in childhood and later life.To date it remains unclear as to whether intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) has specific effects

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review from 2013 to 2015 and a Comparison with Previous Studies

“…In 2 studies under-reporters were included in the analysis but with adjustment for underreporting, and in 4 studies under-reporters were excluded. Five studies used BMI as body weight outcome [20,21,22,23,24], 5 BMI Z-score [25,26,27,28,29], 3 body fat [30,31,32], 3 waist circumference [33,34,35], and 1 weight-for-height z-score [36] (table 1). Almost all (94%) of the articles showed a positive association between SSB intake and body weight measures, meaning that a higher SSB consumption lead to a higher degree of adiposity.…”

A systematic review of the association between consumption of sugar‐containing beverages and excess weight gain among children under age 12

“…Eighty‐six citations were excluded (Appendix 3). Thirty‐eight citations met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review, of which 34 were cohort studies , One was an RCT , and 3 were controlled clinical trials where data from the various groups were the study authors combined groups for analysis as a cohort study .…”

“…Some of the studies included in this systematic reviewed performed analyses of different exposures and/or outcomes of interest using the same data set, such as Bigornia et al , and Dong et al , Zheng et al , and Zheng et al , Shefferly et al , and DeBoer et al , Millar et al , and Wheaton et al . Study characteristics for each included study were abstracted (Table ).…”

Dietary intake and prospective changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in children and youth

“…Other than sodium, consumption of fat, sugar, vegetables and fruit has been less studied with regards to its effects on CM risk factors among children and youth. In addition, D r a f t the limited existing studies among children and youth focused on overweight and blood pressure and less on abdominal obesity and insulin sensitivity (Bigornia et al 2015;Riccardi et al 2004). …”