Note from Connie: Excuse my extreme skepticism at the results of a new study, which claims that sugary drinks don’t make you fat. Here’s more info from my capable researcher Karen James.
A recent study by researchers in Great Britain suggests there is no link between the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages by children ages five to seven and obesity at age nine, foodnavigator.com, a food and beverage trade publication, reported.
The study appeared in the journal Nutrition and challenges previous findings, including those of the World Health Organization that implicate soft drinks as contributing to the obesity epidemic, according to the story.
Using data from a sub-sample of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), researchers did find, however, that heavier children tended to drink more low-energy beverages than their slimmer peers. They speculated it may have been the result of parents attempting to control their children’s weight.
Obviously these findings go against the preponderance of prior research linking sugary drinks to obesity, some of which Connie talks about in SUGAR SHOCK!
So just for kicks I thought I’d take a look at where funding for the ALSPAC came from. I can’t say I was surprised to see that Coca Cola UK and Nestlé were both listed among about 80 contributors to the study who made either monetary or in kind donations.
It would certainly be interesting to find out just how much money or product these two corporations provided to the ALSPAC.
By Karen James for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog