Dispatches from the ADA 2011 conference

Are sugary drinks making us fat?

By Elaine Watson

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Soft drinks Sugary drinks Nutrition

Are calories from sugar-sweetened soft drinks 'empty' calories?
Are calories from sugar-sweetened soft drinks 'empty' calories?
The row about the relationship between sugary drink consumption and spiraling obesity took center stage at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference this week with two academics going head to head on one of the most controversial areas of nutrition science.

In the red corner was Dr Theresa Nicklas, professor at the Children's Nutrition Research Center at the Baylor College of Medicine, who pointed out that the percentage of energy derived from sugar sweetened beverages was steadily falling, which made it hard to argue that soft drinks were responsible for rising obesity rates.

She also claimed that evidence suggesting sugary drinks played a major role in obesity was inconclusive, with some studies suggesting a link and others not. She also noted that overweight and obese people frequently avoided full sugar drinks and that added sugar consumption could explain “virtually none of the variances in adolescents’ BMI scores”.

Meanwhile, there was “no evidence​” that a soda tax would decrease obesity, and if prices went up on soda, consumers would probably just switch to fruit juice instead, she predicted.

Finally, singling out one nutrient or product group was not the way to address obesity, she argued. “If we’re going to tax soft drinks, why not tax pizza or donuts? We are righting the wrong battle here. We need a total diet approach.”

Liquid vs solid calories

In the blue corner stood Dr Barry Popkin, distinguished professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who argued that calories from sugary drinks do not fill us up in the same way as solid foods, meaning people that consumed large volumes of soft drinks were at particular risk of taking in too many calories.

He added: “If we take in 200 calories in liquid, we won’t eat 200 fewer calories from foods​ [to compensate].”

While the difference between 'calories in and calories out' was what ultimately influenced weight gain or loss, the source and type of calories consumed did matter, with evidence suggesting that high consumption of refined carbohydrates increased risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic health problems, he claimed.

“You can always say yes, we need more randomized controlled trials, but there comes a time when you have to take a stand… If we’d waited for all the evidence on tobacco to act we would still have been arguing about it in 2002.”

It was also important to look carefully at the source of funding for research in this field, he argued, with studies backed by beverage companies more likely to deliver ‘industry-friendly’ results, he claimed.

Research funding

However, one audience member pointed out that the quality of the research - which could be independently assessed once it was published - should matter more than the funding source.

Another delegate also challenged Popkin’s empty calories hypothesis about liquid calories by pointing out that the first food humans consumed was a liquid (breast milk) which was uniquely satiating.

However, a third delegate took issue with Nicklas for appearing to support the ‘there are no bad foods, only bad diets’ argument, and prompted a round of applause in the auditorium by arguing that some foods were self-evidently healthier than others, making it perfectly reasonable to single out certain foods or beverages for criticism, especially if they contributed significantly to overall calorie consumption.

Related topics R&D The obesity problem

Related news

Show more

10 comments

Show more

Personal Responsibility

Posted by steve,

People need to take a look in the mirror before they start blaming others for their problems. Take responsibility for your own actions in life. If your fat stop eating so much and start to exercise. Don't make the others pay for your actions.

Report abuse

Obesity is a multi-factoral epidemic.

Posted by Johnny,

We've went through these scare-tactics just last year with Dr. Lustig's erroneous claims...Please Read the debate linked below between Alan Aragon and Dr. Lustig:

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

Taxing sodas is ignorant. Gary, reducing 1 soda per day, let's say it comes out to 200kcal, would = less calories consumed. You cannot compare a diet let's say of 2000kcal to that of an 1800 kcal, that is simple math...you eat less you point lipolysis in favor of the 1800kcal per day consumption, nothing magical about that. You add that 200 kcal back in from whole grains or any other carbohydrate source, and it will have no difference than that of the other 2000kcal diet consumed. Likewise, one could debit 200kcal from whole grains, to bring a consumption of 1800kcal, and it would not necessarily be much different than that coming from a 200 kcal debit in soda. Soda is not satiating, so it is easy to consume too many calories in a small amount. If you can manage your intake, and manage to keep overall daily calories under control, then you will be fine. I'm not advocating everybody go out and drink sodas in the place of healthier options like fruits, but these scare tactics get ridiculous at times.

Also, as a side note to the debate, DOSAGE AND CONTEXT was never specified. Fructose in moderate amounts can be very beneficial, but too much fructose consumed from sodas can = bad things. Most studies cited these days, as was the case with Lustig's scare tactics, use studies involving supraphysiological doses of fructose, which are not common in most consumers diets, or in nature (fructose isolated).

Obesity is a MULTI-factoral epidemic, and to single-out one particular factor, is just mind-boggling.

Also, we have to take context into consideration here. Somebody drinking 2 sodas and managing their daily intake is going to be a lot different than somebody who also consumes food and beverage intakes well above their daily intakes. Overall calorie consumption is what ultimately leads to weight gain or loss.

Report abuse

A no- brainer?

Posted by ellen briggs,

I thought this was a no-brainer - sugary drinks are tied to weight gain. What happened to the value of common sense? Not scientific enough?

Report abuse

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars