Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Adults, by Residence in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties in 12 States and the District of Columbia, 2017

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Adults, by Residence in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties in 12 States and the District of Columbia, 2017

In The Spotlight

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Reflects Multiple Factors  

Two recent papers offer the following insights into intake of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among specific groups:

• In 12 states and the District of Columbia, 26% of adults consumed one or more SSB per day. Intake was significantly higher in nonmetropolitan counties than in metropolitan counties.
• A second study with data from 12 states and the District of Columbia found that over 1 in 5 pregnant women and 1 in 4 nonpregnant women of reproductive age consumed SSBs at least once per day. Consumption varied depending on sociodemographic and behavioral factors.

Another study published in 2017 showed that in 2011–2014, over 6 in 10 US youths drank a SSB on a given day. Calories consumed from SSB on a given day increased with age.

Consuming sugary drinks frequently is associated with weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, nonalcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugars, and sugary drinks are a common source of added sugar in US diets.

The image above and other related images are available from State and Community Health Center.