Trading Sugar for Sparkles in Adolescents, A Sensory Approach for Reducing Added Sugar From Sweetened Beverages
The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether replacing sugary sodas with unsweetened, flavored sparkling waters can reduce added sugar intake and improve health in Black/African American and Latine adolescents with obesity who prefer sweet-tasting beverages. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does replacing sugary sodas with water change liking for sugary drinks, and water? * Do shifts in liking for sweetness lead to improved diet quality and cardiometabolic health? Researchers will compare replacing sugary sodas with one of three alternative beverages: unsweetened sparkling water, plain water, and beverages with gradually reduced sugar to determine which strategy is most effective. Participants will: * Replace sugary sodas with study drinks for 4 weeks * Complete taste tests to measure their liking for and sensory experience of sweetness over 8-weeks * Provide dietary recalls, body measurements, and blood samples over 8-weeks
• Adolescents ages 12 to 18 who display a sweet-liker pattern, characterized by a preference for higher concentrations of sugar in beverages, specifically identifying 0.3M (10.3% sucrose) or above as their most liked sample.
• Adolescents consumes sugar-sweetened soda greater than or equal to 2 times per week. Adolescents must also indicate a willingness to drink study beverages; not currently dieting/changing diet.