Trends in Intake of Energy and Total Sugar from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in the United States among Children and Adults, NHANES 2003–2016

Abstract

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases total caloric intake, is linked to cardiometabolic outcomes as well as dental caries, and sugar in SSBs is associated with mortality and frailty among adults. We describe energy and total sugar intake trends among the United States (US) population from SSBs, soft drinks, other beverage groups, and the total diet based on the first 24-h recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles (2003–2004 through 2015–2016). SSBs included soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and fruit drinks, but excluded sports beverages with protein and sweetened teas/coffees. Among the total population (age ≥2 years: 57,026), energy intake from SSBs declined significantly from 183.9 ± 6.9 mean kcal/d (±SE) in 2003–2004 to 95.0 ± 3.5 in 2015–2016, while total sugar intake declined from 43.6 ± 1.7 mean g/d to 22.3 ± 0.8 (p-trend < 0.0001). Decreases were found for energy and total sugar intake, as well as percentage of energy and total sugar intake from SSBs, soft drinks, and all beverages for all age groups examined (≥2, 2–19, ≥20 years) (p-trend < 0.0001). From 2003 to 2016, energy and sugar intake from all beverages, SSBs, soft drinks, and the total diet decreased among the total population, children, and adults.

Patterns of food parenting practices regarding junk food and sugary drinks among parent-child dyads

“…The World Health Organization concurred with the DGA recommendation, but further suggested a conditional recommendation of less than 5% of total energy intake from added sugars [2]. Recent evidence suggests that added sugars consumption is decreasing in US populations, nonetheless intake levels for both children and adults (14 and 17%, respectively) exceed recommendations [3,4]. Junk foods, commonly defined as foods with low nutritive value that are high in added sugars, saturated fats or sodium, also have been linked to adverse health outcomes in both children and adults [5,6].…”

Orders of Healthier Adult Menu Items in a Full-Service Restaurant Chain with a Healthier Children’s Menu

“…At the top selling restaurant, chains new items have included less calories and saturated fat on average over the study period [ 32 ]. At the same time, energy intake from soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages has decreased in recent years [ 34 , 35 ]. Future evaluations of menu change interventions should examine whether there are changes in the consumers’ motivations to patronize the restaurant, whether more consumers cite health as a priority for their choice in where to eat out, and whether parents, in particular, seek out restaurants that have both healthier options for themselves and their children [ 36 , 37 ].…”

Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

“…However, SSB sales volumes have been steadily declining in North America (as well as Western Europe and Australia) while steadily rising in most other world regions, notably in East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia ( Figure 6). As SSB consumption has stagnated in mature markets in Western Europe, Australasia, and North America, transnational beverage manufacturers are increasingly targeting less saturated emerging markets to push SSB sales (Baker and Friel 2014;Marriott et al 2019;Popkin and Hawkes 2016;Sievert et al 2019;Singh et al 2015;Taylor and Jacobson 2016). Many of these emerging economies are already grappling with high health care expenditure ( Figure 7).…”