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Beverage consumption a big factor in weight, study shows
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Photo by Abby Chou
If you’re attempting to lose a few pounds, this is likely the most important dietary change you can make: getting rid of that sugar-sweetened beverage.
In an April 2009 study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, researchers examined the relationship between beverage consumption and weight change. They found that weight loss in adults was positively associated with a reduction in liquid calorie consumption.
“Both liquid and solid calories were associated with weight change, however, only a reduction in liquid calorie intake was shown to significantly affect weight loss during the 6-month follow up,” said Benjamin Caballero MD, PhD, senior author of the study and a professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health.
Why do sugary beverages weigh the heaviest in your body? Researchers say your body doesn’t seem to register liquid calories as accurately as those from solid foods, so you don’t automatically slow down consumption.
Drinking liquid calories from beverages has increased in parallel with the obesity epidemic. Earlier studies by Bloomberg School researchers project that 75 percent of U.S. adults could be overweight or obese by 2015. These studies have also linked the consumption of sugary beverages to the obesity epidemic, which affects two-thirds of adults and increases risk of harmful health conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
Instead of picking up that soft drink, why not try a glass of ice water with a spritz of citrus juice? You can avoid the 150-plus calories and 40 grams of sugar that are lurking in a can of soda, and instead nourish and hydrate your body. Make it a habit, and you may even lose those irritating last few pounds!
Press release available here.
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