…according to an article at MedPageToday. Here’s how the study was done:
DeBoer and colleagues evaluated the effect of sugary drinks on BMI in 9,600 children evaluated at ages 9 months, 2 years, 4 years, and 5 years, who were enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey — Birth Cohort, a representative survey of the U.S. population of children born in 2001.
Parents answered survey questions about beverage intake at ages 2, 4, and 5. Sugar-sweetened beverages were defined as soda, sports drinks, and fruit drinks that were not 100% fruit juice. They also looked at when the drinks were consumed — such as at meals or with snacks — and if the child was a regular or infrequent/nondrinker.
Toddlers drinking at least one sugary drink daily were much more likely to have mothers who were overweight or obese. The sugared-up kids also watched more TV and drank less milk.