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There is conflicting evidence regarding an association between the consumption of energy-dense snack (EDS) foods and the development of overweight.In the current study, we examined whether there was an association between the intake of EDS foods and annual weight and waist circumference changes in normal-weight and overweight Dutch adults.The study population included 9383 men and women from the MORGEN-EPIC (Monitoring Project on Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases in the Netherlands-European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study, which is a population-based cohort study in 3 towns in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Maastricht, and Doetinchem), who had a body mass index (in kg/m(2))30 and who were not dieting. Participants were enrolled between 1993 and 1997 and followed for an average of 8.1 y (Amsterdam and Maastricht: 9.9 y; Doetinchem: 4.9 y). Intake of EDS foods (sweets, cakes and pastries, and savory snacks) was assessed at baseline by using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Multivariate linear and multinomial logistic regression models were applied and stratified by center to examine the association between energy from EDS foods (kcal) and annual weight and waist circumference changes.The mean (±SD) daily energy intake from EDS foods was 294 ± 192 kcal. In Amsterdam and Maastricht, the annual weight change was 168 ± 572 g/y, whereas in Doetinchem, the annual weight change was 444 ± 816 g/y. In the multivariate regression analysis adjusted for follow-up duration and anthropometric, dietary, and lifestyle factors, there was some, but inconsistent, evidence of an association of EDS-food consumption with annual weight change.Our study provides some, but inconsistent, evidence that consumption of EDS foods is positively associated with an increase in annual weight in normal- to overweight Dutch adults.

Udgivelsesdato: 2010-Feb BACKGROUND: Dietary fiber may play a role in obesity prevention. Until now, the role that fiber from different sources plays in weight change had rarely been studied. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to investigate the association of total dietary fiber, cereal fiber, and fruit and vegetable fiber with changes in weight and waist circumference. DESIGN: We conducted a prospective cohort study with 89,432 European participants, aged 20-78 y, who were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes at baseline and who were followed for an average of 6.5 y. Dietary information was collected by using validated country-specific food-frequency questionnaires. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed in each center studied, and estimates were combined by using random-effects meta-analyses. Adjustments were made for follow-up duration, other dietary variables, and baseline anthropometric, demographic, and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: Total fiber was inversely associated with subsequent weight and waist circumference change. For a 10-g/d higher total fiber intake, the pooled estimate was -39 g/y (95% CI: -71, -7 g/y) for weight change and -0.08 cm/y (95% CI: -0.11, -0.05 cm/y) for waist circumference change. A 10-g/d higher fiber intake from cereals was associated with -77 g/y (95% CI: -127, -26 g/y) weight change and -0.10 cm/y (95% CI: -0.18, -0.02 cm/y) waist circumference change. Fruit and vegetable fiber was not associated with weight change but had a similar association with waist circumference change when compared with intake of total dietary fiber and cereal fiber. CONCLUSION: Our finding may support a beneficial role of higher intake of dietary fiber, especially cereal fiber, in prevention of body-weight and waist circumference gain.

Udgivelsesdato: 2009-Dec BACKGROUND: It is unclear from the inconsistent epidemiologic evidence whether dietary fat intake is associated with future weight change. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to assess the association between the amount and type of dietary fat and subsequent weight change (follow-up weight minus baseline weight divided by duration of follow-up). DESIGN: We analyzed data from 89,432 men and women from 6 cohorts of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study. Using country-specific food-frequency questionnaires, we examined the association between baseline fat intake (amount and type of total, saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats) and annual weight change by using the residual, nutrient density, and energy-partition methods. We used random-effects meta-analyses to obtain pooled estimates across centers. RESULTS: Mean total fat intake as a percentage of energy intake ranged between 31.5% and 36.5% across the 6 cohorts (58% women; mean +/- SD age: 53.2 +/- 8.6 y). The mean (+/-SD) annual weight change was 109 +/- 817 g/y in men and 119 +/- 823 g/y in women. In pooled analyses adjusted for anthropometric, dietary, and lifestyle factors and follow-up period, no significant association was observed between fat intake (amount or type) and weight change. The difference in mean annual weight change was 0.90 g/y (95% CI: -0.54, 2.34 g/y) for men and -1.30 g/y (95% CI: -3.70, 1.11 g/y) for women per 1 g/d energy-adjusted fat intake (residual method). CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant association between the amount or type of dietary fat and subsequent weight change in this large prospective study. These findings do not support the use of low-fat diets to prevent weight gain.

Background: Genetic polymorphisms of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) have been associated with type 2 diabetes and BMI. Objective: The objective was to investigate whether TCF7L2 HapA is associated with weight development and whether such an association is modulated by protein intake or by the glycemic index (GI). Design: The investigation was based on prospective data from 5 cohort studies nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Weight changewas followed up for a mean (6SD) of 6.8 6 2.5 y. TCF7L2 rs7903146 and rs10885406 were successfully genotyped in 11,069 individuals and used to derive HapA. Multiple logistic and linear regression analysis was applied to test for the main effect of HapA and its interaction with dietary protein or GI. Analyses from the cohorts were combined by randomeffects meta-analysis. Results: HapA was associated neither with baseline BMI (0.03 6 0.07 BMI units per allele; P= 0.6) nor with annual weight change (8.8 6 11.7 g/y per allele; P= 0.5). However, a previously shown positive association between intake of protein, particularly of animal origin, and subsequent weight change in this population proved to be attenuated by TCF7L2 HapA (P-interaction = 0.01). We showed that weight gain becomes independent of protein intake with an increasing number of HapA alleles. Substitution of protein with either fat or carbohydrates showed the same effects. No interaction with GI was observed. Conclusion: TCF7L2 HapA attenuates the positive association between animal protein intake and long-term body weight change in middle-aged Europeans but does not interact with the GI of the diet. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.014670.

Background: Carbohydrate quantity and quality may play an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Objective: We investigated the associations of dietary glycemic load (GL), glycemic index (GI), carbohydrate, and fiber intake with the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Design: A prospective cohort study was conducted in 37,846 participants of the EPIC-NL (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands) study, aged 21-70 y at baseline and free of diabetes. Dietary intake was assessed with the use of a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Incident diabetes cases were mainly self-reported and verified against general practitioner records. Results: During a mean follow-up of 10 y, 915 incident diabetes cases were documented. Dietary GL was associated with an increased diabetes risk after adjustment for age, sex, established diabetes risk factors, and dietary factors [hazard ratio (HR) per SD increase: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.14, 1.54; P < 0.001]. GI tended to increase diabetes risk (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.17; P = 0.05). Dietary fiber was inversely associated with diabetes risk (HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.99; P < 0.05), whereas carbohydrate intake was associated with increased diabetes risk (HR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.32; P < 0.05). Of the carbohydrate subtypes, only starch was related to increased diabetes risk [HR: 1.25 (1.07, 1.46), P < 0.05]. All associations became slightly stronger after exclusion of energy misreporters. Conclusions: Diets high in GL, GI, and starch and low in fiber were associated with an increased diabetes risk. Both carbohydrate quantity and quality seem to be important factors in diabetes prevention. Energy misreporting contributed to a slight attenuation of associations.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) reported inconsistent findings on their association with metabolic risk factors. This may partly have been due to differences in underlying dietary patterns. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the association of GI and GL with food and nutrient intake and with metabolic risk factors including blood glucose, insulin, lipids, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP). DESIGN: The study entailed cross-sectional analyses of data from 2 joint observational studies, the CoDAM Study and the Hoorn Study. RESULTS: In total, 974 subjects aged 42-87 y were included in the study. The mean (+/-SD) GI was 57 +/- 4 and the mean GL was 130 +/- 39. Dairy products, potatoes and other tubers, cereal products, and fruit were the main predictive food groups for GI. GL was closely correlated with intake of total carbohydrates (r(s) = 0.97), which explained >95% of the variation in GL. After adjustment for potential confounders, GI was significantly inversely associated with HDL cholesterol and positively associated with fasting insulin, the homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance, the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol, and CRP. No association was observed between GL and any of the metabolic risk factors, except for a borderline significant positive association with CRP. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, a low-GI diet, which is high in dairy and fruit but low in potatoes and cereals, is associated with improved insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism and reduced chronic inflammation. GL is highly correlated with carbohydrate intake and is not clearly associated with the investigated metabolic risk factors.