The study authors concluded that replacing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages with water could eliminate an average of 235 excess calories per day among children and adolescent.

 

“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,” Y. Claire Wang, MD, ScD, assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the study's lead author, said.

 

For the study, the researchers 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.

 

After 18 months, the researchers found that cutting back on liquid calories was associated with a weight loss of 0.6 pounds (0.25 kg) at 6 months and 0.5 pounds (0.24 kg). Also, a reducing of 1 serving daily was associated with a weight loss of 1.1 pounds (0.5 kg) at 6 months and 1.54 pounds (0.7 kg) at 18 months. Sugar-sweetened beverages were the leading source of liquid calories.

 

“This study shows the substantial impact that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water could have,” C. Tracy Orleans, senior scientist and distinguished fellow at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation co-funded the study along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.