Dietary patterns and 14-y weight gain in African American women

An inverse association between healthy dietary patterns and weight gain that has been shown in white populations is not evident in the few studies in African Americans, a population at high risk of obesity.

We prospectively assessed dietary patterns in relation to weight gain in African American women.

The study included 41,351 women aged 21-54 y at enrollment in 1995 in the Black Women's Health Study. Participants reported dietary intake in 1995 and 2001 and current weight every 2 y through mailed questionnaires. By using factor analysis, 2 major dietary patterns were identified: a "vegetables/fruit" pattern and a "meat/fried foods" pattern. Multivariable mixed linear regression models were used to estimate mean weight gain in 14 y of follow-up according to each dietary pattern.

Among women who maintained similar dietary patterns in 1995 and 2001, the vegetables/fruit pattern was associated with significantly less weight gain over 14 y (10.88 and 11.94 kg in the highest and lowest quintiles, respectively; P for trend = 0.003), whereas the meat/fried foods pattern was associated with significantly greater weight gain (12.02 and 10.15 kg in the highest and lowest quintiles, respectively; P for trend < 0.001). The associations were stronger among women aged <35 y, whose weight gain was greatest.

These findings are the first to indicate that African American women may be better able to achieve long-term weight maintenance by consuming a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in red meat and fried foods.