Dietary Patterns and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption among Adolescents and Adults

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major source of empty calories and among the top sources of energy intake in the diets of U.S. adolescents and adults. While consumption of added sugars and SSBs may be decreasing, intakes remain high. Rather than solely focusing on specific foods/nutrients, dietary patterns are useful to evaluate overall diet quality and health outcomes for individuals and populations. SSBs are frequently included as part of a Western dietary pattern, which is related to obesity and poor health outcomes. Additionally, on their own, SSB consumption is associated with obesity, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This paper reviews the recent literature on dietary patterns and SSB consumption as well as SSBs and health. Reducing the intake of SSBs is a public health priority; new research shows promising results when changes are made in the food environment, including schools and workplaces. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York.