Ecological research from the USA has demonstrated a positive relationship between sugars consumption and prevalence of obesity; however, the relationship in other nations is not well described. The aim of this study was to analyze the trends in obesity and sugar consumption in Australia over the past 30 years and to compare and contrast obesity trends and sugar consumption patterns in Australia with the UK and USA. Data on consumption of sugar in Australia, the UK and USA were obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization for the years 1980–2003. The prevalence of obesity has increased 3 fold in Australians since 1980. In Australia, the UK and USA, per capita consumption of refined sucrose decreased by 23%, 10% and 20% respectively from 1980 to 2003. When all sources of nutritive sweeteners, including high fructose corn syrups, were considered, per capita consumption decreased in Australia (？16%) and the UK (？5%), but increased in the USA (+23%). In Australia, there was a reduction in sales of nutritively sweetened beverages by 64 million liters from 2002 to 2006 and a reduction in percentage of children consuming sugar-sweetened beverages between 1995 and 2007. The findings confirm an “Australian Paradox”—a substantial decline in refined sugars intake over the same timeframe that obesity has increased. The implication is that efforts to reduce sugar intake may reduce consumption but may not reduce the prevalence of obesity.
References
[1]
World Health Organization. Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2004.
[2]
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: The Evidence Report; NHLBI: Bethesda, MD, USA, 1998.
[3]
World Health Organization. Consultation on Obesity; WHO: Geneva, Switzerland, 1999.
[4]
Australian Bureau of Statistics. 4364.0-National Health Survey: Summary of Results,2007-2008; ABS: Canberra, Australia, 2009.
[5]
Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Preventative Health National Research Flagship, the University of South Australia. 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey-Main Findings; CSIRO: Clayton South, Australia, 2008.
[6]
Access Economics. The Growing Cost of Obesity in 2008: Three Years on; Diabetes Australia: Canberra, Australia, 2010.
[7]
Gross, L.S.; Li, L.; Ford, E.S.; Liu, S. Increased consumption of refined carbohydrates and the epidemic of type 2 diabetes in the United States: An ecologic assessment. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2004, 79, 774–779. 15113714
[8]
Malik, V.S.; Schulze, M.B.; Hu, F.B. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: A systematic review. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2006, 84, 274–288. 16895873
[9]
World Health Organization, United Nations. 2009. Available online: http://www.who.int/en/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[10]
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Commonwealth of Australia. 2009. Available online: http://www.abs.gov.au/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[11]
Australian Food and Grocery Council. 2009. Available online: http://www.afgc.org.au/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[12]
Australian Retailers Association. 2009. Available online: http://www.retail.org.au/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[13]
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Commonweath of Australia. 2009. Available online: http://www.csiro.au/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[14]
Australian Government, Commonweath of Australia. 2009. Available online: http://australia.gov.au/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[15]
Australian Beverages Council Ltd. 2009. Available online: http://www.australianbeverages.org/home.html (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[16]
CSR Ltd. 2009. Available online: http://www.csr.com.au (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[17]
Wesfarmers Coles Supermarkets. 2009. Available online: http://www.coles.com.au/ (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[18]
Woolworths Ltd. 2009. Available online: http://www.woolworthslimited.com.au (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[19]
Cook, P.; Rutishauser, I.H.E.; Allsopp, R. The Bridging Study-Comparing Results from the 1983,1985 and 1995 Australian National Nutrition Surveys; Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care: Canberra, Australia, 2001.
[20]
McLennan, W.; Podger, A. National Nutrition Survey Nutrient Intakes and Physical Measurements, Australia, 1995; Catalouge No. 4805.0; Australian Bureau of Statistics: Canberra, Australia, 1998.
[21]
Cameron, A.J.; Welborn, T.A.; Zimmet, P.Z.; Dunstan, D.W.; Owen, N.; Salmon, J.; Dalton, M.; Jolley, D.; Shaw, J.E. Overweight and obesity in Australia: The 1999-2000 Australian diabetes, obesity and lifestyle study (AusDiab). Med. J. Aust. 2003, 178, 427–432. 12720507
[22]
Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey 2004-05; Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra, Australia, 2006.
[23]
The Health and Social Care Information Centre, UK. Health Survey for England 2007, Latest Trends, 2008. 2008. Available online: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/HSE07/Health%20Survey%20for%20England%202007%20Latest%20Trends.pdf (accessed on 1 September 2009).
