INMA: “Intake of sugary beverages and obesity in children aged between 4 and 5 in Spain: the INMA Project”

26/11/2019

The number of obese children is increasing worldwide. Drinking sugary drinks has been associated with obesity in adults, although evidence in preschoolers is scarce. In a study led by doctor Jesus Vioque, from the Public Health Department at the Miguel Hernández University in Alicante, his team investigated the association between intake of sugary drinks (processed juice and sugary sodas) and the risk of obesity in 1823 children aged 4-5 from the Asturias, Guipúzcoa, Sabadell and Valencia cohorts of the project INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA).

The median intake of sugary drinks was approximately half a glass daily (80 mL), mainly processed juices (81%). The team of investigators found that intake was significantly higher in obese participants (approximately 118 mL daily) compared to participants with normal weight (77 mL per day). Children who drank more than one beverage per day (175 mL) showed significantly higher risk of obesity compared to children who drank less than one beverage weekly. The higher intake of processed juices, but not sugary sodas, was associated with a higher risk of obesity.

The team of investigators concluded that a higher intake of sugary beverages (processed fruit juices and sugary sodas) is associated with obesity in preschoolers, mostly the intake of processed juices.

Referencia: Gonzalez-Palacios S, Navarrete-Muñoz EM, García-de-la-Hera M, Torres-Collado L, Santa-Marina L, Amiano P, Lopez-Espinosa MJ, Tardon A, Riano-Galan I, Vrijheid M, Sunyer J, Vioque J. Sugar-Containing Beverages Consumption and Obesity in Children Aged 4-5 Years in Spain: the INMA Study. Nutrients. 2019 Aug 1;11(8). pii: E1772

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722971/