Tracey Halliday, communications director for the American Beverage Association, told BeverageDaily.com that soft drink makers in the country, and globally, consider obesity as a serious challenge to overcome.

The comments follow the publication of new findings suggesting that caloric intake within the country from sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices has risen in some age groups by as much as 20 per cent over a ten-year period.

The findings suggested that during weekdays 7 to 15 per cent of sugar sweetened beverage consumption occurred at school, while 55 to 70 per cent of the same products were being drunk at home. The findings could lead to a sea-change in the current school-based focus of the industry and health groups to cut sugary soft drink consumption.

Calorie intake

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, conducted by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, found that on per-capita basis, the calorie contribution from soft drinks was up to 270 kcal/day between 1999-2004, from 242 kcal/day between 1988 and 1994.

The study was partly founded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an organisation that claims to encourage healthier dieting amongst Americans.

In terms of specific beverages, calorie presence within sugar-sweetened beverages, specifically in carbonated soda drinks, increased by 20 kcal from between 1988 - 1994 to 224 kcal/day in the 1999 - 2004 period, according to the findings.

Over the same period, caloric intake from 100 per cent fruit-derived juices rose by 10 kcal to 48 kcal/day, the study said.

On the back of the findings, researchers said that children and adolescents were now receiving 10 to 15 per cent of total calories from sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juices, as consumption of these drinks rose in all age groups.

Of those survey groups tested, no change occurred in capita-consumption among white adolescents, though the study found 'significant' increases in black and Mexican-American youths.

Researchers said that the study showed that children were being exposed to soft drinks not just in the school, but from a much wider area base, therefore requiring a possible new focus on restriction from the industry, retailers and regulators.

"Schools are a limited source for sugar-sweetened beverages, suggesting that initiatives to restrict sugar-sweetened beverage sales in schools may have an only marginal impact on overall consumption," the report concluded.

"Pediatricians' awareness of these trends is critical for helping children and parents target suboptimal dietary patterns that may contribute to excess calories and obesity."

School benefits

However, the ABA claims that its work in schools provides a unique environment to focus on combating the obesity threat.

To this end, in the US alone, Halliday says that the association in 2006 began working with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to create guidelines for promoting and selling soft drinks in schools.

"These guidelines remove full-calorie soft drinks from all schools and provide more lower-calorie, nutritious beverages in smaller portion sizes," she said. "It's all part of a broader effort to teach children about the importance of a balanced diet and exercise."

In addition, the ABA said that all of its products, when consumed in moderation along with regular physical activity could be part of a healthy, balanced diet,

"Our industry provides consumers with a broad array of beverage options - 100 percent juice, juice drinks, bottled water, water beverages, sports drinks, energy drinks, soft drinks and diet soft drinks to name a few," Halliday said.

"What is important for consumers is to balance the calories they consume with those they expend - that is the key to maintaining a healthy weight."

To this end of encouraging healthy consumption, the association said that its school guidelines were also committed to educating children and adolescents on balancing calorie consumption with physical activity.

World focus

The ABA says that its own initiatives reflect the work of its members globally, with those of the soft drink agencies worldwide trade association, of which it is a member.

Just last month, the International Council of Beverages Associations (ICBA) said that it was following the lead of its European members in terms of restricting marketing of soft drinks to young people.

The policy, first adopted in 2006 by the Union of European Beverages Associations (UNESDA), aims to ensure that soft drinks that are not purely fruit juice or water products must not be advertised in publications, TV shows or channels aimed predominantly at children under twelve.

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have both adopted the scheme globally throughout their operations.

Methodology

Researchers said that the children and adolescents studied were sourced from two nationally representative population studies, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III, 1988-1994) and the NHANES 1999-2004.

They studies were based on a multistage, clustered, probability sampling testing strategy to be more representative of the US civilian population as a whole. From 1999 onwards, the researchers said that the NHANES began collecting data every year. All readings were used in the study, according top the researchers.

Children and adolescents were included with a completed 24-dietary recall, those who were then found to have provided incomplete or unreliable dietary recall status were then excluded form the study.

Source: Pediatrics

Volume 121, Issue 6, Pages e1604-e1614

" Increasing Caloric Contribution From Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and 100% Fruit Juices Among US Children and Adolescents, 1988-2004"

Authors: Y. Claire Wang, Sara N. Bleich, and Steven L. Gortmaker