[24]
National Centre for Health Statistics. Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) Public-Use Data Files. 2004. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/elec_prods/subject/nhanes3.htm (accessed on 20 April 2006).
[25]
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Food consumption quantities. 2009. Available online: http://faostat.fao.org/site/368/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=368#ancor (accessed on 11 August 2009).
[26]
Cobiac, L.; Mortensen, A.; Baghurst, K. The Role of Beverages in the Diet of Australian Children; Australian Beverages Council Ltd.: Rosebery, Australia, 2010.
[27]
Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of population and housing. 2009. Available online: http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/Census (accessed on 11 August 2009).
[28]
Levy, G. Food Logic. 2009. Available online: http://www.foodlogic.com.au/ (accessed on 14 August 2009).
[29]
AC Nielsen ScanTrack. 2009. Available online: http://au.nielsen.com/products/crs_scantrack.shtml (accessed on 14 August 2009).
[30]
Levy, G.; Tapsell, L. Shifts in purchasing patterns of non-alcoholic, water-based beverages in Australia, 1997-200. Nutr. Diet. 2007, 64, 268–279, doi:10.1111/j.1747-0080.2007.00223.x.
[31]
National Health and Medical Research Council. Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra, Australia, 2003.
[32]
Silventoinen, K.; Sans, S.; Tolonen, H.; Monterde, D.; Kuulasmaa, K.; Kesteloot, H.; Tuomilehto, J. Trends in obesity and energy supply in the WHO MONICA Project. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 2004, 28, 710–718, doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802614. 15007395
[33]
Gibney, M.; Sigman-Grant, M.; Stanton, J.L., Jr.; Keast, D.R. Consumption of sugars. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1995, 62, 178S–193S. 7598076
[34]
Hill, J.O.; Prentice, A.M. Sugar and body weight regulation. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1995, 62, 264S–273S. 7598083
[35]
Cobiac, L. Sugars in the Australian diet: Results from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey. Nutr. Diet. 2003, 60, 152–173.
[36]
Bell, A.C. Contribution of “noncore” foods and beverages to the energy intake and weight status of Australian children. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 2005, 59, 639–645, doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602091. 15714218
[37]
Forshee, R.A.; Anderson, P.A.; Storey, M.L. Sugar-sweetened beverages and body mass index in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2008, 87, 1662–1671. 18541554
[38]
Gibson, S. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and obesity: A systematic review of the evidence from observational studies and interventions. Nutr. Res. Rev. 2008, 21, 134–147, doi:10.1017/S0954422408110976. 19087367
[39]
Wolff, E.; Dansinger, M.L. Soft drinks and weight gain: How strong is the link? Medscape J. Med. 2008, 10, 189. 18924641
[40]
Livesey, G.; Taylor, R. Fructose consumption and consequences for glycation, plasma triacylglycerol, and body weight: Meta-analyses and meta-regression models of intervention studie. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2008, 88, 1419–1437. 18996880
[41]
Vermunt, S.H.; Pasman, W.J.; Schaafsma, G.; Kardinaal, A.F. Effects of sugar intake on body weight: A review. Obes. Rev. 2003, 4, 91–99, doi:10.1046/j.1467-789X.2003.00102.x. 12760444
[42]
Baghurst, K.I.; Record, S.J.; Syrette, J.A.; Crawford, D.A.; Baghurst, P.A. Intakes and sources of a range of dietary sugars in various Australian populations. Med. J. Aust. 1989, 151, 512–518. 2811724
[43]
Sasaki, S.; Kesteloot, H. Value of food and agriculture organization data on food-balance sheets as a data source for dietary fat intake in epidemiologic studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1992, 56, 716–723. 1414973
[44]
Johnson, R.K.; Appel, L.J.; Brands, M.; Howard, B.V.; Lefevre, M.; Lustig, R.H.; Sacks, F.; Steffen, L.M.; Wylie-Rosett, J. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2009, 120, 1011–1020, doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192627. 19704096
[45]
Baghurst, K.I. Demographic and nutritional profiles of people consuming varying levels of added sugars. Nutr. Res. 1992, 12, 1455–1465, doi:10.1016/S0271-5317(05)80187-3.
