Low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet not associated with weight gain
in postmenopausal women
January 04, 2006
Laptop Battery In a clinical trial of over 48,000 post-menopausal women, a
low-fat diet that includes increased consumption of fruits,
vegetables and whole grains is not associated with weight gain over
an average of 7.5 years, according to a study in the January 4
issue of JAMA.
An overall healthy diet, including lowfat milk and milk products, whole grains, fruits and vegetables was also associated with a benefit 20 percent lower ACR or healthier kidney function.
Thinkpad The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased
dramatically during the past several decades, according to
background information in the article. A number of popular diet
books have suggested that increasing obesity may be attributed to
the diets recommended for chronic disease prevention by various
national health organizations, specifically, diets that are lower
in total and saturated fat and high in carbohydrates from
vegetables, fruits, and whole grains or fiber-rich foods.
Proponents of the popular alternative diets have claimed that the
higher proportion of carbohydrates in the standard diets may
promote weight gain.
(AXcess News) A recent study shows that obese women are more at risk to breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, postmenopausal women who gain more than 60 pounds during their adult years are three times as likely to be diagnosed with the most deadly forms of breast cancer as women who gain 20 pounds or less. The study shows that women who gain weight after the age of 18 were found to have a significant risk for contracing all types of breast cancer from being overweight.
Microsoft Barbara V. Howard, Ph.D., of the MedStar Research Institute,
Washington, D.C., and colleagues examined long-term data on the
relationships between weight changes and specific changes in
dietary components and macronutrient composition. The data were
from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Dietary Modification
Trial, which was designed to examine the long-term benefits and
risks of a dietary pattern low in fat, with increased vegetable,
fruit, and grain intake, on breast and colorectal cancers and
cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Between 1993 and
1998, 48,835 postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either
a low-fat dietary intervention or self-selected dietary control
group. The data included body measurements and nutrient data
through August 31, 2004, with an average follow-up of 7.5 years.
Forty percent (19,541) of the participants were randomized to the
intervention and 60 percent (29,294) to a control group. The
intervention included group and individual sessions to promote a
decrease in fat intake and increases in vegetable, fruit, and grain
consumption and did not include weight loss or caloric restriction
goals. The control group received diet-related education
materials.
Some women will be concerned that the IOMs recommended weight gain will result in too much weight gain or more weight retention after the baby is born, but there is no evidence to support this concern. Although there are risks associated with being overweight during pregnancy, dieting during pregnancy can seriously endanger the health of the fetus. A low rate of pregnancy weight gain has been shown, in most studies, to increase the risk of premature delivery.24 There is no evidence that restricting normal weight gain in pregnancy is either safe or beneficial.25
Laptop Computers "Results show that after losing 2.2 kg [4.8 lbs.] in the first
year, women in the intervention group maintained a modest weight
loss, compared with the control group, during an average 7.5 years
of follow-up and showed no increase from their baseline weight at
any point during the study. Weights in the intervention group were
lower than those of the control group, who followed their usual
eating pattern during the follow-up period, suggesting that a
low-fat dietary pattern may help attenuate the tendency for weight
gain commonly observed in postmenopausal women," the authors
write.
While dietary fat, especially saturated fat, may play a role in breast cancer, fat diet also causes weight loss. Studies repeatedly link being overweight with a greater risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence. In the Nurses’ Health Study, large weight gains after a diagnosis of breast cancer correlated with a 64 percent greater risk of recurrence; smaller weight gains led to smaller increases in risk.
Laptop Computer No tendency toward weight gain was observed in intervention
group women overall or when stratified by age, ethnicity, or body
mass index. Weight loss was greatest among women in either group
who decreased their percentage of energy from fat. A similar but
lesser trend was observed with increases in vegetable and fruit
servings, and a nonsignificant trend toward weight loss occurred
with increasing intake of fiber.
Some women will be concerned that the IOM’s recommended weight gain will result in too much weight gain or more weight retention after the baby is born, but there is no evidence to support this concern. Although there are risks associated with being overweight during pregnancy, dieting during pregnancy can seriously endanger the health of the foetus. A low rate of pregnancy weight gain has been shown, in most studies, to increase the risk of premature delivery.25 There is no evidence that restricting normal weight gain in pregnancy is either safe or beneficial.26 Top
Desktop Computer "In summary, the results of this long-term trial of diverse
postmenopausal women demonstrate that long-term recommendations to
achieve a diet lower in total and saturated fat with increased
consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and without
focus on weight loss, do not cause weight gain. Long-term effects
of this dietary pattern on other health outcomes will be available
after confirmation of end points and data analyses are completed,
and long-term weight-loss studies designed to compare hypocaloric
diets of varying macronutrient intake will be needed to establish
the relative merits of different weight-loss regimens," the
researchers conclude.
Notebooks JAMA and Archives Journals
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