A Trial of Sugar-free or Sugar-Sweetened
Beverages and Body Weight in Children
The New England Journal of Medicine
Volume 35, Pages 1397-1406
Anquanette T. Sterling
28 February 2016 ABSTRACT
This paper illustrates how the consumption of sugary beverages lead to obesity and weight gain in children. An 18-month experiment was conducted utilizing 641 normal sized and normal weighted school-aged children ranging from ages four to eleven. At random, participants were given 250 ml of a sugar-free beverage every day, and others where given a beverage that contained 26 grams of sugar. All beverages were issued via the school system. At the conclusion of the experiment, only 477 children completed the study, and the results revealed that the
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After a two year study, with 477 students, amongst eight various elementary schools in Amsterdam, results indicated the exchange of a sugar containing beverage with a sugar-free beverage significantly reduced weight gain and body fat gain in healthy children.
The references included in the journal article encompassed the years of 1980 to 2012. Each are pertinent to the study regarding previous observations and studies of artificial sweeteners. However, some of these references hypothesized how artificial sweeteners were associated with weight gain, vice weight loss, as proposed in the study by Ruyter et al. (2012).
Is there evidence of bias? I do not believe the research is bias. Particularly since the research study was a double-blind case study. It enforced impartiality, and diminished the possibility of statistical bias.
DESIGN AND
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It is estimated that children in the United States ingests three times as many calories from sugar-sweetened beverages as the amount provided in the research trial. It is hypothesized and recommended that the decreased consumption of such beverages could possibly reduce the amount of overweight and obese children.
MY ASSESSMENT Ruyter et al, assessed and conducted research that illustrates the importance of and the need to explore and continue research on childhood obesity. Although their research was limited to Amsterdam, the research is definitely relatable to the United States and how we can support and make minor changes that are beneficial to our children. However, prior to assuming that role, additional research should be conducted that corresponds the results to most nationalities, a wider range of ages, additional weight and height measurements, predisposed ailments, and maximum participation.
REFERNCES
Ruyter, J. C., Olthof, M. R., Seidell, J. C., & and Katan, M. B. (2012). A Trial of Sugar-free or Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Body Weight in Children. The New England Journal of Medicine,
. . . In this issue of the JCI [Journal of Clinical Investigation], Stanhope and colleagues demonstrate that consumption of fructose-sweetened but not glucose-sweetened beverages for 10 weeks increases de novo lipid synthesis, promotes dyslipidemia, impairs insulin sensitivity, and increases visceral adiposity in overweight or obese adults” (Abstract). Fructose sweetener is another way to say high fructose corn syrup. This study proved that fructose sweetened drinks caused harm to the body and signaled a starting point for diseases such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, insulin difficulties, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and ultimately coronary heart disease. Not only does high fructose cause stress on the body, but fructose can also cause serious
When the 1970s introduced High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), a cheap sweetener alternative to sucrose in a fructose-glucose liquid form (fifty five percent fructose, forty two percent glucose, and three percent saccharides), it brought extensive numbers of health problems with it (Bray, 2004 & Johnson, 2010 ). Prior to the 70’s, on average, sugar contributed to four percent of daily caloric intake, however over the past four and a half decades, this statistic has increased to whopping sixteen percent, leading some scientist to consider it an “addiction” as they observe the sugar substitute wreak havoc on humans’ bodies worldwide (Butler, 2011). Along with hooking those who indulge sweets to it, High Fructose Corn Syrup also leads to obesity:
Did you know that Americans spent $76 billion dollars on soda or energy drinks in 2013? Teens today consume too much sugar from sugary drinks. The youth today are more unhealthy than previous generations and need to reduce their sugar. The article,”Soda Showdown”, written by Rebecca Zissou, presents two perspectives about taxing sugary drinks. One perspective is that there should be a tax on sugary drinks.
Taxing Sugar Sweetened Beverages and the Resulting Effects on Obesity Margot Sanger-Katz’s article “Yes, Soda Taxes Seem to Cut Soda Drinking” in The New York Times is an interesting, albeit brief, cross-examination of different research on the effects that the implementation of taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has on obesity and weight gain in the population. It provides brief examples assimilated together in an attempt to discuss a highly important current public health event that unfortunately comes across as a sloppy journalistic interpretation of significant scientific progress in the public health field. Though poorly executed, this article does start an important conversation: should public health policies exist that limit access to certain foods, especially if one of public health’s biggest issues is the lack of access to certain nutritious foods for low-income areas? Furthermore, does this “soda tax” actually decrease the amount of soda consumption? Although it appears that the author has missed the point, Sanger-Katz provides a link to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that actually answers both of these questions magnificently and insists that though thirty-three
Dr. Lustig’s main focus throughout the presentation was the effects of fructose on the epidemic of obesity. He explains how we as a society place so much stress on fat intake and calories in versus calories out that we tend to neglect what is actually in our food. With much research, it has been determined that fructose does, in turn have an effect on the obesity epidemic. Throughout the lecture, many examples from this research show our biochemical response to our modern diets and are used to explain Dr. Lustig’s point of fructose poisoning.
