NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 270 ■ January 2017

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics

Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among 

U.S. Adults, 2011–2014

Asher Rosinger, Ph.D., M.P.H.; Kirsten Herrick, Ph.D., M.Sc.; Jaime Gahche, M.P.H.;

and Sohyun Park, Ph.D.

Key findings 

Data from the National 

Health and Nutrition 

Examination Survey

● Approximately one-half of 

U.S. adults consumed at least 

one sugar-sweetened beverage 

on a given day.

● Men consumed an average 

179 kilocalories (kcal) from 

sugar-sweetened beverages, 

which contributed 6.9% of total 

daily caloric intake. Women 

consumed an average 113 

kcal from sugar-sweetened 

beverages, which contributed 

6.1% of total caloric intake.

● Young adults had the highest 

mean intake and percentage 

of daily calories from sugarsweetened beverages relative to 

older adults.

● Non-Hispanic Asian men 

and women consumed the 

least calories and the lowest 

percentage of total calories 

from sugar-sweetened 

beverages compared with 

non-Hispanic white, 

non-Hispanic black, and 

Hispanic men and women.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are a major contributor of calories and added 

sugars to diets of U.S. adults (1). Studies have found that sugar-sweetened 

beverage consumption has been linked to weight gain, metabolic syndrome, 

dental caries, and type 2 diabetes in adults (2–4). The 2015–2020 Dietary 

Guidelines for Americans recommend reducing added sugars consumption to 

less than 10% of total calories per day and, specifically, to choose beverages 

with no added sugars (1). This report presents results for consumption of 

sugar-sweetened beverages among U.S. adults aged 20 and over for 

2011–2014 by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin.

Keywords: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey • NHANES • 

calories • kcal

About one-half of U.S. adults consumed at least one 

sugar-sweetened beverage on a given day.

1

Significantly different from women, p < 0.05. 

NOTES: The percentage of U.S. adults who consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage or more on a given day was 49.3%. 

Access data table for Figure 1 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db270_table.pdf#1.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014.

Figure 1. Percentage of adults aged 20 and over who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages on 

a given day, by number of beverages and sex: United States, 2011–2014 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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● During 2011–2014, 49.3% of U.S. adults consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage 

on a given day (Figure 1).

● A higher percentage of men (53.6%) than women (45.1%) consumed at least one sugarsweetened beverage. Men were also more likely than women to consume two 

sugar-sweetened beverages or three or more on a given day.

● Among men, 29.1% consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage, 16.0% consumed two 

sugar-sweetened beverages, and 8.6% consumed three or more on a given day.

● Among women, 27.3% consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage, 11.5% consumed 

two sugar-sweetened beverages, and 6.4% consumed three or more on a given day.

For both men and women, calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages on a given day decreased with age. 

● Overall, adults aged 20 and over consumed an average 145 kilocalories (kcal) from sugarsweetened beverages on a given day during 2011–2014. Men consumed more calories from 

sugar-sweetened beverages (179 kcal) than women (113 kcal) (Figure 2). 

● Men consumed more calories from sugar-sweetened beverages compared with women in all 

age groups.

Figure 2. Mean kilocalories from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day for adults aged 20 and over, by sex and age: 

United States, 2011–2014 

1

Significantly different from women, p < 0.05. 2

Linear trend by age, p < 0.05.

NOTES: The total mean kilocalories (kcal) consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day by U.S. adults was 145 kcal. Access data table for Figure 2 

at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db270_table.pdf#2.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 270 ■ January 2017

■  3  ■

● Among both men and women, mean total calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages decreased with increasing age. 

● Men aged 20–39 consumed 249 kcal, men aged 40–59 consumed 172 kcal, and men aged 

60 and over consumed 82 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day. 

● Women aged 20–39 consumed 160 kcal, women aged 40–59 consumed 111 kcal, and 

women aged 60 and over consumed 55 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages.

Calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages differed by race and 

Hispanic origin for both men and women.

● Hispanic men (215 kcal) and non-Hispanic black men (213 kcal) had the highest mean 

calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages, followed by non-Hispanic white men 

(167 kcal) and non-Hispanic Asian men (90 kcal) (Figure 3). 

