Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Palatable Western-style Cafeteria Diet as a Reliable Method for Modeling Diet-induced Obesity in Rodents
Published on: November 1, 2019
Added sugar intake is associated with weight gain and risk of developing obesity over 30 years: The CARDIA study
Emily J Endy1, So-Yun Yi2, Brian T Steffen3
1University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Background And Aims:
Numerous prospective studies have examined sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake associated with weight gain or incident obesity. Because SSB accounts for only 33 % of added sugar (AS) intake, we investigated the associations of AS intake with change in weight and waist circumference and risk of developing obesity.
Methods And Results:
At baseline (1985-86) Black and White women and men, aged 18-30 years, enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study and were followed for 30 years (2015-16). A diet history assessed dietary intake 3 times over 20 years. Multivariable linear regression evaluated the associations of change in weight (n = 3306) and waist circumference (n = 3296) across quartiles of AS, adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, and anthropometrics. Proportional hazards regression analysis evaluated the associations of time-varying cumulative AS intake with risk of incident obesity (n = 4023) and abdominal obesity (n = 3449), adjusting for the same factors. Over 30 years of follow-up, greater AS intake was associated with gaining 2.3 kg more weight (ptrend = 0.01) and 2.2 cm greater change in waist circumference (ptrend = 0.005) as well as increased risk of incident obesity (HR 1.28; 95 % CI: 1.08-1.53) and incident abdominal obesity (HR 1.27; 95 % CI:1.02-1.60).
Conclusion:
Our findings are consistent with recommendations from the 2020-2025 U S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans to limit daily AS intake.
Related Concept Videos
Obesity
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

