Trends in Beverage Consumption Among High School Students — United States, 2007–2015

Abstract

Milk and 100% fruit juice are a source of water and provide key nutrients such as calcium and vitamin C (1). Other beverages, referred to as sugar drinks or sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), also are a source of water but have poor nutritional value. SSBs are the largest source of added sugars in the diet of U.S. youths, and the increased caloric intake resulting from these beverages is one factor contributing to the prevalence of obesity among adolescents in the United States (2,3). To determine the extent to which U.S. adolescents consume different types of beverages and variations in consumption by sex and race/ethnicity, CDC analyzed data from the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (NYPANS). NYPANS included a school-based survey conducted by CDC that measured physical activity and dietary behaviors among a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9--12. This analysis indicated that, although water, milk, and 100% fruit juice were the beverages consumed most commonly during the 7 days before the survey, 24.3% of high school students drank a serving (e.g., can, bottle, or glass) of regular soda or pop, 16.1% drank a serving of a sports drink, and 16.9% drank a serving of another SSB one or more times per day during the same period. For all SSBs, male students were more likely than female students, and black students were more likely than white students and Hispanic students to report drinking these beverages one or more times per day. Families, schools, and youth-oriented institutions should limit SSBs among all adolescents while ensuring their access to more healthful beverages. Targeted efforts are especially needed to reduce consumption of SSBs among male and black adolescents.