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Objective: The overall trend of obesity prevalence has increased during the last decades, even in France which has one of the lowest prevalence in Europe. The aim of this study was to assess, according to socioeconomic status (SES), whether a shift in the obesity prevalence trends could be observed since the French National Nutrition and Public Health Program was implemented in 2001., Methods: Standardised cross-sectional repeated population-based data from the French Social Security Health Examination Centers in the central-western region of France (n=339,882). We examined regression slopes (95% CI) of overall and abdominal obesity from 1995 to 2005 according to SES. We also compared slopes within each SES between 1995-2001 and 2001-2005., Results: After standardisation to the French age distribution, 6.9% of men and 6.4% of women were obese in 1995 and 8.9% and 8.6% in 2005, respectively. Abdominal adiposity concerned 5.6% of men and 8.5% of women in 1995 and 9.5% and 14.3% in 2005. Obesity prevalence regression slopes between 1995 and 2005 increased in all SES categories, except management professionals in both genders and office/service personnel male who were stable. Significant regression slopes before 2001 became non-significant afterward in office/service personnel males for obesity prevalence; and for abdominal obesity in manual workers women and office/service personnel (p=0.05, in men)., Conclusions: Our data confirm the overall epidemic rise in the obesity prevalence trends during the last decade, except in management professionals and office/service personnel men. Obesity prevalence trends in office/service personnel and manual workers women for abdominal obesity were also observed to stabilise since 2001. We could hypothesize that the National Nutrition and Public Health Program may partly be involved in this decreasing trend among office/service personnel mainly. Policymakers should take into account these data to assess the effectiveness of obesity prevention public-health strategies in the future.

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption has become a health priority in many countries. Therefore, data investigating the influence of different types of fruits and vegetables on serum antioxidant levels would be useful. The objective of the study was to assess the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and vitamin serum antioxidant concentrations. Specific fruit and vegetable groups are evaluated. A total of 3521 subjects (1487 men and 2034 women), aged 35-60 years, participating in the SU.VI.MAX cohort were included in this study. Blood samples of participants were analysed for beta-carotene, vitamin C and alpha-tocopherol. Each subject had completed at least six dietary records during the first 2 years of the study. It was found that women had higher mean beta-carotene and vitamin C serum concentrations than men, but lower alpha-tocopherol serum concentrations. Serum beta-carotene and vitamin C concentrations were positively correlated with consumption of both fruit and vegetables, as well as with most of the fruit and vegetable groups tested. These relationships persisted after adjustment for confounding factors. Regression analysis showed a linear dose-response relationship. Root vegetables and citrus fruits were particularly associated with beta-carotene serum status as were citrus fruits for vitamin C. Fruit and vegetable consumption was either not or weakly associated with alpha-tocopherol serum concentrations. These results describe antioxidant serum concentrations according to fruit and vegetable consumption in a large sample and support the findings of previous studies involving a more limited number of subjects.

Background: Observational data suggest a protective effect of several antioxidants on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and type 2 diabetes. However, randomized trials have yielded inconsistent results., Objectives: The first objective was to assess the effect of 7.5 y of antioxidant supplementation on FPG at 7.5 y. The second objective was to examine the epidemiologic association of baseline dietary intakes or plasma antioxidants and FPG (at baseline and at 7.5 y)., Design: Subjects (n = 3146) from the Supplementation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants (SU.VI.MAX) primary prevention trial in France were randomly assigned to receive a daily capsule containing 120 mg vitamin C, 30 mg vitamin E, 6 mg beta-carotene, 100 mug Se, and 20 mg Zn or a placebo., Results: After 7.5 y, no significant difference was observed between age-adjusted mean FPG in men (P = 0.78) and women (P = 0.89) in either group. Baseline beta-carotene dietary intakes and plasma concentrations were inversely associated with FPG in multivariate mixed models (P = 0.0045 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Baseline plasma vitamin C and selenium were negatively (P = 0.0455) and positively (P < 0.0001) associated, respectively, with FPG., Conclusions: Supplementation with antioxidants at nutritional doses for 7.5 y had no effect on FPG in men or women who followed a balanced diet. An inverse association of baseline beta-carotene dietary intake and plasma concentrations with FPG was found, probably because beta-carotene is an indirect marker of fruit and vegetable intakes.