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Editorial
August 25, 2004

Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drinks, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes

Author Affiliations

Author Affiliation: Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston Medical Center, and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

JAMA. 2004;292(8):978-979. doi:10.1001/jama.292.8.978

Sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute 7.1% of total energy intake and represent the largest single food source of calories in the US diet.1 Coincidentally or not, the rise of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the United States parallels the increase in sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption.2 Several studies have found an association between sugar-sweetened beverages and incidence of obesity in children.3,4 In one study, the odds ratio of becoming obese increased 1.6 times for each additional sugar-sweetened drink consumed every day.3 Increased diet soda consumption was negatively associated with childhood obesity.

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