Abstract
Abstract Background Central obesity, characterized by high waist circumference (WC), has been independently associated with higher chronic diseases and mortality risk. To date, controversial evidence is available concerning the beneficial effects of spicy foods on central obesity. We aimed to prospectively examine the association between preference for spicy foods and incident central obesity in Korean adults aged 40 and over. Methods We included 6,042 participants free of central obesity at baseline. Central obesity was defined as having WC ≥ 90 cm for men and ≥ 85 cm for women. As an exposure, preference for spicy foods was measured using a five-scale response option from the lowest to the highest preference and a Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) with confidence intervals (CI) for central obesity. Results During 45,654 person-years (median 9 years) of follow-up, 1,778 incident central obesity cases occurred. Compared to the lowest preference for spicy foods, the highest preference for spicy foods was associated with greater central obesity risk (HR = 1.43, 95% CI = 0.99-2.05, p trend=0.002). No interaction existed between preference for spicy foods and gender on central obesity incidence (p interaction > 0.05). Conclusions Appreciated for spicy foods was associated with an excess risk of central obesity incidence in Korean adults aged 40 years and older. Key messages These findings may provide informative evidence on primary prevention of central obesity, particularly for populations with a higher preference for spicy foods.
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