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Dietary fat composition and human adiposity

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 52, pages 2–6 (1998)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the relation between dietary fat composition and adiposity in adult men.

Subjects: A sample of 128 male subjects who participated in Phase 2 of the Québec Family Study.

Design: The association between adiposity and total dietary fat intake (TFI), saturated fat intake (SFA), monounsaturated fat intake (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fat intake (PUFA) was analyzed in the overall sample. A comparison of body fatness was also performed between consumers of high (4th quartile) and low amounts (1st quartile) of TFI, SFA, MUFA and PUFA.

Results: Significant positive correlations were found between the percentage of dietary energy as total fat and body fatness. Men in the upper quartile of TFI displayed significantly more adiposity than those in the lower quartile. Significant differences were also observed when quartiles were established using SFA and MUFA. However, higher intakes of PUFA had no statistical effects on adiposity.

Conclusion: These results confirm the notion that high fat diets might lead over time to excess body fat deposition. SFA and MUFA intake also seem to be predictors of actual adiposity markers while high PUFA intake seems to exert no effect on these markers.

Sponsorship: This work forms part of a research program supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada (PG-11811).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Activity Sciences Laboratory, PEPS, Laval University, Ste-Foy, G1K 7P4, Québec, Canada

    E Doucet, N Alméras, MD White, J-P Després, C Bouchard & A Tremblay

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  1. E Doucet
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  2. N Alméras
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  3. MD White
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  4. J-P Després
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  5. C Bouchard
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  6. A Tremblay
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Doucet, E., Alméras, N., White, M. et al. Dietary fat composition and human adiposity. Eur J Clin Nutr 52, 2–6 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600500

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600500

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