April 22/Biotech Law Weekly -- When it comes to weight loss, beverage consumption may be more important than food consumption, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers examined the relationship between beverage consumption among adults and weight change and found that weight loss was positively associated with a reduction in liquid calorie consumption, and liquid calorie intake had a stronger impact on weight than solid calorie intake. The results are published in the April 1, 2009, issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"Both liquid and solid calories were associated with weight change; however, only a reduction in liquid calorie intake was shown to significantly affect weight loss during the 6-month follow up," said Benjamin Caballero MD, PhD, senior author of the study and a professor with the Bloomberg School's Department of International Health. "A reduction in liquid calorie intake was associated with a weight loss of 0.25kg at six months and 0.24kg at 18 months. Among sugar-sweetened beverages, a reduction of one serving was associated with a weight loss of 0.5kg at six months and 0.7kg at 18 months. Of the seven types of beverages examined, sugar-sweetened beverages were the only beverages significantly associated with weight change."