Lustig (2012) explains and suggests the following: Authorities consider sugar as ‘empty calories’ but there is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases… they [Government] must consider limiting fructose and its main delivery vehicles, the added sugars HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) and sucrose, which pose dangers to individuals and to society as a whole. (p.28) Another process that occurs in the body is that, “sugar dampens the suppression of the hormone ghrelin, which signals hunger to the brain…interferes with the normal transport and signaling of the hormone leptin, which helps to produce the feeling of satiety…and it reduces dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward center” (Lustig, 2012, p. 28). Though these are only a few examples and there are many more such as sugar feeding cancer cells, it should give you a basic understanding of just how bad sugar is for the
It is believed that many of the soft drink companies are the main reason for the rise of obesity in America. As stated in the article Coca-Cola and the fight against the global obesity epidemic, “The soft drink industry as a whole, and Coke in particular, has received harsh criticism for contributing to the global obesity epidemic. ”(Gertner 15).This suggests that as soft drinks and other processed foods are becoming more popular it is heavily contributing to the recent rise in people becoming overweight. Before fast food and soft drinks were popular, less people were obese which leads to the speculation that it is a cause for the problem. On the other hand there are studies that reveal that dietary factors don’t always affect a person’s weight.
Although high fructose corn syrup may be a contributor to obesity, it is not the main cause. H.F.C.S. may not be the culprit, overeating is one of the most crucial factors of obesity. Most Americans eat portions that are beyond healthy. Studies show that over the last twenty years, food portions in American’s restaurants have doubled or even tripled. This distorted the amount of food people think is healthy for them at home and when eating out.
Year 10 Health Assignment Introduction There is an obesity epidemic in Australia affecting over half our population. Obesity or being overweight can have a serious impact on peoples physical and mental health. Obesity comes with plenty of risk factors which can affect a person's health. This epidemic is having an impact on children, they are more prone to obesity affecting their health due to outside influences.
Childhood to adolescent obesity in America is becoming an over-whelming issue. Most schools have decided that physical education isn’t critical due to budget cuts and the increased pressure to excel in standardized tests. One out of three children in the U.S. is over-weight or obese according to the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. I believe that childhood obesity is the result of lack of exercise and poor diet due to a fast-paced lifestyle. Junk food is attractive for many reasons including price, taste, and convenience.
Good evening, representatives from the health administration, esteemed doctors and many other health organisations. Today I will be revealing to you the single most pressing matter that has slipped under our radars for far too long. I am of course talking about the sugar beverages that I see being constantly in the hands of everyone I see whether it be in the hall while people are having their break or even crossing the street. And while it seems harmless with its small size and innocent packaging, these drinks are the leading cause of Australia's obesity rates increasing, which are only set to grow worse. It seems despite our combined efforts this health is continuing.
Added Sugar Article Reflection In the article from USA Today “Eating too much added sugar may be killing you,” Nanci Hellmich reports that people who consume too much added sugar are at higher risk of death from heart disease than normal people. Hellmich says that too much added sugar affects your body in negative ways and leads to heart disease and death. She supports her claim by stating how many calories from added sugar the American Heart Association recommends getting from added sugars each day, then reveals how many calories from added sugar one regular soda contains, then shows many different statistics about people consuming lots of added sugar having higher-than-normal death rates from heart disease.
These health risks are becoming more relevant in recent years as The Childhood Obesity Epidemic becomes greater and more children are being affected by obesity, this can be clearly comprehended by the studies and surveys taken on children in the USA - the number one country for obesity- and New Zealand - the third ranking country for obesity. Studies show, 1/3 young people in USA are overweight or obese as the percentage of obese children 6-11 years old increased from 7% in 1980 to 18% in 2012 while obese 12-19 year olds increased from 5% to 21% over the same
Some studies support that children aged 6 – 12 years old can be positively affected from obesity prevention programs at school. However, environmental factors like economic, physical, political and sociocultural may influence negatively the results of the preventing programs. Obesity however, could be related with cultural environmental factors. For example, Mexican children consume increased amounts of sweetened beverages and decreased amounts of natural and healthy foods. In western societies children most of the time are watching TV and they are traveling by car, which means that they are performing less physical
Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, which include soft drinks, fruit drinks, ice tea, energy and vitamin water drinks across the globe. Regular consumption of sugary sweetened beverages have been associated with weight gain, obesity and diabetes. The role of sugary sweetened beverages in the development of related chronic metabole diseases such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, has not been quantitatively reviewed . How is consuming sugary beverages harmful to the body ?