Assessment of the effect of fat-modified foods on diet quality in adults, 19 to 50 years, using data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals.
Fat-reduction strategies and the role of fat-modified foods in the US diet were assessed using a nationally representative survey: the 1996 US Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. A sample of 878 men and 853 women was included. The sample was divided into low fat and high fat based on the Dietary Guideline's cutoff poin of 30% or less of energy from total fat. The survey sample was further stratified in nonusers, low-users or high-users of fat-modified foods. Approximately 10% of 7,000 foods were classified as fat-modified. There was a 400 to 500 kcal difference in energy intake of individuals consuming low-fat compared with high-fat diets. Adults who were users of fat-modified foods consumed more nutrient-dense diets, with higher intakes of vitamin A, folate, and iron. Not all fat-reduction strategies were equally effective in reducing fat and maintaining nutrient intake. Nonusers of fat-modified foods who consumed a low-fat diet tended to do so by substituting carbohydrate, in part from carbonated beverages, for fat. Both men and women consuming a low-fat diet had lower average BMIs; this difference between individuals consuming low-fat vs high-fat diets was significant for women who were high-users of fat-modified foods. The data suggest that a low-fat diet with high use of fat-modified foods may be one strategy for achieving adequate nutrient intake while maintaining weight in the desirable BMI range of 19 to 25.
Kennedy
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E
Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Md., USA.
Bowman
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S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004034:Diet Surveys; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted / Q000592:standards; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D019358:Fat Substitutes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009753:Nutritive Value; D014481:United States; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage
D004041:Dietary Fats; D019358:Fat Substitutes; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D014801:Vitamin A; D005492:Folic Acid