● Non-Hispanic black women (179 kcal) had the highest caloric intake from sugar-sweetened 

beverages, followed by Hispanic (142 kcal), non-Hispanic white (97 kcal), and 

non-Hispanic Asian women (51 kcal). 

● Men had higher mean calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages than women across all 

race and Hispanic-origin groups.

 

Figure 3. Mean kilocalories from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day for adults aged 20 and over, by sex 

and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2011–2014

1

Significantly different from non-Hispanic black, p < 0.05. 2

Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asian, p < 0.05. 3

Significantly different from Hispanic, p < 0.05. 4

Significantly different from women, p < 0.05.

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 3 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db270_table.pdf#3.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 270 ■ January 2017

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The percentage of total daily calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages decreased with age for both men and women.

● U.S. adults consumed an average 6.5% of their total daily calories from sugar-sweetened 

beverages (Figure 4).

● Overall and for those aged 20–39, men consumed a higher mean percentage of total daily 

calories from sugar-sweetened beverages than women.

● Among both men and women, the percentage of total calories that were consumed from 

sugar-sweetened beverages decreased with increasing age.

● Sugar-sweetened beverages contributed 9.3% of total daily calories consumed for men aged 

20–39, 6.6% for men aged 40–59, and 3.8% for men aged 60 and over.

● Sugar-sweetened beverages contributed 8.2% of total daily calories consumed for women 

aged 20–39, 6.2% for women aged 40–59, and 3.3% for women aged 60 and over.

Figure 4. Mean percentage of total daily kilocalories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day by adults 

aged 20 and over, by sex and age: United States, 2011–2014 

1

Significantly different from women, p < 0.05. 2

Linear trend by age, p < 0.05.

NOTES: The mean total percentage of calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day by U.S. adults was 6.5%. Access data table for 

Figure 4 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db270_table.pdf#4.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 270 ■ January 2017

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The percentage of total daily calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages differed by race and Hispanic origin for both men and women.

● Sugar-sweetened beverages contributed the highest proportion of total daily calories for 

non-Hispanic black (8.3%) and Hispanic (8.1%) men, followed by non-Hispanic white 

(6.4%) and non-Hispanic Asian (4.0%) men (Figure 5). 

● Sugar-sweetened beverages contributed the highest proportion of total daily calories for 

non-Hispanic black women at 8.9%, followed by Hispanic (7.4%), non-Hispanic white 

(5.4%), and non-Hispanic Asian (3.0%) women.

● Non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian men consumed a higher mean percentage of 

total daily calories from sugar-sweetened beverages compared with non-Hispanic white and 

non-Hispanic Asian women.

Figure 5. Mean percentage of total daily kilocalories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day by adults 

aged 20 and over, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2011–2014 

1

Significantly different from non-Hispanic black, p < 0.05. 2

Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asian, p < 0.05. 3

Significantly different from Hispanic, p < 0.05. 4

Significantly different from women, p < 0.05.

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 5 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db270_table.pdf#5.

SOURCE: NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 270 ■ January 2017

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Summary

Among U.S. adults aged 20 and over, 53.6% of men and 45.1% of women consumed at least 

one sugar-sweetened beverage on a given day in 2011–2014. Overall, U.S. adults consumed an 

average 145 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages, and 6.5% of their daily energy intake came 

from sugar-sweetened beverages. Mean caloric intake from sugar-sweetened beverages was 

179 kcal for men, which made up 6.9% of their total daily calories. Women consumed 113 kcal 

from sugar-sweetened beverages, contributing 6.1% of their total daily calories. Among both 

men and women, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages decreased with increasing age, 

and calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages were almost triple among young adults 

compared with older adults.

Among men, sugar-sweetened beverage intake was highest among both non-Hispanic black and 

Hispanic men, followed by non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Asian men. For women, sugarsweetened beverage intake was highest among non-Hispanic black, followed by Hispanic, 

non-Hispanic white, and non-Hispanic Asian women. 

