ABSTRACT

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................409 What Is Dietary Sugar? .................................................................................................................. 410 Why Is Dietary Sugar an Important Consideration for Weight Control? ....................................... 411

Metabolic Effects of Glucose and Fructose .............................................................................. 411 Unique Effects of Consuming Sugar in Liquid versus Solid Form ........................................... 412 Hedonic Appeal of Added Sugars ............................................................................................. 412

What Are the Primary Food Sources of Added Sugars in the Diets of Children? ......................... 413 What Are Current Recommendations for Sugar Intake? ............................................................... 413 What Interventions Are Efficacious for Decreasing Sugar Intake and Promoting Weight Loss Among Children and Adolescents? ................................................................................................ 413

Public-Health Initiatives ............................................................................................................ 413 Educational Programs in Schools.............................................................................................. 414 Alterations in Beverage Availability ......................................................................................... 414

Are Some Individuals More Susceptible to Effects of Added Sugars on Body Weight? ............... 415 Developing Evidence-Based Care Plans to Reduce Intake of Added Sugars ................................ 415 Summary and Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 417 References ...................................................................................................................................... 417

This chapter provides a reference for clinicians who counsel children and families on weight control, highlighting key research on reducing sugar consumption and considering pragmatic intervention strategies. A vignette is presented in Table 37.1 to set the stage for addressing clinically relevant questions pertaining to dietary sugar. At the end of the chapter, an approach to developing evidence-based care plans to reduce intake of added sugars is exemplified using the vignette.