Associations of Added Sugar from All Sources and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages with Regional Fat Deposition in US Adolescents: NHANES 1999–2006

BACKGROUND: The relative distribution of upper- versus lower-body fat may be an important determinant of cardiometabolic disease risk in youths. Dietary components associated with adolescent regional body fat distribution require further investigation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate associations of added sugar intake overall and from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with relative upper-body fat deposition in US adolescents. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from 6585 adolescents (aged 12–19 y) in the NHANES cycles 1999–2006. Trunk, leg, and total fat mass were assessed by DXA. Participants were grouped into categories of total and SSB added sugar intake as a percentage of total energy intake (TEI) in 5% increments. Stepwise multivariable linear regression was used to examine associations of added sugar intake with truncal-to-leg fat ratio (TLR) and truncal-to-total fat ratio (TTR). RESULTS: There were no associations of total added sugar intake with TLR or TTR. For SSB added sugar, compared with the lowest category of intake (<2% TEI), the highest category (>22% TEI) was associated with higher log-TLR [β (95% CI): >22% TEI versus <2% TEI: 0.05 (0.01, 0.09)] and TTR [1.30 (0.53, 2.07)] in the partially adjusted model with sex, age, race/ethnicity, income, physical activity, and smoking status as covariates (P-trend = 0.0001 for both). When BMI z-score and TEI were added as covariates, the magnitude of the associations were attenuated, but remained significant [log-TLR β (95% CI): 0.03 (0.005, 0.06), P-trend = 0.0018; TTR β (95% CI): 0.75 (0.27, 1.23), P-trend = 0.0004]. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support that added sugar from beverages is associated with higher upper-body adiposity, though the magnitude and clinical significance of the associations may be small, especially when adjusted for BMI and TEI. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms to explain these findings.