Dietary fat, coronary heart disease, and cancer: a historical review.
OBJECTIVE
This report describes the historical development of medical theories and research concerning the relationship between dietary fat intake and breast and colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease (CHD).


METHODS
The historical and medical literature on this topic was analyzed with special reference to the Woman's Health Initiative (WHI) studies.


RESULTS
After 1900, changes in clothing fashions and life insurance mortality studies created strong preferences for slimness and emphasized reduced dietary fat intake as the preferred method of weight control. After midcentury, ecological correlations of countries found that national average dietary fat intake was related to national breast cancer and CHD rates. These relationships were not found in longitudinal studies of the same countries or in studies of dietary fat intake of individuals, including the WHI study. Dietary fat intake was found to affect colorectal cancer in some studies of individuals, although not the WHI. The WHI, like other intervention studies of dietary fat reduction, used unrepresentative samples and costly lifestyle change techniques that are not economically feasible in the community.


CONCLUSIONS
The WHI concurred with many other studies in finding that dietary fat intake is not a significant risk factor for CHD or breast cancer.
Rothstein
William G
WG
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. rothstei@umbc.edu
D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000266:history; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000266:history* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
D004041:Dietary Fats