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Food Surveys Research Group
Dietary Data Brief No.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Food Surveys Research Group
www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg
24
•Overall, 47 percent of adults,
20 years and over, met the
2015-2020 DGA
recommendation for added
sugars, by limiting added
sugars intake to less than 10%
of daily calories.
•On average, the adults who
met the recommendation
obtained 5.1 percent, and the
adults who did not meet the
recommendation obtained
19.4 percent of total calories
from added sugars.
•On average, the adults who
did not meet the DGA
recommendation consumed
about four times more added
sugars than the adults who
met the recommendation.
•Sweetened beverages were
the top source providing
about one-third of added
sugars in the males’ diets and
about one-fourth of added
sugars in the females’ diet.
October 2019
Added Sugars in Adults’ Diet: What We Eat
in America, NHANES 2015-2016
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 (DGA) recommend that
Americans limit their added sugars intake to less than 10 percent of daily
calories [1]. This study focuses on foods and beverages that are major sources
of added sugars in the diets of adults in America. The study used What We
Eat in America (WWEIA), NHANES 2015-2016, day 1 dietary data and the
Food Patterns equivalents data 2015-2016 [2, 3]. WWEIA Food Categories
were used to group foods and beverages [4]. Mean amounts of added sugars
contributed to adults’ diets were estimated.
Overall, 47 percent of adults, 20 years and over (N=5017), met the DGA added
sugars recommendation by consuming <10 percent of calories from added
sugars. There was no significant difference between the percentages of males
(49%) and females (45%) meeting the recommendation, at P<0.01. In addition,
both males and females consumed similar percentages of calories from added
sugars (Figure 1).
What percentage of adults meet the Dietary Guidelines
added sugars recommendation?
Shanthy A Bowman, PhD; John C Clemens, MS; James E Friday, BS;
Randy P LaComb, MS; Devendra Paudel, MS; and Miyuki Shimizu, MS, RD.
Figure 1. Estimated mean percentage of total calories from added
sugars in adults’ diet, by added sugars intake status and sex, WWEIA,
NHANES 2015-2016
DATA SOURCE: WWEIA, NHANES 2015-2016, day 1, adults 20+ years and FPED 2015-2016 (N=5,017)
12.7 12.5 12.8
5.1 5.0 5.3
19.4 19.8
19.0
0
5
10
15
20
Percentage of calories from
added sugars
All <10% ≥10% All <10% ≥10% All <10% ≥10%
All Adults Males Females
All Consuming <10% of total calories from added sugars Consuming ≥10% of total calories from added sugars
FSRG Dietary Data Brief -- No. 24 -- October 2019
Figure 2. Comparison of mean amounts of added sugars in grams obtained from salient food and
beverage sources by males, 20 years and over, grouped by added sugars intake status
What are the salient sources of added sugars in adult males’ diet?
-2-
Males who did not meet the DGA recommendation consumed about four times more added sugars
than the males who met the recommendation (Figure. 2). Sweetened beverages such as soft drinks,
fruit drinks, and sports and energy drinks were the top source of added sugars. Sweet bakery
products such as cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries were the
second highest source, followed by tea and then by coffee, each containing added sugars. Other
salient sources were candy and other desserts such as frozen dairy desserts.
* <10% group (meet DGA recommendation) i s significantly different from the ≥10% group (does not DGA recommendation) at p<0.01
DATA SOURCE: WWEIA, NHANES 2015-2016, day 1, males 20+ years and FPED 2015-2016 (N=2,415)
Mean intake of added sugars: All males = 78.5g; <10% group = 31.2g; ≥10% group = 124.6g
4.9 2.0
7.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10%≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
Coffee
3.3 1.6 4.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10%≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
Other Desserts
*
3.6 1.8 5.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10%≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
Candy
*
28.9
5.0
52.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
Sweetened Beverages
*
8.5 4.7
12.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
Sweet Bakery Products
*
8.1
1.5
14.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
Tea
*
Males 20+ years
*
All Consuming <10% of total calories from added sugars Consuming ≥10% of total calories from added sugars
FSRG Dietary Data Brief -- No. 24 -- October 2019
Figure 3. Comparison of mean amounts of added sugars in grams obtained from salient food and
beverage sources by females, 20 years and over, grouped by added sugars intake status
What are the salient sources of added sugars in adult females’ diet?
-3-
Females who did not meet the DGA recommendation consumed about four times more added sugars
than the females who met the recommendation (Figure. 3). Sweetened beverages such as soft
drinks, fruit drinks, and sports and energy drinks were the top source of added sugars. Sweet bakery
products such as cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries were the second
highest source, followed by tea and then by coffee, each containing added sugars. Other salient
sources were candy and other desserts such as frozen dairy desserts.
