Financial Conflicts of Interest and Reporting Bias Regarding the Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

English version České info

Background:
Industry sponsors' financial interests might bias the conclusions of scientific research. We examined whether financial industry funding or the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest influenced the results of published systematic reviews (SRs) conducted in the field of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and weight gain or obesity.

Methods and Findings:
We conducted a search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases to identify published SRs from the inception of the databases to August 31, 2013, on the association between SSB consumption and weight gain or obesity. SR conclusions were independently classified by two researchers into two groups: those that found a positive association and those that did not. These two reviewers were blinded with respect to the stated source of funding and the disclosure of conflicts of interest.

We identified 17 SRs (with 18 conclusions). In six of the SRs a financial conflict of interest with some food industry was disclosed. Among those reviews without any reported conflict of interest, 83.3% of the conclusions (10/12) were that SSB consumption could be a potential risk factor for weight gain. In contrast, the same percentage of conclusions, 83.3% (5/6), of those SRs disclosing some financial conflict of interest with the food industry were that the scientific evidence was insufficient to support a positive association between SSB consumption and weight gain or obesity. Those reviews with conflicts of interest were five times more likely to present a conclusion of no positive association than those without them (relative risk: 5.0, 95% CI: 1.3–19.3).

An important limitation of this study is the impossibility of ruling out the existence of publication bias among those studies not declaring any conflict of interest. However, the best large randomized trials also support a direct association between SSB consumption and weight gain or obesity.

Conclusions:
Financial conflicts of interest may bias conclusions from SRs on SSB consumption and weight gain or obesity.

Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Vyšlo v časopise: Financial Conflicts of Interest and Reporting Bias Regarding the Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews. PLoS Med 10(12): e32767. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001578
Kategorie: Research Article
prolekare.web.journal.doi_sk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001578

Souhrn

Conclusions:
Financial conflicts of interest may bias conclusions from SRs on SSB consumption and weight gain or obesity.

Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Zdroje

1. BarnesDE, HanauerP, SladeJ, BeroLA, GlantzSA (1995) Environmental tobacco smoke. The Brown and Williamson documents. JAMA 274: 248–253.

2. Shrader-FrechetteK (2011) Climate change, nuclear economics, and conflicts of interest. Sci Eng Ethics 17: 75–107.

3. BekelmanJE, LiY, GrossCP (2003) Scope and impact of financial conflicts of interest in biomedical research: a systematic review. JAMA 289: 454–465.

4. KottowM (2010) Ethical quandaries posing as conflicts of interest. J Med Ethics 36: 328–332.

5. WangAT, McCoyCP, MuradMH, MontoriVM (2010) Association between industry affiliation and position on cardiovascular risk with rosiglitazone: cross sectional systematic review. BMJ 340: c1344 doi:10.1136/bmj.c1344

6. Angell M (2005) The truth about the drug companies: how they deceive us and what to do about it. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.

7. LesserLI, EbbelingCB, GooznerM, WypijD, LudwigDS (2007) Relationship between funding source and conclusion among nutrition-related scientific articles. PLoS Med 4: e5 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040005

8. AllisonDB, MattesRD (2009) Nutritively sweetened beverage consumption and obesity: the need for solid evidence on a fluid issue. JAMA 301: 318–320.

9. WeedDL, AlthuisMD, MinkPJ (2011) Quality of reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages and health outcomes: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 94: 1340–1347.

10. Nestle M (2007) Food politics: how the food industry influences nutrition and health, 2nd edition. Berkeley: University of California Press.

11. NestleM (2001) Food company sponsorship of nutrition research and professional activities: a conflict of interest? Public Health Nutr 4: 1015–1022.

12. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2009) ACCC acts on Coca-Cola myth-busting. Available: http://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-acts-on-coca-cola-myth-busting. Accessed 19 November 2013.

13. MoherD, LiberatiA, TetzlaffJ, AltmanDG (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med 6: e1000097 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097

14. Osei-AssibeyG, DickS, MacdiarmidJ, SempleS, ReillyJJ, et al. (2012) The influence of the food environment on overweight and obesity in young children: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2: e001538 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001538

15. Te MorengaL, MallardS, MannJ (2012) Dietary sugars and body weight: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies. BMJ 346: e7492 doi:10.1136/bmj.e7492

16. ClabaughK, NeubergerGB (2011) Research evidence for reducing sugar sweetened beverages in children. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs 34: 119–130.

17. MattesRD, ShikanyJM, KaiserKA, AllisonDB (2011) Nutritively sweetened beverage consumption and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized experiments. Obes Rev 12: 346–365.

18. Woodward-LopezG, KaoJ, RitchieL (2010) To what extent have sweetened beverages contributed to the obesity epidemic? Public Health Nutr 14: 499–509.

