Sugar, non-nutritive sweetener intake and obesity risk in college students

Figures & data

Table 1 General characteristics of participants (n = 524).

Variables	Total
Age (years)	20.1 ± 1.9
Height (cm)	166.7 ± 8.2
Weight (kg)	68.3 ± 18.2
BMI (kg/m2)	24.5 ± 5.8
Body fat percentage category†	26.5 ± 9.6
- Underfat	90 (17.2)
- Healthy	306 (58.4)
- Overfat/obese	128 (24.4)
Self-reported race
- Caucasian	420 (80.2)
- African American	104 (19.8)

† categorized using criteria of body fat ranges for standard adults specific for males and females¹⁷. Data are presented as mean ± SD and n (%).

Table 2 Dietary intake per day by body fat percentage category.

Variable		Body fat category†			F	p-value
	Total	Underfat	Healthy	Overfat/obese
Energy intake (kcal/day)	1587.1 (1101.9)	1525.4 (1146.1)	1574.1 (1023.8)	1648.1 (1254.2)	0.685	0.505
Carbohydrate (g/day)	189.6 (127.3)	193.5 (117.5)	183.8 (124.1)	199.7 (155.7)	2.497	0.083
Total sugar (g/day)**	88.8 (70.9)	84.2 (72.9)a	85.8 (63.1)a	104.1 (78.5)b	7.156	0.001
Added sugar (g/day)**	50.4 (51.6)	46.6 (44.7)a	47.6 (43.3)a	60.5 (70.3)b	7.742	0.000
Fructose (g/day)**	20.9 (23.1)	21.4 (23.3)a	18.7 (21.5)a	26.1 (33.8)b	8.243	0.000
Glucose (g/day)**	22.1 (19.8)	20.8 (21.9)a	20.1 (17.8)a	25.8 (27.8)b	9.249	0.000
Sucrose (g/day)*	30.5 (23.7)	27.3 (22.1)a	29.9 (21.1)a	34.0 (27.7)b	3.592	0.028
Aspartame (mg/day)	33.0 (90.1)	21.2 (49.9)	37.1 (86.5)	34.3 (93.7)	2.333	0.098
Saccharin (mg/day)*	25.4 (14.1)	19.8 (11.7)a	20.4 (9.3)a	41.6 (32.4)b	4.524	0.001
Acesulfame K (mg/day)	0.12 (0.3)	0.12 (0.1)	0.17 (1.0)	0.04 (0.1)	1.131	0.324
Sucralose (mg/day)	140.0 (199.1)	320.8 (332.5)	80.2 (94.8)	154.4 (120.2)	0.939	0.392
Dietary fiber (g/day)	13.6 (11.0)	13.9 (11.9)	14.0 (10.1)	12.7 (11.5)	0.956	0.385
Soluble dietary fiber (g/day)	4.4 (3.5)	4.3 (3.5)	4.5 (3.4)	3.9 (3.9)	1.294	0.275
Insoluble dietary fiber (g/day)	9.1 (7.3)	9.6 (7.9)	9.4 (7.2)	8.5 (7.1)	0.568	0.567
Glycemic load*	104.5 (77.7)	105.2 (67.8)ab	102.6 (76.4)a	113.1 (86.6)b	3.564	0.029
% energy from carbohydrate**	48.2 (10.4)	48.9 (12.5)ab	47.2 (9.6)a	50.8 (10.9)b	6.968	0.001
% energy from total sugar**	23.0 (10.8)	21.5 (9.45)a	21.9 (9.4)a	26.6 (12.0)b	11.779	0.000
% energy from added sugar**	12.3 (9.7)	11.9 (7.8)a	11.4 (8.6)a	14.9 (12.7)b	10.198	0.000

† categorized using criteria of body fat ranges for standard adults ¹⁷.

Skewed data are presented as median (interquartile range); skewed data was log-transformed before analysis. Statistical differences were determined using One-way ANOVA.

* p-value < 0.05, **p-value < 0.001.Different superscripts (a, b) symbolize a significant difference between body fat percentage categories (P-value < 0.05), post-hoc tests.

Table 3 Dietary intake per day by self-reported race.

Variable	Caucasian	African American	t-test	p-value
Energy intake (kcal/day)*	1555.1 (975.9)	1725.9 (1408.4)	−1.990	0.047
Carbohydrate (g/day)**	183.8 (114.3)	232.4 (212.0)	−4.014	0.000
Total sugar (g/day)**	85.1 (60.5)	112.1 (132.1)	−5.800	0.000
Added sugar (g/day)**	47.3 (42.8)	68.1 (100.5)	−5.786	0.000
Fructose (g/day)**	19.7 (19.3)	33.5 (47.6)	−6.459	0.000
Glucose (g/day)**	20.6 (17.2)	31.2 (39.9)	−6.752	0.000
Sucrose (g/day)**	29.5 (20.6)	39.6 (35.0)	−4.366	0.000
Aspartame (mg/day)**	45.3 (93.4)	55.2 (50.2)	5.656	0.000
Saccharin (mg/day)	22.6 (17.2)	36.9 (19.1)	−0.109	0.913
Acesulfame K (mg/day)	0.05 (0.1)	0.02 (0.1)	−1.687	0.092
Sucralose (mg/day)*	169.3 (75.9)	20.5 (33.0)	2.639	0.009
Dietary fiber (g/day)*	13.9 (10.6)	12.7 (10.7)	2.230	0.026
Soluble dietary fiber (g/day)	4.5 (3.6)	3.8 (3.3)	1.942	0.053
Insoluble dietary fiber (g/day)*	9.4 (7.3)	8.5 (7.9)	2.104	0.036
Glycemic load**	101.6 (67.7)	140.5 (134.2)	−4.882	0.000
% energy from carbohydrate**	47.2 (9.6)	53.1 (11.1)	−6.098	0.000
% energy from total sugar**	21.6 (9.2)	29.2 (14.9)	−8.058	0.000
% energy from added sugar**	11.5 (8.0)	18.2 (12.9)	−6.575	0.000

Skewed data are presented as median (interquartile range); skewed data was log-transformed before analysis. Statistical differences were determined using independent t-test.

* p-value < 0.05,.

** p-value < 0.001.

Table 4 Sugar intake, dietary fiber intake, and glycemic load in relation to overfat/obese status.

Variable	Odds ratio	95% confidence limits		p-value
Dietary fiber (g/day)	0.96	0.94	1.00	0.021*
Total sugar (g/day)	1.20	1.05	1.80	0.004*
Aspartame (mg/day)	1.00	0.99	1.02	0.664
Saccharin (mg/day)	1.03	0.99	1.06	0.125
Acesulfame K (mg/day)	1.11	0.56	2.20	0.764

Statistical relationships were determined using Logistic regression. *p-value < 0.05.

Figure 1 The correlation between energy intake and total sugar (A) and sucrose intake (B) over the past year among young adults.

Fitch C, Keim KS, Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics: use of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012;112(5):739–758. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2012.03.009.

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