OBJECTIVE Given the high prevalence of obesity in the USA, much recent attention has focused on dietary strategies for weight control. Several medical and scientific societies currently recommend reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). However, the evidence base for a public health recommendation has been a topic of debate. The purpose of this review is not to underscore the debate but rather to consider how recently published data pertaining to SSBs contribute to the evidence base for preventing and treating obesity, with application to caring for patients. RESULTS Consumption of SSBs remains prevalent in the USA. Emerging data from epidemiological studies and clinical trials indicate that consumption contributes to positive energy balance and reducing consumption has beneficial effects on body weight. Some individuals may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of consuming SSBs owing to their ethnicity or genetic predisposition. Plausible physiological mechanisms link consumption of SSBs with weight control. CONCLUSIONS Available data provide an evidence base for counselling patients to reduce consumption of SSBs. Nevertheless, additional research is needed to strengthen the evidence base, particularly studies aimed at understanding susceptibility to the adverse effects of consuming SSBs on body weight and mechanisms for these effects.