Children who consume most of their sugar from milk or fruit rather than cakes or sweets are less likely to be overweight or obese, researchers report.
Academics from the University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands investigated whether the source of sugar, not just the quantity, affects weight gain.
The team analyzed data from GEKCO Drenthe, an ongoing study of children born in Drenthe between 2006 and 2007.
The study used answers to a food intake questionnaire completed by the parents of 891 children when they were three years old, to calculate their daily sugar intake.
The nurses took the children's heights and weights to calculate a body mass index (BMI) z-score, which is used to measure the number of standard deviations a child's BMI is above or below the average for his or her age and sex.
The group's average total daily sugar intake was 112g. About 102 children, who had a normal weight at the age of three, were overweight or obese when they reached the age of 10 or 11 years.
The researchers found that sugar intake at age three was not associated with weight gain, but eating higher amounts of sugar from snacks such as cakes or sweets led to a higher BMI as the child got older.
The findings, which were presented at the European Obesity Congress (ECO) in Venice, Italy, held May 12-15, indicate that the source of sugar is more important than the amount of sugar when it comes to the development of obesity in children.
A higher intake of sugar from fruit or unsweetened dairy products, such as milk, was associated with lower weight and a lower BMI.
Children who consumed the highest amount of these products at the age of three were 67% less likely to be obese or overweight at the age of 10 or 11 years compared to those who consumed the least amount of them.
Junyang Zhou, from the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Groningen, said: “High consumption of sugary foods is a risk factor for overweight and obesity in children, so children are advised to consume smaller amounts of foods rich in sugar, such as sweets, cakes, and sugar-sweetened drinks, and eat more fruits and dairy products.” Unsweetened fruits, such as milk and yogurt, but although unsweetened fruits and dairy products are healthy, they contain high amounts of endogenous sugars, sugar that is naturally present in food, rather than added.
He continued: “We wanted to know whether the source of sugar, added or endogenous, as well as the amount, affects the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese. Although this has been studied before, the results are inconsistent and there is a lack of high-quality research.” about this subject".
Zhou suggested that the findings mean that "children should be encouraged to eat fruit and milk instead of sweetened milk, yogurt, sweets, cakes and other foods high in added sugar."
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