Patterns of dietary habits are associated with metabolic health status in adults

Metabolic disorders have a detrimental effect on individuals' health status, regardless of their weight. We aimed to assess the link between diet-related behaviours and metabolic health status as well as serum levels of adropin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A cross-sectional investigation involving 527 adults was conducted in Isfahan, Iran. Dietary habits were assessed in five domains including meal pattern, eating rate, meal-to-sleep interval, intra-meal fluid intake and fatty food intake. Based on the lipid and glycaemic profile, inflammation status and insulin resistance, participants were classified as having either metabolically healthy or metabolically unhealthy (MU) status. Serum concentrations of BDNF and adropin were also evaluated. Metabolic unhealthy normal-weight and overweight/obese status were prevalent in 8·7 % and 33·8 % of study population, respectively. We recognised three eating rate classes, two meal pattern classes, two meal-to-sleep interval classes, two intra-meal fluid intake classes, and two fatty food intake classes. Slow eating rate was related to lower odds of MU profile (OR = 0·39, 95 % CI: 0·17, 0·91). Moreover, fast eating rate was positively associated with hyperglycaemia (OR = 3·55, 95 % CI: 1·48, 8·51). More intra-meal fluid intake was also associated with higher chance of MU profile (OR = 2·21, 95 % CI: 1·35, 3·63), high homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (OR = 2·20, 95 % CI: 1·06, 4·58), hypertriglyceridaemia (OR = 2·23, 95 % CI: 1·36, 3·65) and hypertension (OR = 1·66, 95 % CI: 1·03, 2·69). Serum BDNF or adropin was not associated with classes of diet-related habits. More intra-meal fluid intake was linked to higher chance of having MU profile, while slow eating rate was related to decreased odds of MU profile among Iranian adults.