19. RuxtonCHS, GardnerEJ, McNultyHM (2010) Is sugar consumption detrimental to health? A review of the evidence 1995–2006. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 50: 1–19.

20. OlsenNJ, HeitmannBL (2009) Intake of calorically sweetened beverages and obesity. Obes Rev 10: 68–75.

21. DennisEA, FlackKD, DavyBM (2009) Beverage consumption and adult weight management: a review. Eating Behav 10: 237–246.

22. GibsonS (2008) Sugar-sweetened soft drinks and obesity: a systematic review of the evidence from observational studies and interventions. Nutr Res Rev 21: 134–147.

23. ForsheeRA, AndersonPA, StoreyML (2008) Sugar-sweetened beverages and body mass index in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 87: 1662–1671.

24. HarringtonS (2008) The role of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in adolescent obesity: a review of the literature. J Sch Nurs 24: 3–12.

25. WolffE, DansingerML (2008) Soft drinks and weight gain: how strong is the link? Medscape J Med 10: 189.

26. VartanianLR, SchwartzMB, BrownellKD (2007) Effects of soft drink consumption on nutrition and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Public Health 97: 667–675.

27. ForsheeRA, StoreyML, AllisonDB, GlinsmannWH, HeinGL, et al. (2007) A critical examination of the evidence relating high fructose corn syrup and weight gain. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 47: 561–582.

28. MalikVS, SchulzeMB, HuFB (2006) Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 84: 274–288.

29. MalikVS, PanA, WillettWC, HuFB (2013) Sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain in children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 98: 1084–1102.

30. HaunerH, BechtoldA, BoeingH, BrönstrupA, BuykenA, et al. (2012) Evidence-Based guideline of the German Nutrition Society: carbohydrate intake and prevention of nutrition-related diseases. Ann Nutr Metab 60 (Suppl 1) 1–58.

31. HentgesE (2009) Reply to LI Lesser. Am J Clin Nutr 90: 700–701.

32. RoweS, AlexanderN, ClydesdaleFM, ApplebaumRS, AtkinsonS, et al. (2009) Funding food science and nutrition research: financial conflicts and scientific integrity. Am J Clin Nutr 89: 1285–1291.

33. ThomasO, ThabaneL, DouketisJ, ChurR, WestfallAO, et al. (2008) Industry funding and the reporting quality of large long-term weight loss trials. Int J Obes (Lond) 32: 1531–1536.

34. CopeMB, AllisonDB (2010) White hat bias: examples of its presence in obesity research and a call for renewed commitment of faithfulness in research reporting. Int J Obes (Lond) 34: 84–88.

35. HuFB (2013) Resolved: there is sufficient scientific evidence that decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption will reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Obes Rev 14: 606–619.

36. EbbelingCB, FeldmanHA, ChomitzVR, AntonelliTA, GortmakerSL, et al. (2012) A randomized trial of sugar-sweetened beverages and adolescent body weight. N Engl J Med 367: 1407–1416.

37. De RuyterJC, OlthofMR, SeidellJC, KatanMB (2012) A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight in children. N Engl J Med 367: 1397–1406.

38. QiQ, ChuAY, KangJH, JensenMK, CurhanGC, et al. (2012) Sugar-sweetened beverages and genetic risk of obesity. N Engl J Med 367: 1387–1396.

39. AlthuisMD, WeedDL (2013) Evidence mapping: methodologic foundations and application to intervention and observational research on sugar-sweetened beverages and health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr 98: 755–768.

40. The PLoS Medicine Editors (2012) PLoS Medicine series on Big Food: the food industry is ripe for scrutiny. PLoS Med 9: e1001246 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001246

41. StucklerD, NestleM (2012) Big Food, food systems, and global health. PLoS Med 9: e1001242 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001242

42. StucklerD, McKeeM, EbrahimS, BasuS (2012) Manufacturing epidemics: the role of global producers in increased consumption of unhealthy commodities including processed foods, alcohol, and tobacco. PLoS Med 9: e1001235 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001235

43. HastingsG (2012) Why corporate power is a public health priority. BMJ 345: e5124 doi:10.1136/bmj.e5124

44. MoodieR, StucklerD, MonteiroC, SheronN, NealB, et al. (2013) Profits and pandemics: prevention of harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed food and drink industries. Lancet 381: 670–679.

45. LesserLI (2009) Reducing potential bias in industry-funded nutrition research. Am J Clin Nutr 90: 699–700.

46. KuehnBM (2013) Harmonizing reporting of financial conflicts. JAMA 309: 19.

47. DrazenJM, de LeeuwPW, LaineC, MulrowC, DeAngelisCD, et al. (2010) Toward more uniform conflicts disclosures—the updated ICMJE conflicts of interest reporting form. JAMA 304: 212–213.