Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is on the decline in the U.S.

A study published in Obesity suggests that sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption fell for both American children and adults between 2003 and 2014. However, the researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health also found that consumption remains high among adolescents and young adults, and is particularly high among black, Mexican American, and non-Mexican Hispanic populations.

The study is the first to present the most recent national data on beverage consumption from the Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The researchers examined data collected from 18,600 children aged 2–19, and 27,652 adults aged 20+, in the NHANES 2003–2014. Participants were asked about their consumption of seven different beverage types in the previous 24 hours: SSBs, 100% juice, diet beverages, milk (including flavored milk), unsweetened coffee or tea, alcohol, and water.

The researchers found that overall beverage and SSB consumption declined for children and adults between 2003 and 2014. In 2014, 60.7% of children and 50% of adults reported drinking SSBs on a given day, whereas, in 2003, 79.7% of children and 61.5% of adults reported drinking SSBs. However, adolescents and young adults still consumed more than the recommended limit for added sugar set by the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

While white adults experienced declines in SSB consumption across almost all age groups, there were few other significant changes for other racial and ethnic groups. SSB consumption remained highest among black, Mexican American, and non-Mexican Hispanic adolescents—groups at higher risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

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