title: Glycemic index and glycemic load in relation to body mass index  and waist to hip ratio.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  High-glycemic index (GI) diet has been associated with obesity, but epidemiological data are inconsistent. We therefore investigated the relation between GI and glycemic load (GL) with body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR), as a measure of body fat distribution.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed data from the control group of a network of hospital-based case-control studies from Italy. A total of 7,724 patients (3,482 men, 4,242 women; age range 18-82 years) were interviewed using a validated 78-item food-frequency questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean BMI decreased from the lowest to the highest tertile of GI from 26.59 to 26.18 kg/m² in men (p ~ 0.005), and from 25.81 to 25.09 kg/m² in women (p < 0.001). With respect to GL tertiles, the corresponding values were 26.41 and 26.25 kg/m² in men (p ~ 0.51), and 26.01 and 24.93 kg/m² in women (p < 0.001). Using linear regression models including terms for major potential confounding factors and energy intake, GI and GL were inversely related to BMI: the coefficients (for the highest compared to the lowest tertile) were -0.46 among men and -0.81 among women for GI, and -0.79 and -1.33 for GL. No consistent association was found with WHR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GI and GL were, if anything, inversely related to BMI and WHR in this Italian population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research, Via La Masa, 19, 20156 Milan, Italy. marta.rossi@marionegri.it
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosetti
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talamini
authors.forename: Pagona
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lagiou
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D050218:Body Fat Distribution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D038321:Glycemic Index; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004043:Dietary Fiber
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