School randomised trial on prevention of excessive weight gain by discouraging students from drinking sodas

Objective: To determine whether an educational programme aimed at discouraging students from drinking sugar-sweetened beverages could prevent excessive weight gain. Design: Forty-seven classes in twenty-two schools were randomised as intervention or control. Subjects: Participants were 1140, 9-12-year-old fourth graders (435 in the intervention group and 608 in the control group). sugar-sweetened beverages and juice intake were measured through one 24 h recall at baseline and ,mother at the end of the trial. The main outcome was the change in BMI (BMI = weight (kg)/height (m(2))), measured at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed taking into account the cluster (classes) effect. Result: A statistically significant decrease in the daily consumption of carbonated drinks in the intervention compared to control (mean difference = - 56 ml; 95% CI -119, -7ml) was followed by a non-significant overall reduction in BMI, P = 0.33. However, among those Students overweight at baseline, the intervention group showed greater BMI reduction (-0.4 kg/m(2) compared with -0.2 kg/m(2) in the control group (P = 0.11)), and this difference was statistically significant among girls (P = 0.009). Fruit juice consumption was slightly increased in the intervention group (P = 0.08), but not among girls. Conclusion: Decreasing sugar-sweetened beverages intake significantly reduced BMI among overweight children, and mainly among girls. Efforts to reduce energy intake through liquids need to emphasise overall sweetened bevel-ages and addition Of Sugar on juices.