title: Dietary fat intake and subsequent weight change in adults: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohorts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is unclear from the inconsistent epidemiologic evidence whether dietary fat intake is associated with future weight change.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to assess the association between the amount and type of dietary fat and subsequent weight change (follow-up weight minus baseline weight divided by duration of follow-up).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 89,432 men and women from 6 cohorts of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study. Using country-specific food-frequency questionnaires, we examined the association between baseline fat intake (amount and type of total, saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats) and annual weight change by using the residual, nutrient density, and energy-partition methods. We used random-effects meta-analyses to obtain pooled estimates across centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean total fat intake as a percentage of energy intake ranged between 31.5% and 36.5% across the 6 cohorts (58% women; mean +/- SD age: 53.2 +/- 8.6 y). The mean (+/-SD) annual weight change was 109 +/- 817 g/y in men and 119 +/- 823 g/y in women. In pooled analyses adjusted for anthropometric, dietary, and lifestyle factors and follow-up period, no significant association was observed between fat intake (amount or type) and weight change. The difference in mean annual weight change was 0.90 g/y (95% CI: -0.54, 2.34 g/y) for men and -1.30 g/y (95% CI: -3.70, 1.11 g/y) for women per 1 g/d energy-adjusted fat intake (residual method).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no significant association between the amount or type of dietary fat and subsequent weight change in this large prospective study. These findings do not support the use of low-fat diets to prevent weight gain.
authors.affiliation: MRC Epidemiology Unit Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom. nita.forouhi@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nita G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Forouhi
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Huaidong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Daphne L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: van der A
authors.forename: Jytte
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halkjaer
authors.forename: Matthias B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tjønneland
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Overvad
authors.forename: Marianne Uhre
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boeing
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buijsse
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palli
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Edith J M
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Feskens
authors.forename: Thorkild I A
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Wareham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats