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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196488
Title: WHOLE GRAINS AND RELATED DIETARY PATTERNS IN RELATION TO WEIGHT GAIN

Author
item MCKEOWN, NICOLA - TUFTS/HNRCA
item SERDULA, MARY - CTRS DIS CONTROL PREVENT
item LIU, SIMIN - UNIV CA, LOS ANGELES

Submitted to: Whole Grains and Health
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2006
Publication Date: 2/1/2007
Citation: McKeown, N.M., Serdula, M., Liu, S. 2007. Whole grains and related dietary patterns in relation to weight gain. In: Marquart, L., Jacobs, D., McIntosh, G, Poutanen, K. Whole Grains and Health. Ames, IA: Blackwell Publishing. p. 47-58.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Obesity rates continue to rise in the US and currently an estimated two thirds of Americans are overweight and about 31% are obese. Although genetics play a role, environmental factors such as diet and physical activity are indisputably the major factors contributing to the obesity epidemic. Weight gain arises as a consequence of positive energy balance, either because of excessive caloric intake and/or reduced physical activity. Both excessive intakes of dietary fats and carbohydrates can be important contributors to excessive caloric consumption, however, these macronutrients should not be viewed as single entities but rather broken down into their sources and types. Whole-grain foods may be one aspect of diet that play a role in body weight regulation and prevention of weight gain. This chapter reviews the epidemiological evidence linking carbohydrate-related dietary factors, particularly whole-grain, dietary fiber and related dietary patterns to weight gain and measures of adiposity. Based on the review of the current evidence, there is a need for prospective data to confirm 1) whether the inverse relationship between whole-grain intake and weight gain is attributed to the bran other component of whole-grains and 2) whether different fiber sources are differently related to weight gain. Although existing evidence from prospective studies suggests that individuals consuming more dietary fiber or whole grains gain less weight over time, long-term intervention studies that control dietary and other environmental factors are clearly needed.