*<10% group (meet DGA recommendation) is significantly different from the ≥10% group (does not DGA recommendation) at p<0.01
DATA SOURCE: WWEIA, NHANES 2015-2016, day 1, females 20+ years and FPED 2015-2016 (N=2,602)
Mean intake of added sugars: All females = 58.7g; <10% group = 23.6g; ≥10% group = 87.7g
3.8 1.8 5.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
3.4 1.5 4.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
*
3.4 1.6 4.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
*
16.2
3.0
27.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
*
8.9
4.1
12.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
*
6.2
0.9
10.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
All <10% ≥10%
Added Sugars (g)
*
Females 20+ years
Coffee Other DessertsCandy
Sweetened Beverages Sweet Bakery Products Tea
*
All Consuming <10% of total calories from added sugars Consuming ≥10% of total calories from added sugars
FSRG Dietary Data Brief -- No. 24 -- October 2019
Beverages such as sweetened beverages, tea, and coffee together supplied a high proportion of added
sugars in adult’s overall diet. On average, males obtained 37 percent and females, 28 percent of added
sugars from sweetened beverages; and both males and females obtained about 17 percent of added
sugars from tea and coffee, combined.
Sweet bakery products such as cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries
provided 11 percent of added sugars in all males’ and 15 percent in all females’ diets.
What are the main sources of added sugars in adults’ diet?
-4-
What is the implication of the study?
This finding underscores the need for dietary interventions aimed to limit intakes of beverages that contain
added sugars.
What are the main findings of the study?
•On average, adults who did not meet the DGA added sugars recommendation consumed
about four times more added sugars than the adults who met the recommendation.
•Food and beverage sources of added sugars in the males’ and females’ diets followed a similar pattern,
though the mean amounts differed.
•Beverages provided about one-half of added sugars in adults’ diet.
FSRG Dietary Data Brief -- No. 24 -- October 2019
Added sugars are defined as caloric sweeteners that are added to foods as an ingredient during
preparation, processing, or at the table. Added sugars do not include naturally occurring sugars such as
lactose present in milk and fructose present in fruit and 100% fruit juice. Examples of added sugars
include brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioners sugar, dextrose, granulated sugar, white sugar, corn
syrup and corn syrup solids, undiluted fruit juice concentrates, honey, molasses, and all types of caloric
syrups such as maple syrup, table syrups, and pancake syrup. One teaspoon equivalent of added
sugars is defined as 4.2 grams of sugars, the amount present in one teaspoon of granulated sugar. For
details on the computation of added sugars and other Food Patterns food groups, see reference #3.
Foods and beverages included in selected WWEIA food categories
Sweetened beverages include non-diet soft drinks, fruit drinks, and sports and energy drinks.
Sweet bakery products include cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries.
Other desserts include ice creams and frozen dairy desserts, puddings, gelatins, ices, and sorbets.
Candy include candy containing chocolate and candy not containing chocolate.
Added sugars added to coffee and tea are included in the respective beverages.
Definition of added sugars
(1) What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016, day 1 dietary data were used to estimate Food
Patterns equivalents intakes. The study sample included 5,017 adults ages 20 years and over with
complete and reliable intake records in the survey. Sample weights were applied in the analysis to
produce nationally representative estimates.
(2) Food Patterns Equivalents Database and the corresponding data sets 2015-2016 provided USDA
Food Patterns equivalents intake data, including added sugars data.
(3) WWEIA Food Categories 2015-2016.
Data sources
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/. Accessed October 25, 2019.
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition
Research Center, Food Surveys Research Group, Beltsville, Maryland, 2015-2016 Food Patterns
Equivalents Databases and Datasets. Available at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg.
Accessed October 25, 2019.
3. Bowman SA, Clemens JC, Shimizu M, Friday JE, and Moshfegh AJ. 2018. Food Patterns
Equivalents Database 2015-2016: Methodology and User Guide [Online]. Food Surveys Research
Group, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland. September 2018. Available at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg. Accessed October 25, 2019.
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Human Nutrition
Research Center, Food Surveys Research Group, Beltsville, Maryland. WWEIA Food Categories
2015-2016. Available at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg. Accessed October 25, 2019.
References
-5-
www.ars.usda.gov/nea/bhnrc/fsrg
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age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political
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all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape,
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Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-
6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
FSRG Dietary Data Brief -- No.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Food Surveys Research Group
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without
permission. However, citation as to source is appreciated.
Copyright information
24 -- October 2019
Bowman SA, Clemens JC, Friday JE, LaComb RP, Paudel D, and Shimizu M. Added sugars in
adults’ diet: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2015-2016. Food Surveys Research Group. Dietary
Data Brief No. 24. October 2019.
Suggested citation
Shanthy A. Bowman, John C. Clemens, James E. Friday, Randy P. LaComb, Devendra Paudel, and
Miyuki Shimizu are with Food Surveys Research Group, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center,
Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland.
About the authors