title: Intake of Sweets, Snacks and Soft Drinks Predicts Weight Gain in Obese Pregnant Women: Detailed Analysis of the Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lifestyle interventions targeting obese pregnant women often result in modest reduction in gestational weight gain, pregnancy complications and related risk factors. Examining adherence to the intervention can, however, provide valuable information on the importance of the different factors targeted.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate improvements and relevance of different dietary factors targeted with respect to gestational weight gain in a 3-arm Randomised Controlled Trial (n=342) among obese pregnant women with BMI≥30 kg/m2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomisation 1:1:1 to either hypocaloric Mediterranean type of diet and physical activity intervention (D+PA); physical activity intervention alone (PA); or control (C). Diet was assessed at baseline (weeks 11-14) and endpoint (weeks 36-37) using a validated food frequency questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the intervention women in the D+PA group significantly lowered their intakes of added sugars and saturated fat and increased their protein intake by ~1% of total energy compared to controls. Of these dietary variables only intakes of added sugar appeared to be related to GWG, while no association was observed for saturated fat or protein. Further analyses revealed that foods that contributed to intake of added sugars, including sweets, snacks, cakes, and soft drinks were strongly associated with weight gain, with women consuming sweets ≥2/day having 5.4 kg (95% CI 2.1-8.7) greater weight gain than those with a low (<1wk) intake. The results for soft drinks were more conflicting, as women with high weight gain tended to favour artificially sweetened soft drinks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our sample of obese pregnant women, craving for sweets, snacks, and soft drinks strongly predicts GWG. Emphasis on reducing intakes of these foods may be more relevant for limiting gestational weight gain than encouraging strict compliance to more specific diets.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01345149.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kristina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Emma M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nørgaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lisbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilas
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pryds
authors.affiliation: The Research Unit Women's and Children's Health, the Juliane Marie Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Secher
authors.affiliation: Centre for Foetal Programming, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sjurdur F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Centre for Foetal Programming, Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Thorhallur I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Halldorsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D062410:Snacks; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D013549:Sweetening Agents