U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics

NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

Sugar-sweetened Beverage Consumption Among 

U.S. Youth, 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

● Almost two-thirds of boys 

and girls consumed at least one 

sugar-sweetened beverage on a 

given day.

● Boys consumed an average 

164 kilocalories (kcal) from 

sugar-sweetened beverages, 

which contributed 7.3% of 

total daily caloric intake. 

Girls consumed an average 

121 kcal from sugar-sweetened 

beverages, which contributed 

7.2% of total daily caloric 

intake.

● Among both boys and girls, 

older youth had the highest 

mean intake and percentage 

of daily calories from sugarsweetened beverages relative to 

younger children. 

● Non-Hispanic Asian 

boys and girls 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 boys and girls.

Sugar-sweetened beverages contribute calories and added sugars to the diets 

of U.S. children (1). Studies have suggested a link between the consumption 

of sugar-sweetened beverages and dental caries, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, 

dyslipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children (2–6). The 

2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend reducing added 

sugars consumption to less than 10% of 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. youth aged 2–19 

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

Keywords: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey • NHANES • 

calories • kcal

Almost two-thirds of U.S. youth consumed at least one 

sugar-sweetened beverage on a given day.

1

Significantly different from girls, p < 0.05. 

NOTES: The percentage of U.S. youth who consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage or more on a given day was 62.9%. Access 

data table for Figure 1 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db271_table.pdf#1.

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

Figure 1. Percentage of youth aged 2–19 years who consumed sugar-sweetened beverages on a 

given day, by number of beverages and sex: United States, 2011–2014 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

■  2  ■

● During 2011–2014, 62.9% of youth consumed at least one sugar-sweetened beverage on a 

given day (Figure 1). 

● A higher percentage of boys (64.5%) than girls (61.3%) consumed at least one sugarsweetened beverage. Differences between boys and girls in the consumption of one, two, or 

three beverages or more were not significant.

● For boys, 32.7% consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage, 20.2% consumed two sugarsweetened beverages, while 11.5% consumed three or more on a given day. 

● Among girls, 33.7% consumed one sugar-sweetened beverage, 18.1% consumed two sugarsweetened beverages, and 9.5% consumed three or more on a given day.

For both boys and girls, calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages on a given day increased with age. 

● Overall, youth aged 2–19 consumed an average 143 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages 

on a given day during 2011–2014. Boys consumed more calories from sugar-sweetened 

beverages (164 kcal) than girls (121 kcal) (Figure 2).

● Boys consumed more calories from sugar-sweetened beverages compared with girls 

across all age groups, with the exception of those aged 2–5 where the difference was not 

statistically significant.

1

Significantly different from girls, p < 0.05. 2

Linear trend by age, p < 0.05

NOTES: The total mean calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day by U.S. youth was 143 kcal. Access data table for Figure 2 at: 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db271_table.pdf#2.

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

Figure 2. Mean kilocalories from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day for youth aged 2–19 years, by sex and age: 

United States, 2011–2014

 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

■  3  ■

● Mean total calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day increased 

with age among U.S. boys and girls. 

● Boys aged 2–5 consumed 65 kcal, boys aged 6–11 consumed 133 kcal, and boys aged 12–19 

consumed 232 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages. 

● Girls aged 2–5 consumed 59 kcal, girls aged 6–11 consumed 104 kcal, and girls aged 12–19 

consumed 162 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages.

Calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages differed by race and 

Hispanic origin for both boys and girls.

● Among boys, non-Hispanic white (176 kcal), non-Hispanic black (167 kcal), and Hispanic 

(156 kcal) boys had higher mean calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given 

day than non-Hispanic Asian boys (73 kcal) (Figure 3). 

● Non-Hispanic black girls had the highest calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages at 

156 kcal, followed by non-Hispanic white (124 kcal), Hispanic (115 kcal), and 

non-Hispanic Asian (58 kcal) girls.

● Non-Hispanic white and Hispanic boys had higher mean calorie intake from sugarsweetened beverages than non-Hispanic white and Hispanic girls.

1

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

Significantly different from girls, p < 0.05. 3

Significantly different from Hispanic, p < 0.05. 4

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

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 3 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db271_table.pdf#3.

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

Figure 3. Mean kilocalories from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day for youth aged 2–19 years, by sex and race 

and Hispanic origin: United States, 2011–2014

 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

■  4  ■

The percentage of total daily calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages increased with age for both boys and girls. 

● U.S. youth consumed an average 7.3% of their total daily calories from sugar-sweetened 

beverages. Overall and in each age group, boys and girls consumed a similar percentage of 

total calories from sugar-sweetened beverages (Figure 4). 

