May 24, 2005
Pop Goes The Junk Science
As legislators in Connecticut consider a bill banning soda and snacks from schools, a new study has added to the growing body of evidence exonerating fizzy drinks from contributing to childhood obesity. Researchers from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Obesity Working Group and others examined data collected from more than 137,000 youth in 34 countries and found that soda was not associated with obesity in school-aged children. Despite this and a number of other studies (click here, here, and here) showing no link between soda and childhood obesity, groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) continue their witch hunt against soft drinks.
The researchers reported in this month's issue of Obesity Reviews:
[W]e observed no consistent patterns surrounding the associations between overweight with the intake of fruits, vegetables, and non-diet soft drinks. In fact, in 31 out of the 34 countries examined (91%) there was a significant negative relationship between intake of sweets and BMI classification such that with increasing sweets intake there was a decreased likelihood of overweight.
