[Fluid intake and overweight risk in children]

Abstract

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity in children is growing. A number of eating patterns have been associated with different risks of overweight. Sugar sweetened beverages have received considerable attention as potential sources of energy in liquid form that could be responsible for body weight gain.

Objective: Evaluate the association between fluid intake and overweight in schoolchildren.

Material and methods: The final sample of the study includes 1675 children schools between 5 and 10 years old, after excluding dietary misreporting and questionnaires with incomplete information. After parental written consent, children's height and weight were measured according to international standards, and body mass index was calculated. The definition of overweight was based on average centiles according to the International Obesity Task Force cutoffs. We administered a questionnaire to parents that included information about physical activity, dietary intake (food frequency questionnaire that included information on milk, vegetable soup, cola, ice-tea and other sugar-sweetened beverages) and socio-demographic information. Adjusted odds ratios were computed using logistic regression.

Results: We found a high prevalence of overweight (including obesity) being 36,6% for girls, and 38,8% for boys. In girls the probability of being overweight increased significantly for those having low consumption of vegetable soup (equal or lower tan the median) compared to those with high consumption (higher than the median), even after adjusting for confounders (OR = 0,68, CI 95% 0,48-0,96, p = 0,030). We didn't find any significant association between sugar sweetened beverages and milk intake with overweight in both genders.

Conclusion: In girls, high vegetable soup consumption significantly decreased the probability of being overweight, independently of other characteristics.