Replacing sweet drinks to lose weight

NEW YORK, April 9 (UPI) -- There is growing evidence that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is an important contributor to rising U.S. youth obesity rates, U.S. researchers said.

Lead author Dr. Y. Claire Wang of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York said replacing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages with water could eliminate an average of 235 excess calories per day among children and adolescents.

The study, published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, concluded that such a replacement would be a simple and effective way to reduce excess intake of calories causing childhood overweight and obesity, and could address dental cavities and other health problems associated with added sugar.

"The evidence is now clear that replacing these 'liquid calories' with calorie-free beverage alternatives both at home and in schools represents a key strategy to eliminate excess calories and prevent childhood obesity," Wang said in a statement.

Wang and colleagues analyzed what children and teens reported they ate and drank on two different days, using nationally representative data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Almost 90 percent of U.S. children and adolescents currently consume sugar-sweetened beverages on any given day -- including soda, fruit drinks, punches, sports drinks and sweetened tea. The calories contained in these drinks can represent more than 10 percent of their total daily intake, Yang added.