Links between drinking soft drinks, fruit juice, and milk and body weight in public school students in Niterói, Brazil

In a study of 1,423 students aged 9 to 16, soft drinks and juices contributed 20% of mean daily energy intake.

• A positive association was found between soft drink intake and age (p = 0.05).
• A negative association was observed between milk intake and age (p = 0.004).
• Frequent fruit juice intake was significantly associated with higher BMI in girls (beta = 0.02; p = 0.03).
• No significant associations were detected between BMI and frequent consumption of other beverages for either gender.
• Reducing energy intake from beverages should focus on both soft drinks and fruit juice.

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