Definitions

Sugar-sweetened beverage: For this report, sugar-sweetened beverages include regular soda, fruit 

drinks (including sweetened bottled waters and fruit juices and nectars with added sugars), sports 

and energy drinks, sweetened coffees and teas, and other sugar-sweetened beverages (including 

horchata and sugarcane beverages). Sugar-sweetened beverages do not include diet drinks 

(defined as less than 40 kcal/240 mL of the beverage); 100% fruit juice; beverages sweetened 

by the survey participant, including coffee and teas; alcohol; or flavored milks. This definition is 

consistent with previous reports (5). 

Calorie, kilocalorie (kcal): A measure representing dietary energy intake (1). Calorie is usually 

used when discussing energy from foods and diets. In this report, the term calories in the text 

denotes kilocalories.

Data source and methods

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for survey years 

2011–2012 and 2013–2014 were used for this analysis. NHANES is a cross-sectional survey, 

designed to monitor the health and nutritional status of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. 

population (6). The survey combines interviews conducted in the participants’ homes and 

standardized physical examinations conducted in mobile examination centers (MECs). For 

this report, data were collected through an in-person 24-hour dietary recall interview, which 

covers intake during the day (24 hours, midnight to midnight) prior to the standardized physical 

examination in the MEC (7).

The NHANES sample is selected through a complex, multistage probability design. For 

2011–2012 and 2013–2014, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic Asian, and Hispanic persons, 

among other groups, were oversampled to obtain reliable estimates for these population 

subgroups. Race and Hispanic-origin categories reflect persons reporting only one race; those 

reporting “other” race and more than one race are included in the total but are not reported 

separately.
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Data were analyzed using the day one dietary sample weights to account for the days of the 

week, differential probabilities of selection, nonresponse, and noncoverage. The standard 

errors of means and percentages were estimated using Taylor series linearization, a method that 

incorporates the sample design and sample weights. Pregnant and lactating women were included 

in the analysis. Differences between groups were evaluated using a univariate t statistic at the 

p < 0.05 significance level. Tests for age trends were evaluated using linear regression, and the 

significance was set at p < 0.05. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata version 13.1 

(College Park, Texas). 

About the authors

Asher Rosinger is with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Epidemic 

Intelligence Service, assigned to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Division of 

Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (DHANES). Kirsten Herrick and Jaime Gahche are 

with DHANES. Sohyun Park is with CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 

Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th ed. 2015.

2. Malik VS, Pan A, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in 

children and adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 98(4):1084–102. 

2013.

3. Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, Després JP, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened 

beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis. Diabetes Care 

33(11):2477–83. 2010.

4. Bernabé E, Vehkalahti MM, Sheiham A, Aromaa A, Suominen AL. Sugar-sweetened 

beverages and dental caries in adults: A 4-year prospective study. J Dent 42(8):952–8. 2014.

5. Kit BK, Fakhouri TH, Park S, Nielsen SJ, Ogden CL. Trends in sugar-sweetened beverage 

consumption among youth and adults in the United States: 1999–2010. Am J Clin Nutr 

98(1):180–8. 2013.

6. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: 

Questionnaires, datasets, and related documentation. NHANES 2011–2012, NHANES 

2013–2014. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes_questionnaires.htm. 

7. National Center for Health Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: 

MEC in-person dietary interviewers procedures manual. Dietary interview component. NHANES 

2011–2012, NHANES 2013–2014. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/

nhanes_11_12/dietary_post_recall_qs_2011.pdf and https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/

nhanes_13_14/dietary_post_recall_qs_2013.pdf. 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 270 ■ January 2017

Suggested citation

Rosinger A, Herrick K, Gahche J, Park S. 

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption 

among U.S. adults, 2011–2014. NCHS data 

brief, no 270. Hyattsville, MD: National 

Center for Health Statistics. 2017.

Copyright information

All material appearing in this report is in 

the public domain and may be reproduced 

or copied without permission; citation as to 

source, however, is appreciated.

National Center for Health 

Statistics

Charles J. Rothwell, M.S., M.B.A., Director

Jennifer H. Madans, Ph.D., Associate 

Director for Science

Division of Health and Nutrition 

Examination Surveys

Kathryn S. Porter, M.D., M.S., Director

Ryne Paulose-Ram, Ph.D., Associate 

Director for Science

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