Effect of sugars‐containing beverages on satiety and short‐term food intake in normal weight and overweight/obese boys

The effect of commercial beverages on satiety and short‐term food intake has received little investigation in children. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of commonly consumed sugars‐containing beverages on food intake regulation in normal weight (15–85 th BMI percentile) and overweight/obese (>85 th BMI percentile) boys. On 4 separate mornings and in random order, boys (n=18) received 350 ml of either a fruit drink, cola, chocolate milk (1%) or a water control 2 h after a standardized breakfast of milk, cereal, and orange juice. Food intake (FI) (mean kcal ± SEM) from an ad libitum pizza meal was measured 60 min later. Chocolate milk (830 ± 48) and cola (891± 58) suppressed FI compared with the water control (1044 ± 48) (p < 0.05), however, the fruit drink failed to result in a statistically significant decrease in FI (961 ± 58). Caloric compensation (CC) scores for the fruit drink, cola, and chocolate milk were 54%, 95%, and 95%, respectively. CC was inversely associated with fat‐mass (kg) after all caloric treatments (range: −0.47 to −0.54; p < 0.05). In conclusion, sugars‐containing beverages stimulate intake regulatory systems and suppress FI, and the inclusion of flavoured milk in meal plans, due to its nutrient‐rich and favourable satiating characteristics, may be an effective strategy promoting healthier body weights in children. Grant Funding Source: MSVU New Investigator Award.