A study, published in Obesity, examines consumption of sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages by U.S. children and adults between 2003 and 2014.
Researchers analyzed data for 18,600 children, between the ages of 2 and 19, and 27,652 adults, aged 20 years or older, which was gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2014. They asked study participants about their consumption of seven different beverage types in the previous 24 hours — other sugar-sweetened beverages, 100 percent juice, diet beverages, milk (including flavored milk), unsweetened coffee or tea, alcohol and water.
The study shows that overall consumption of beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages dropped for children and adults during the study period. In 2013-2014, 60.7 percent of children and 50.0 percent of adults reported drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, as compared to 79.7 percent of children and 61.5 percent of adults reporting the same in 2003-2004.
But, the study also shows that adolescents and young adults still consume more than the recommended added sugar limit, set by the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Additionally, sugar-sweetened beverages consumption by some racial and ethnic groups, including black, Mexican American and non-Mexican Hispanic adolescents, remains high.