Sugary drinks and obesity
According to the ICCR, the suppression of sugary drinks, such as soft drinks, fruit juices and nectars could help fight against abdominal obesity, as well as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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We all know bad dietary habits contribute to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Fast food, fatty, salty and sugary foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle are all recognised risk factors for these disorders.
And now, a team of cardiovascular specialists, the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk (ICCR), is pointing the finger at sugary drinks.
Obesity and sugary drinks on the rise…
A number of studies presented by the ICCR highlight the ‘non-negligible’ role that excessive and repeated consumption of sugary drinks play in the development of obesity and overweight, arguing that the evolution of the these problems follows the increase in the consumption of sugary drinks over the last few years.
The ICCR informs us that consumption of these drinks has increased from 39 litres per year in 1990 to 58 litres per year in 2007, with the increase in overweight young people has jumped from 3% in the 1960’s to 14.5% in 2007.
Preventing obesity through water…
This ICCR also talks about a possible link between the consumption of sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease. A number of epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown that the risk for diabetes is higher in people who consume sugary drinks (1-2 per day), in relation to those who don’t drink any at all. Exactly how this correlation between sugary drinks and diabetes works remains to be discovered.
However, what is well known is the lack of caloric compensation related to the absorption of sugary liquid. The ICCR explains that, “The consumption of sugary drinks provides an extra load of calories, which is not compensated for in the same way as the ingestion of a high calorie solid food.This incomplete compensation is the cause of weight gain."
To avoid giving the body calorie intake that it can’t convert or get rid of, the best is to drink water. Giving water to children to quench thirst and during meals, while reserving sweetened drinks for special occasions, is the most efficient preventive weapon.
"It’s important to factor in the consumption of sugary drinks – in the same way as physical activity, energy balance and the quality of fatty acids – in the prevention of obesity and cardiovascular disease,” concludes the ICCR.
For more information on the studies and other related health issues, visit the ICCR website: my healthy waist
Copyright © 2011 Doctissimo
Posted 26.08.2011
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