Research paper
Malik VS, Pan A, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013 Oct;98(4):1084-1102. doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.058362
Why we cite it
Provides a meta-analytic synthesis of the SSB-weight gain relationship, pooling 32 studies with over 200,000 participants across both children and adults, cohort studies and RCTs. Directly relevant to the project because it quantifies what individual studies suggest: each daily serving of SSBs adds measurable weight over time (0.22 kg/year in adults from cohorts; 0.85 kg from addition RCTs). The sensitivity analyses are particularly valuable — substitution trials work, education-only trials do not, and overweight children benefit most.