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People concerned about weight control often focus
on a specific aspect of their diets. Should they eat low-fat
or low-carb? Mini-meals throughout the day or three square
meals? New research from the famous Framingham Study shows
that someone’s overall eating pattern can go a long
way toward predicting the likelihood of becoming overweight.
The new satudy study, published in the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association, tracks a group of more than 700 women
who all originally met standards for a healthy weight. After
checking their use of 145 different foods, each person was
placed into one of several categories based on the overall
pattern of their food choices.
Those with a “heart healthy” pattern tended to
eat more vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, whole
grains, fish, lean poultry and beans. Twelve years later,
this group of women were the least likely to have become overweight.
Those women with an “empty calorie” pattern were
the most likely to have become overweight, due to high consumption
of sweetened drinks, desserts and high-fat foods.
In fact, more than 40 percent of the once normal-weight “empty
calorie” eaters became overweight over the next twelve
years. Both groups had some women who became overweight, but
those with the empty-calorie pattern were far more likely
to do so.
Surprisingly, at the start of the study, these two groups
differed only slightly in their activity level and their consumption
of calories, fat and carbohydrates.
Research repeatedly shows that people tend to underestimate
their portion sizes. If so, the calories consumed by the empty-calorie
group, who ate foods high in sugar or fat, could add up more
quickly than for the heart-healthy group, who ate more low-calorie
foods like fruits and vegetables.
Other reasons might also explain the difference in weight
changes for the two groups. Desserts and snack foods are often
eaten without regard for portion size. Also, because calorie
needs drop during middle age, continued liberal use of high-fat,
high-sugar foods could have accounted for the extra weight
gain.
ATTITUDE ALSO IMPORTANT
Perhaps the women in the empty-calorie pattern shared an attitude
that leads to weight gain. At the start of the study, almost
78 percent of women with the heart-healthy pattern reported
they had already made changes to create healthier eating habits.
Such efforts were reported by less than 40 percent of those
in the empty-calorie group.
The heart-healthy group may have had a more pro-active, prevention-oriented
outlook that led them to improve eating habits or increase
activity level. And they may have taken corrective steps if
they began to gain weight in later years.
In a recent American Dietetic Association survey, attitudes
categorized as “I Know I Should, But…” or
“Don’t Bother Me” may have been more typical
among those in the empty-calorie group.
Eating patterns provide useful insights into who gains weight
and why, but they can’t explain it all. The heart-healthy
pattern was no guarantee of maintaining a healthy weight.
Almost a quarter of this group became overweight.
On the other hand, some people in the empty-calorie group
managed to maintain a healthy weight. But even if poor eating
habits don’t cause weight problems, they can still lead
to greater risk of cancer and other ailments. As the American
Institute for Cancer Research continues to stress, weight
control, lower cancer risk and better overall health are achieved
through more than healthy food choices. Appropriate portion
sizes, an active lifestyle, moderate intake of alcohol, and
avoiding tobacco are also important.
© 2002 Newsweek, Inc., Nov. 15, 2002
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