Sugar-rich drinks link to body weight

For every can of sugar-sweetened drink (SSDs) a child consumes per day, the increase in body weight is in the order of 1kg compared to children who abstain, research has found.

The Cork Children’s Lifestyle Study found that consumers of SSDs were “significantly more likely” to be overweight or obese compared to non-consumers. It also found that an increase in consumption of one additional soft drink can per day (330ml) is associated with an average increase in body weight of 1kg (2.2lb).

The findings have prompted the researchers to call for a 20% sugar tax on SSDs.