NEW YORK: Taking fruit juice does not make children obese, says a new study by a Houston based medical college.

The researchers during the survey studied the dietary intakes of 3,618 children in the age group of 2-11 years.

"We did not find a relationship between 100 percent juice consumption and obesity among children," said Theresa Nicklas, a child nutrition researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

The mean consumption of fruit juice of this child population was 4.1 ounces (about 1/2 cup) in keeping with the recommendations of the American Academy of Paediatrics.

Although 13 per cent of the target group consumed larger quantities of juice (12 ounces or more), their increased consumption was not found to be associated with overweight or at risk of being overweight, reported the health portal Medical News Today.

In fact, children in the age group of 2-3 years were three times less likely to be overweight or obese than their counterparts who drank no juice at all, said the researchers.

Juice consumption also did not decrease the amount of milk in children's diets, disproving a common misconception, the study said.