Given the wealth of evidence connected sugary drinks to obesity, it is not surprising that another study confirms that connection.  However, a new study, published in the journal Pediatrics, focuses on the relationship between consuming sugary drinks and weight status in children between the ages of two and five.  In this area, the literature is lacking and data on the relationship is mixed.

“Although sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been tightly linked to weight status among older children, the data regarding these relationships in children aged 2 to 5 years have been mixed. Our objective was to evaluate longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships between SSB consumption and weight status among children aged 2 to 5 years,” the researchers wrote in the study’s abstract.

The researchers used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, assessing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among 9,600 children.  They also assessed body mass index z scores.  Adjusting for race/ethnicity, mother’s BMI, television viewing, and socioeconomic status, the study found a significant relationship at age four between consuming sugary drinks and having a higher BMI.  The significant relationship between consumption and BMI did not exist at age two.  However, sugary beverage consumption at age two was significantly linked with a higher BMI over the following two years.

“We can’t say for sure that cutting out sugar-sweetened beverages would prevent excess weight gain,” said lead researcher Dr. Mark DeBoer, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Virginia, according to HealthDay. “There are healthy sources of calories, and there are less healthy sources. Sugar-sweetened beverages don’t have other nutritional benefits.”

Along with the relationship between sugary drink consumption and weight, the researchers also identified important facts about this young population.  Of the children in the study, nine to 13 percent had at least one soda, sugar-sweetened juice drink, or sports drink every day.  Approximately 15 percent of the five-year-olds in the study were obese.  Five-year-olds that consumed at least one sugary drink every day were 43 percent more likely to become obese than those that consumed fewer or no sugar-sweetened beverages.

“Pediatricians and parents should discourage SSB consumption to help avoid potential unhealthy weight gain in young children. From a public health standpoint, strong consideration should be made toward policy changes leading to decreases in SSB consumption among children,” the researchers wrote.

A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association examined other factors linked to obesity in children of preschool age.  These factors include familial obesity, socioeconomic status, feeding practices when the child was an infant, and parents’ attitudes towards food beyond its nutritional purposes.  In order to help fight obesity starting at preschool levels, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued recommendations.  These include incorporating at least 15 minutes of physical activity per hour at day cares and preschools, limiting time watching television to 30 minutes, and promoting healthy sleep habits during the day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that, in the last 30 years, the proportion of children that are obese has more than doubled.  In fact, as of 2010, one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese, according to the CDC.  However, even the CDC data lacks information below the age of five.

According to the CDC, overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone water, or a mix of these factors. Obesity, on the other hand, is defined as having excess body fat. The CDC notes that overweight and obesity are the consequence of “caloric imbalance” (i.e., too few calories expended for the amount of calories eaten).

This new study begins to fill a gap in the existing data and research, hopefully improving this area of information and allowing it to be applied to combat the growing trend in obesity.  Obesity is now considered a disease, making reliable information critical in order to treat and cure the disease.