Is dietary fat intake related to liking or household availability of high- and low-fat foods?
OBJECTIVE
Despite the increasing availability of low- and reduced-fat foods, Americans continue to consume more fat than recommended, which may be a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. This investigation examined relationships between liking and household availability of high- and low-fat foods and their association with dietary fat intake.


METHODS
A food frequency questionnaire assessed percent calories from fat consumed over the past year in 85 men and 80 women. Participants reported their degree of liking 22 "high-fat foods" (>45% calories from fat) and 22 "low-fat foods" (<18% calories from fat), and the number and percentage (number of high- or low-fat foods/total number of foods x 100) of these high- and low-fat foods in their homes.


RESULTS
Hierarchical regression analyses examined the ability of liking and household availability of low- and high-fat foods to predict percent dietary fat intake. After controlling for age, sex, and BMI, liking ratings for high- and low-fat foods and the interaction of liking for low-fat foods by the percentage of low-fat foods in the household were significant predictors of percent dietary fat consumed. Greater liking of high-fat foods and lower liking of low-fat foods, both alone and combined with a lower percentage of low-fat foods in the home, were predictive of higher dietary fat intake.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions designed to reduce dietary fat intake should target both decreasing liking for high-fat foods and increasing liking for low-fat foods, along with increasing the proportion of low-fat foods in the household.
Raynor
Hollie A
HA
Department of Psychiatry, and Human Behavior, Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. hraynor@lifespan.org
Polley
Betsy A
BA
Wing
Rena R
RR
Jeffery
Robert W
RW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004041:Dietary Fats