Live Science: Liquid calories are the bigger culprit than food itself, when it comes to weight loss, a new study suggests.

That means soft drinks or soda, as well as fruit drinks, fruit punch and high-calorie beverages sweetened with sugar.

The researchers examined the relationship between beverage consumption among adults and weight change and found weight loss linked to a reduction in liquid calorie consumption. Liquid calorie intake had a stronger impact on weight than solid calorie intake among the 810 male and female subjects recruited from Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Durham, N.C., and Portland, Ore. The results are published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Among beverages, sugar-sweetened beverages was the only beverage type significantly associated with weight change at both the 6- and 18-month follow up periods," said Dr. Liwei Chen, lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at Louisiana State University's School of Public Health.

"Our study supports policy recommendations and public health efforts to reduce intakes of liquid calories, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages, in the general population," she said.

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