● Among both boys and girls, the percentage of calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages significantly increased with increasing age. 

● Sugar-sweetened beverages contributed 4.1% of total daily calories consumed for boys aged 

2–5, 6.6% for boys aged 6–11, and 9.3% for boys aged 12–19. 

● Similarly, sugar-sweetened beverages contributed 4.0% of total daily calories consumed for 

girls aged 2–5, 5.8% for girls aged 6–11, and 9.7% for girls aged 12–19.

1

Linear trend by age, p < 0.05.

NOTES: The mean total percentage of calories from sugar-sweetened beverages for U.S. youth was 7.3%. Access data table for Figure 4 at: 

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db271_table.pdf#4.

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

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

aged 2–19 years, by sex and age: United States, 2011–2014

 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

■  5  ■

The percentage of total daily calories consumed from sugar-sweetened 

beverages differed by race and Hispanic origin for boys and girls.

● The percentage of total daily calories from sugar-sweetened beverages was similar for 

non-Hispanic black (7.9%), non-Hispanic white (7.6%), and Hispanic (7.3%) boys, all of 

which were higher than for non-Hispanic Asian boys (3.5%) (Figure 5).

● Non-Hispanic black (8.9%), non-Hispanic white (7.5%), and Hispanic (6.8%) girls all 

consumed a higher percentage of total daily calories from sugar-sweetened beverages 

than non-Hispanic Asian (3.6%) girls, while non-Hispanic black girls also consumed a 

significantly higher percentage than Hispanic girls.

● Non-Hispanic black girls (8.9%) consumed a significantly higher percentage of total daily 

calories from sugar-sweetened beverages than non-Hispanic black boys (7.9%). 

1

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

Significantly different from girls, p < 0.05. 3

Significantly different from Hispanic, p < 0.05.

NOTE: Access data table for Figure 5 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db271_table.pdf#5.

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

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

aged 2–19 years, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2011–2014

 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

■ 6  ■

Summary

Among U.S. youth aged 2–19 years, 64.5% of boys and 61.3% of girls consumed at least one 

sugar-sweetened beverage on a given day during 2011–2014. Overall, U.S. youth consumed an 

average 143 kcal from sugar-sweetened beverages, and 7.3% of their daily energy intake came 

from sugar-sweetened beverages. Mean caloric intake from sugar-sweetened beverages was 164 

kcal for boys, which made up 7.3% of their total daily calories. Girls consumed 121 kcal from 

sugar-sweetened beverages, contributing 7.2% of their total daily calories. Among both boys 

and girls, mean calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages and the percentage of total 

calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day increased with age, with those 

aged 12–19 having the highest intakes.

Non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic boys consumed a similar amount of 

calories and had a similar percentage of total calories from sugar-sweetened beverages. Among 

girls, non-Hispanic black girls had the highest calorie intake and the highest percentage of 

total calories consumed from sugar-sweetened beverages. Non-Hispanic Asian boys and girls 

consumed the least calories and had the lowest mean percentage of total calories consumed from 

sugar-sweetened beverages on a given day compared with other race and Hispanic-origin groups.

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 (7).

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

standardized physical examinations conducted in the 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 (9).

The NHANES sample is selected through a complex, multistage probability design. In 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 
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

■  7  ■

Hispanic-origin categories reflect individuals reporting only one race; those reporting “other” 

races and more than one race are included in the total but are not reported separately.

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. 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. de Ruyter JC, Olthof MR, Seidell JC, Katan MB. A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened 

beverages and body weight in children. N Engl J Med 367(15):1397–406. 2012.

3. Jin R, Le NA, Liu S, Farkas Epperson M, Ziegler TR, Welsh JA, et al. Children with NAFLD 

are more sensitive to the adverse metabolic effects of fructose beverages than children without 

NAFLD. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 97(7):E1088–98. 2012.

4. Papandreou D, Karabouta Z, Pantoleon A, Rousso I. Investigation of anthropometric, 

biochemical and dietary parameters of obese children with and without non-alcoholic fatty liver 

disease. Appetite 59(3):939–44. 2012.

5. Welsh JA, Sharma A, Cunningham SA, Vos MB. Consumption of added sugars and indicators 

of cardiovascular disease risk among US adolescents. Circulation 123(3):249–57. 2011.

6. Davis JN, Ventura EE, Weigensberg MJ, Ball GD, Cruz ML, Shaibi GQ, Goran MI. The 

relation of sugar intake to beta cell function in overweight Latino children. Am J Clin Nutr 

82(5):1004–10. 2005.

7. 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.

8. 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.
NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 271 ■ January 2017

9. 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.

Suggested citation

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

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption 

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

brief, no 271. 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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