Cross-Sectional Associations between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake and DEXA-Scan Adiposity among WHI Observational Study Participants

Excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality. Excess subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is thought to contribute to development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The influence of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption on VAT, SAT, and VAT:SAT ratio is not yet well established. The associations of FFQ-reported SSBs and adjusted mean DEXA-scan measured adiposity was examined in 5,898 postmenopausal women aged 49-79 from the WHI Observational Study. Consuming ½ - 1 serving/d was associated with lower mean SAT compared to 0 servings/d (352.56cm2 vs. 364.82cm2, p = 0.05). Consuming more than 1 serving/d was associated with higher VAT (164.21cm2 vs. 154.32cm2, p = 0.01). Consuming any amount of SSB was associated with significantly higher VAT:SAT ratio. Findings suggest any level of SSB consumption is associated with increased VAT:SAT ratio, increased VAT (when consumption is greater than 1 serving/d), and decreased SAT (when consumption is between ½ - 1 serving/d)