Teenagers more likely to pop on fizzy drink diet

Researchers from the University of Vermont found that consumption of more than five cans of non-diet carbonated drinks a week was associated with behaviour that included carrying weapons and violent assaults.

The US researchers do not yet know if the link is causal, but have not ruled this out. It may be that unknown factors causing aggression in youngsters also influence their dietary habits.

The findings, reported online in the journal Injury Prevention, are based on a survey of 1,878 teenagers aged 14 to 18 from 22 state schools in Boston.

Participants were asked how many non-diet fizzy soft drinks they had consumed over the past week.

Intake level was measured in cans. As many as four cans was considered “low”, and five or more “high”. Just less than one pupil in three fell into the “high” category, some drinking more than two or three cans a day.

The scientists then looked for potential links to violent behaviour.

Youngsters were asked if they had been violent towards their peers, a brother or sister, or a partner, and whether they had carried a gun or knife in the past year.

Overall, frequent soft drink consumption was associated with a 9 per cent to 15 per cent increased likelihood of engaging in aggressive behaviour.

Violence and weapon-carrying was in any event common among the teenagers, who largely represented ethnic minorities from poor backgrounds. Of the group, 50 per cent were black or multi-racial, 33 per cent Hispanic, 9 per cent white and 8 per cent Asian.

They said: “Our findings suggest that policies to encourage soft drink consumption may be a mistake.”