BALTIMORE—Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that weight loss was positively associated with a reduction in liquid-calorie consumption, and liquid-calorie intake had a stronger impact on weight than solid-calorie intake. The results are published in the April 1, 2009, issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“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. “Of the seven types of beverages examined, sugar-sweetened beverages were the only beverages significantly associated with weight change.”
Earlier studies by Bloomberg School researchers project that 75 percent of U.S. adults could be overweight or obese by 2015 and have linked the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to the obesity epidemic, which affects two-thirds of adults and increases the risk for adverse health conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Researchers recommend limited liquid-calorie intake among adults and to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption as a means to accomplish weight loss or avoid excess weight gain.
