Research
Mixed
High consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) amplifies the genetic predisposition to higher body mass index (BMI), such that individuals with high genetic risk scores experience significantly greater weight gain from SSB intake than those with low genetic risk.
If you have a family history of obesity, your sensitivity to sugary drinks is likely higher than average. Reducing or eliminating sugar-sweetened beverages can significantly reduce your genetic risk of gaining weight, even if you have a high genetic predisposition.
GoodConditionalHIGH confidence
The genetic association with BMI was more pronounced among participants with higher intake of SSBs than among those with lower intake... the increases in BMI per increment of 10 risk alleles were 1 unit for an intake of less than one serving per month... and 1.78 for ≥1 serving/day
Why this rating
Based on large prospective cohort studies (NHS, HPFS, WGHS) with replication.
Source
Nutrition and the science of disease prevention: a systems approach to support metabolic health
Brian J. Bennett et al. · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · 2015
DOI 10.1111/nyas.12945
narrative_reviewCited 59×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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