Association between sugar-sweetened beverages and waist circumference in adult populations: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies

Summary Background & aim Based on previous studies, Sugar-Sweetened beverages (SSB) can increase the risk of obesity and obesity-related disorders. However, findings are conflicting. The aim of the present study was to summarize the association between the intake of SSB and waist circumference (WC) in adult populations. Methods Four electronic databases including PubMed/Medline, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and EMBASE were considered to collect eligible papers until 31 January 2019 with English language. Results Finally, we reached 7 eligible cohort studies for both qualitative and quantitative synthesis. Based on the pooled 10 effect sizes, we found that the consumption of SSB can increase WC by 14%. However, it was not statistically significant and the between-study heterogeneity was high (95%CI: 0.86, 1.51; I2: 90.8%). We also observed that soda drink can increase WC by 31% (95%CI: 1.03, 1.66; I2:0%). Conclusion The current systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that the consumption of SSB can increase WC by 14% in adult populations. However, this value was not statistically significant. However, more prospective studies are necessary to make a decision on the link between the consumption of SSB and abdominal obesity.