Sweets and sugar-sweetened soft drink intake in childhood in relation to adult BMI and overweight. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the associations of BMI and overweight in adulthood with consumption of sweets and sugar-sweetened soft drinks in childhood and with the change in consumption between childhood and adulthood.


METHODS
Longitudinal 21-year follow-up study of Finnish children and adolescents from childhood to adulthood.


METHODS
The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study, comprising participants from both eastern and western Finland.


METHODS
Boys (n 967) and girls (n 1172) aged 3-18 years at baseline in 1980.


RESULTS
The increase in consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks from childhood to adulthood was directly associated with BMI in adulthood in women (b = 0.45, P = 0.0001) but not in men. In women, BMI increased by 0.45 kg/m2 for every 10-unit increase per month. Consumption of sweets and sugar-sweetened soft drinks in childhood and adolescence was not associated with BMI in adulthood. The change in consumption of sweets was not associated with BMI in adulthood. The increase in the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks from childhood to adulthood was associated with being overweight (OR = 1.90, 95 % CI 1.38, 2.61) in women, but not in men. No association was found between overweight (BMI >or= 25 kg/m2) in adulthood and consumption of sweets in childhood or the change in consumption from childhood to adulthood.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that direct associations exist between adulthood overweight and BMI and an increase in consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks in women. Thus sugar-sweetened soft drinks consumption may be important when considering weight management in women.
Nissinen
Katja
K
Nutrition Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, PO Box 30, FIN-00271 Helsinki, Finland. Katja.Nissinen@thl.fi
Mikkilä
Vera
V
Männistö
Satu
S
Lahti-Koski
Marjaana
M
Räsänen
Leena
L
Viikari
Jorma
J
Raitakari
Olli T
OT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards; D004034:Diet Surveys; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000209:etiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D019422:Dietary Sucrose