Objectives: This study examines the prospective association between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption and change in body weight over a 4-5-year period in a socio-economically disadvantaged South African population.
Methods: This is a longitudinal study involving 800 adults (212 men, 588 women); 247 from the original METS (Modelling the Epidemiological Transition Study) cohort (N = 504) and 553 of the original 949 members of the PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology) Study. Both cohorts were drawn from low-income, socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Mean follow-up duration and age were 4.5 (SD 0.45) and 50.0 (SD 11.8) years, respectively. Harmonised measurements included body mass index, self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and intake of meat, snacks and 'take-aways', fruits and vegetables and SSB (in servings/week). Multivariate logistic regression models were developed to determine the extent to which SSB consumption predicted relative weight gain, after controlling for potential confounders and known predictors.
Results: Nearly a third (29%) of participants had a relative weight change ≥5.0%; higher in the non-obese compared to the obese group (32% vs. 25%; p = 0.026). The average SSB consumption was 9.9 servings/week and was higher in the food insecure compared to the food secure group (11.5 vs. 9.0 servings/week; p = 0.006); but there were no differences between women and men (10.3 vs. 9.1 servings/week; p = 0.054). Mean SSB consumption was higher in the group who gained ≥5% weight compared to those who did not (11.0 vs. 8.7; p = 0.004). After adjustment, SSB consumption of 10 or more servings/week was associated with a 50% greater odds of gaining at least 5% body weight (AOR: 1.50, 95% CI (1.05-2.18)).
Conclusion: These results show that higher intake of SSB predicts weight gain in a sample of South Africans drawn from low-income settings. Comprehensive, population-wide interventions are needed to reduce SSB consumption in these settings.