Impact of Lifestyle Intervention on Long-Term Beverage Intake in Children with Overweight and Obesity: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Questionnaires
2.2. Anthropometry
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Changes in Beverage Intake Following Lifestyle Intervention
3.2. Associations Between Changes in Beverage Intake and Anthropometry Across Time
4. Discussion
Strengths and Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| RCT | Randomized controlled trial |
| SSB | Sugar-sweetened beverage |
| BMI | Body Mass Index |
| NCB | Non-caloric beverages |
| BMI-SDS | BMI standard deviation score |
| FFQ | Food Frequency Questionnaire |
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| Low Intake | High Intake | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | ≤3 times per day | ≥4 times per day |
| SSB | ≤1 time per week | ≥2 times per week |
| NCB | ≤1 time per week | ≥2 times per week |
| Milk | ≤6 times per week | ≥1 time per day |
| Chocolate milk | Never/less than 1 time per week | ≥1 time per week |
| Sex: | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Boys/girls | 82 (43.2)/108 (56.8) |
| Mean±SD | |
| Age | 12.3 ± 1.4 |
| Weight | 91.1 ± 21 |
| Height | 1.70 ± 0.08 |
| BMI-SDS | 2.62 ± 0.68 |
| Body fat % (n = 181) | 41.27 ± 6.57 |
| Skeletal muscle mass (n = 181) | 23.23 ± 5.19 |
| Socioeconomic Class (Household Income) | n (%) |
| <USD 31,100 per year | 23 (12.1%) |
| USD 31,100–USD 77,800 per year | 83 (43.7%) |
| USD 77,800–USD 116,700 per year | 60 (31.6%) |
| >USD 116,700 per year | 24 (12.6%) |
| Distribution by Beverage Intake Categories: | n (%) |
| Water | |
| Low intake | 86 (45.74%) |
| High intake | 102 (54.26%) |
| Sugar-Sweetened Beverages | |
| Low intake | 122 (64.21%) |
| High intake | 68 (35.79%) |
| Non-Caloric Beverages | |
| Low intake | 67 (35.64%) |
| High intake | 121 (64.36%) |
| Milk | |
| Low intake | 87 (45.79%) |
| High intake | 103 (54.21%) |
| Chocolate Milk | |
| Low intake | 127 (67.2%) |
| High intake | 62 (32.8%) |
| Baseline | 10 Weeks | 1 Year | 3 Years | Baseline (Ref) to 10 Weeks | 10-Weeks (Ref) to 1 Year | 10-Weeks (Ref) to 3 Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | Odds Ratio (95% CI), p-Value | ||||||
| Water | n = 188 | n = 156 | n = 137 | n = 99 | |||
| Low | 86 (46%) | 41 (26%) | 53 (39%) | 44 (44%) | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. |
| High | 102 (54%) | 115 (74%) | 84 (61%) | 55 (56%) | 3.11 (1.81;5.36), p = 0.00 | 0.46 (0.26;0.82), p = 0.01 | 0.32 (0.17;0.61), p = 0.00 |
| Sugar-Sweetened Beverages | n = 190 | n = 160 | n = 137 | n = 96 | |||
| Low | 122 (64%) | 143 (89%) | 106 (77%) | 60 (63%) | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. |
| High | 68 (36%) | 17 (11%) | 31 (23%) | 36 (37%) | 0.14 (0.07;0.28), p = 0.00 | 3.20 (1.52;6.72), p = 0.002 | 8.65 (3.87;19.36), p = 0.00 |
| Non-Caloric Beverages | n = 188 | n = 158 | n = 139 | n = 99 | |||
| Low | 67 (36%) | 100 (63%) | 64 (46%) | 32 (32%) | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. |
| High | 121 (64%) | 58 (37%) | 75 (54%) | 67 (68%) | 0.19 (0.11;0.34), p = 0.00 | 2.81 (1.57;5.04), p = 0.001 | 6.60 (3.28;13.27), p = 0.00 |
| Milk | n = 190 | n = 160 | n = 137 | n = 98 | |||
| Low | 87 (46%) | 65 (41%) | 61 (45%) | 60 (61%) | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. |
| High | 103 (54%) | 95 (59%) | 76 (55%) | 38 (39%) | 1.37 (0.81;2.31), p = 0.24 | 0.72 (0.41;1.28), p = 0.26 | 0.26 (0.13;0.50), p = 0.00 |
| Chocolate Milk | n = 189 | n = 159 | n = 138 | n = 98 | |||
| Low | 127 (67%) | 140 (88%) | 114 (83%) | 73 (74%) | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. |
| High | 62 (33%) | 19 (12%) | 24 (17%) | 25 (26%) | 0.18 (0.09;0.36), p = 0.00 | 1.64 (0.76;3.52), p = 0.21 | 3.19 (1.43;7.12), p = 0.01 |
| Time Points | BMI-SDS | Body Fat % | Skeletal Muscle Mass | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coeff (rₛ) | Coeff (rs) | Coeff (rs) | ||
| Water | 0 to 10 weeks | * −0.21 | −0.03 | * −0.20 |
| 10 weeks to 1 year | −0.02 | −0.01 | 0.08 | |
| 10 weeks to 3 year | * −0.24 | −0.23 | * 0.25 | |
| Sugar-Sweetened Beverages | 0 to 10 weeks | 0.08 | −0.10 | 0.08 |
| 10 weeks to 1 year | 0.10 | 0.05 | 0.02 | |
| 10 weeks to 3 year | −0.03 | 0.01 | −0.13 | |
| Non-Caloric Beverages | 0 to 10 weeks | 0.12 | 0.01 | 0.06 |
| 10 weeks to 1 year | 0.14 | −0.04 | ** 0.31 | |
| 10 weeks to 3 year | 0.03 | 0.03 | −0.13 | |
| Milk | 0 to 10 weeks | −0.11 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
| 10 weeks to 1 year | 0.02 | −0.04 | 0.02 | |
| 10 weeks to 3 year | −0.13 | 0.05 | −0.12 | |
| Chocolate Milk | 0 to 10 weeks | −0.01 | −0.09 | 0.06 |
| 10 weeks to 1 year | −0.16 | * −0.19 | 0.02 | |
| 10 weeks to 3 year | * −0.26 | −0.09 | −0.15 |
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Jørgensen, M.E.; Pauls, D.D.; Ibsen, D.B.; Bruun, J.M. Impact of Lifestyle Intervention on Long-Term Beverage Intake in Children with Overweight and Obesity: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study. Nutrients 2026, 18, 147. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18010147
Jørgensen ME, Pauls DD, Ibsen DB, Bruun JM. Impact of Lifestyle Intervention on Long-Term Beverage Intake in Children with Overweight and Obesity: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study. Nutrients. 2026; 18(1):147. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18010147
Chicago/Turabian StyleJørgensen, Martin Emil, Dorthe Dalstrup Pauls, Daniel Borch Ibsen, and Jens Meldgaard Bruun. 2026. "Impact of Lifestyle Intervention on Long-Term Beverage Intake in Children with Overweight and Obesity: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study" Nutrients 18, no. 1: 147. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18010147
APA StyleJørgensen, M. E., Pauls, D. D., Ibsen, D. B., & Bruun, J. M. (2026). Impact of Lifestyle Intervention on Long-Term Beverage Intake in Children with Overweight and Obesity: A 3-Year Follow-Up Study. Nutrients, 18(1), 147. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18010147

