Beverage consumption bigger factor in weight loss: Study

“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 six-month study,” lead researcher Benjamin Caballero of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said.

In their study,the researchers analysed data of 810 adults,aged 25-79 years old,who participated in an 18-month randomised and controlled experiment.

They measured participants’ weight and height using a calibrated scale and a wall-mounted stadiometre at both 6 and 18 months. Dietary intake was measured by conducting 24-hour dietary recall interviews by telephone.

And,the researchers divided beverages into several categories based on calorie content and nutritional contents for the study.

For example,composition sugar-sweetened beverages (regular soft drinks,fruit drinks,fruit punch,or high- calorie beverages sweetened with sugar),diet drinks (diet soda and other “diet” drinks sweetened with artificial sweeteners) and milk.