Dietary fat and body fat: an intervention study.
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of body composition in relation to the habitual diet and after a six month dietary intervention.


METHODS
After a baseline measurement subjects were randomly assigned to either a group consuming reduced-fat products or a group consuming full-fat products for six months.


METHODS
108 women and 109 men, equally distributed over the age range 19-35 with BMI between 21 and 28, and the age range 36-55 with BMI between 24 and 30.


METHODS
Food intake was measured by three day dietary record, body composition by deuterium dilution.


RESULTS
At baseline, explained variance of %body fat on age and fat-carbohydrate ratio in the diet together were 17% (P < 0.0001) and 36% (P < 0.0001) for women and men, respectively, and on diet alone 7-8% (P < 0.01) independent of gender. The diet intervention caused on average a change in fat intake and body fat mass in subjects of the reduced-fat group of -5 +/- 29 g/d (P < 0.05) and -0.1 +/- 2.1 kg (ns), respectively, and of +23 +/- 31 g/d (P < 0.0001) and +0.5 +/- 2.3 kg (P < 0.05) in subjects of the full-fat group. The change in the fat content of the diet was positively related to a change in energy intake (fat-carbohydrate ratio: R2 = 0.15, P < 0.0001; g fat: R2 = 0.70, P < 0.0001), the latter explaining 5% of the variation in the change in body fat mass (P < 0.001). Subjects changing the fat content of the diet showed a consequent change in body fat mass only when energy intake changed as well.


CONCLUSIONS
The fat content of the diet has an effect on body fat as a function of the effect of dietary fat on energy intake.
Westerterp
K R
KR
Department of Human Biology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Verboeket-van de Venne
W P
WP
Westerterp-Plantenga
M S
MS
Velthuis-te Wierik
E J
EJ
de Graaf
C
C
Weststrate
J A
JA
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003903:Deuterium; D015930:Diet Records; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D003903:Deuterium