Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Sugar-sweetened beverages are drinks with added sugar, such as soft drinks, sweetened teas, energy drinks and fruit cordials.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Sugar-sweetened beverages are drinks with added sugar, such as soft drinks, sweetened teas, energy drinks and fruit cordials. Because liquid sugar does not fill you up the way solid food does, these drinks are easy to overconsume and are strongly linked to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver. Replacing them with water or unsweetened drinks is one of the simplest and most effective changes you can make.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major source of added sugars and provide calories with little or no satiety, leading to incomplete compensatory reduction in later energy intake. Epidemiological evidence and randomised trials consistently associate SSB consumption with weight gain, visceral adiposity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular risk, independent of total calorie intake. Replacing SSBs with water or artificially sweetened drinks is associated with modest, sustained weight reduction.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Cutting sugary drinks is often the single highest-impact dietary change for weight loss because it removes hidden calories with minimal effort. Our dietitians help patients identify and replace SSBs as a first-line strategy.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: August 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.