Sugar drink consumption varies with gender, age, race or ethnic group, and family income
THURSDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately one-half of the U.S. population consumes sugar drinks on a given day with consumption varying with age, gender, racial group, and family income, according to a report published online Aug. 31 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Cynthia L. Ogden, Ph.D., M.R.P., from the CDC's NCHS in Hyattsville, Md., and colleagues used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate sugar-drink consumption by the U.S. population between 2005 and 2008. The results were presented by age, gender, race and ethnicity, income, and where these drinks were consumed and purchased.
The investigators reported that, on any given day, approximately 50 percent of the U.S. population consumes sugar drinks, with males consuming more than females. Sugar-drink consumption varies from no sugar drink on a given day to 567 kcal of sugar drinks, with 25 percent of the U.S. population consuming some sugar drinks, but less than 200 kcal. Teenagers and young adults consumed more sugar drinks than other age groups; Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic black adults consumed more sugar drinks than non-Hispanic white adults; non-Hispanic blacks consumed more sugar drinks in relation to their overall diet than their Mexican-American counterparts; and low-income individuals consumed more sugar drinks in relation to their overall diet than high-income individuals. More than one-half of the calories from sugar drinks were consumed at home; most sugar drinks consumed at or away from home were purchased from stores.
"Sugar-drink consumption differs by sex, age, race and ethnicity, and income," the authors write.
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