Non-nutritive sweetened beverages versus water after a 52-week weight management programme: a randomised controlled trial

Harrold, Joanne A ORCID: 0000-0002-0899-4586, Hill, Scott, Radu, Cristina, Thomas, Paul, Thorp, Paula, Hardman, Charlotte A ORCID: 0000-0002-0744-6019, Christiansen, Paul and Halford, Jason CG ORCID: 0000-0003-1629-3189 (2023) Non-nutritive sweetened beverages versus water after a 52-week weight management programme: a randomised controlled trial. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY, 48 (1). pp. 83-93.

Text
Harrold_SWITCH 52-week_final main text.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript
Download (669kB) | Preview

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01393-3

Abstract

<h4>Background/objective</h4>Sugar-sweetened beverages are a substantial source of dietary sugar that can contribute to weight gain and the risk of type 2 diabetes. Dietary guidelines recommend non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) beverages to reduce sugar consumption, however, there is a need for long-term randomised controlled trials on their use. We aimed to compare the effects of NNS beverages and water on body weight during weight loss and maintenance in a behavioural weight management programme.<h4>Methods</h4>In this parallel-group, open-label, controlled equivalence trial, adults with a BMI of 27-35 kg/m<sup>2</sup> who regularly consumed cold beverages were randomised 1:1 to water or NNS beverages. Participants underwent a group behavioural weight management programme comprising weekly (during the 12-week weight-loss phase) then monthly (during the 40-week weight-maintenance phase) meetings. The primary endpoint was weight change at week 52 (equivalence: two-sided P > 0.05). Secondary endpoints included changes in anthropometrics, cardiometabolic risk factors, appetite and activity levels.<h4>Results</h4>Of 493 participants randomised (water: n = 246; NNS beverages: n = 247), 24.1% were NNS-naïve. At week 52, water and NNS beverages were non-equivalent, with significantly greater weight loss in the NNS beverages group. Participants consuming water maintained a weight loss of 6.1 kg over 52 weeks versus 7.5 kg with NNS beverages (difference [90% CI]: 1.4 kg [-2.6, -0.2]; p < 0.05).<h4>Conclusions</h4>During a 52-week behavioural weight management programme, water and NNS beverages were non-equivalent, with weight loss maintained to a statistically greater extent with NNS beverages compared with water. However, this difference was not clinically significant.<h4>Clinical trial registration</h4>This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02591134.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Weight Loss, Water, Beverages, Adult, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Weight Reduction Programs, Non-Nutritive Sweeteners, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	27 Sep 2023 08:34
Last Modified:	05 Jan 2024 10:35
DOI:	10.1038/s41366-023-01393-3
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3173077