The consumptions of SSBs over the past 20 years has risen, which has caused concern because higher consumption of SSBs is associated with high caloric intakes, but it wasnt clear until recently what portion of the diet was responsible for consumers higher caloric intake.

The Findings

Data was taken from the 2003-2010 What We Eat In America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, and a sample of 10,955 children from ages two to 18 were analyzed. Results were tabulated for three age ranges two to five, six to 11, and 12 to 18 years old. The results:

• While intake of food increased, intake of non-sweetened beverages decreased with higher consumption of SSBs.

• By examining both food and non-sweetened beverages SSBs are primarily responsible for higher caloric intakes among two to five year olds and six to 11 year olds.

• A similar finding was observed among children aged 12 years, however, both food and SSBs contributed to higher caloric intakes of adolescents consuming greater than 500 kilocalories of SSBs.

"The primary aims of our study were to determine the extent to which SSBs contribute to higher caloric intake of SSB consumers and to identify food and beverage groups from the overall diet that are associated with increased SSB consumption, says Kevin Mathias of the Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lead investigator. "Among all age groups analyzed, the energy density - calories per gram - of food consumed increased with higher SSB intake. These findings suggest that higher consumption of SSBs is associated with consumption of foods with high caloric contents. This is concerning because many foods that are associated with higher SSB consumption - pizza, cakes, cookies, pies, fried potatoes, and sweets - are also top sources of solid fats and added sugars; components of the diet that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommends Americans should limit."

Learn more about the What We Eat In America dietary survey. Read more about the American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.