ABSTRACT
Beverages are an essential part of our diet not only for survival and normal bodily function but also for enjoyment and entertainment. Beverages come in many forms, fulfill our hydration needs, and contribute to energy intake and other nutrients and/or substances that are either beneficial or harmful to our health. Investigation of beverage consumption and the development of obesity has received ongoing research and public health attention. We reviewed the epidemiological evidence for the consumption of several commonly consumed beverages and obesity. Sugar-sweetened beverages appeared to be the most certain beverage to cause harm to our health including overweight and obesity. Whereas the contribution of other beverages (water, coffee/tea, artificially sweetened beverages, dairy milk, 100% fruit juice, alcoholic drinks) in the genesis of overweight was less apparent with inconsistent evidence being observed across different study populations. With the advancement of statistical modeling, emerging studies also simulated the effects of beverage substitution on long-term obesity development and revealed some significant findings. Nevertheless, literature finding a link between beverages and disease development is currently limited and generally challenged in relation to capturing accurate intake information. Disentangling the role of different types of beverage consumption with other factors contributing to obesity is also a key consideration for future research, and scrutiny of the underlying mechanisms will facilitate public health planning for obesity prevention and management.
