title: Dietary fat as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Too much information is missing for a definitive recommendation to be made concerning the role of diet in the development of diabetes. Although studies in certain population subgroups show a positive correlation between amount of dietary fat intake and occurrence of type 2 diabetes, these cannot be considered definitive, in part because they are confounded by many other variables that might relate to the development of diabetes. Furthermore, dietary fat intake has not been correlated with certainty to diabetes risk factors. With regard to diabetes risk, type of dietary fat consumed may be more important than total dietary fat intake. Several studies suggest that diets higher in saturated fat may pose a higher diabetes risk than those higher in unsaturated fat. Although there is a general consensus that reduced consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol reduces CVD risk, there are no definite nutrition recommendations to prevent diabetes. The most important recommendation may be for health-care providers to carefully assess diabetes risk in their patients and institute dietary changes on an individual basis as needed to achieve and maintain body weight.
authors.affiliation: MedStar Research Institute, Washington, District of Columbia 20010, USA. barbara.v.howard@medstar.net
authors.forename: Barbara V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats