A study has estimated that at least 10 per cent of youth worldwide consume more than seven servings of sugary drinks per week.

Global analysis of the dietary habits of children and adolescents from 185 countries revealed that, on average, young people consumed nearly 23 per cent more sugar-sweetened beverages in 2018 compared to 1990.

The research was published by the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in The BMJ. The study revealed that overall, intakes were similar in boys and girls but higher in teens, urban residents, and children of parents with lower levels of education.

The study

The study drew from the Global Dietary Database (GDD), a large comprehensive compilation of what people around the world eat or drink, to generate the first global estimates and trends of sugar-sweetened beverage intake in youth.

These were defined as soda, juice drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks, and home-sweetened fruit drinks containing more than 50 kcal per one cup serving.

Incorporating data from over 1,200 surveys from 1990 to 2018 in a large model, the research team found that youth (defined as those aged three to 19 years) drank more and had almost twice the overall intake of adults.

The research team’s definition of sugary drinks excluded 100 per cent fruit juices, non-caloric artificially sweetened drinks and sweetened milk.

The findings

Sugar-sweetened beverage intake among young people varied by world region, averaging 3.6 servings per week globally. The results ranged from 1.3 servings per week in South Asia to 9.1 in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The researchers found that children and teens in 56 countries, representing 238m young people or 10 per cent of the global youth population, averaged seven or more servings per week.

Laura Lara-Castor, first author and postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington, said, “Sugary beverages increase weight gain and risk of obesity, so even though kids don’t often develop diabetes or cardiovascular disease when they are young, there could be significant impacts later in life.

“This study highlights the need for targeted education and policy interventions to change behaviour early on and prevent the adverse outcomes associated with sugar-sweetened beverage intake in childhood.”

Among the world’s most populous nations, those with the highest sugary drink intakes by youth in 2018 included Mexico (10.1 servings per week), followed by Uganda (6.9), Pakistan (6.4), South Africa (6.2), and the United States (6.2).

Trends from 1990 to 2018 have shown that the region with the largest increase in consumption among youth was Sub-Saharan Africa. The average weekly servings grew 106 per cent to 2.17 servings per week, an acceleration that requires attention, the researchers said.

In recent years, many governments worldwide have implemented measures such as the ‘Sugar Tax’ in the UK and restrictions on the sale of these drinks in schools, to promote healthy dietary habits.

However, these efforts have faced strong opposing forces, faced with aggressive industry marketing and the globalisation of the food sector.

Dariush Mozaffarian, senior author and Jean Mayer professor of nutrition and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at the Friedman School, said, “Our findings should raise alarm bells in nearly every nation worldwide.

“The intakes and trends we’re seeing pose a significant threat to public health, one we can and must address for the future of a healthier population.”

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