Intake of ‘low-fat’ foods in a representative sample of the Paris area: anthropometric, nutritional and socio-demographic correlates

This epidemiological study compared consumers and non-consumers of several ‘low-fat’ foods typical of the French diet: skimmed milk, ‘low-fat’ butter, ‘low-fat’ cheese, ‘low-fat’ yogurt. The population was selected at random from the Val de Marne, a district close to Paris. A sample of 741 people, aged 18–65 years (416 women, 325 men) agreed to report habitual intake according to the Dietary History Method. Many anthropometric differences appeared between female consumers and non-consumers of ‘low-fat’ foods. Consumers were slightly older and heavier as measured by the Body Mass Index (weight/height2) and had greater waist, hip and thigh circumference values. Women consumers ate less in terms of daily energy and various food choices: potatoes, pasta, rice, sugar. Intake differences were most apparent in the groups of younger women (18–29 years). The vitamin and mineral density of the diet was greater in women consumers. Male consumers of ‘low-fat’ foods ingested less alcohol regardless of age, but they ate more chocolate, jam and honey. The vitamin and mineral density of their diet was also greater. The majority of men ate enough to meet recommended nutrient allowances. This was often not the case in women, and improving the nutritional density of their diet might yield long-term benefits.