Abstract
Dietary guidelines recommend removing visible fat from meat, choosing low-fat options and cooking with oil instead of butter. This study examined cross-sectional associations between fat-related eating behaviors and a continuous metabolic syndrome (cMetSyn) score among young adults. During 2004–2006, 2071 participants aged 26–36 years reported how often they trimmed fat from meat, consumed low-fat dairy products and used different types of fat for cooking. A fasting blood sample was collected. Blood pressure, weight and height were measured. To create the cMetSyn score, sex-specific principal component analysis was applied to normalized risk factors of the harmonized definition of metabolic syndrome. Higher score indicates higher risk. For each behavior, differences in mean cMetSyn score were calculated using linear regression adjusted for confounders. Analyses were stratified by weight status (Body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2 or ≥ 25 kg/m2). Mean cMetSyn score was positively associated with consumption of low-fat oily dressing (PTrend = 0.013) among participants who were healthy weight and frequency of using canola/sunflower oil for cooking (PTrend = 0.008) among participants who were overweight/obese. Trimming fat from meat, cooking with olive oil, cooking with butter, and consuming low-fat dairy products were not associated with cMetSyn score. Among young adults, following fat-related dietary recommendations tended to not be associated with metabolic risk.
Highlights
The cardiovascular health of adults in Australia and other developed countries has improved greatly in the last decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still a leading cause of premature death and morbidity [1]
This study examined whether young adults who usually trimmed fat from meat, consumed low-fat products, and used oil for cooking had lower CVD risk than those who did not follow these practices
Compared with the Australian population of 25–34-year-olds, the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) sample had a higher percentage of participants who were married or living as married (57% men, 64% women in the general population [27]) and employed as professionals or managers (40% men, 38% women in the general population [28])
Summary
The cardiovascular health of adults in Australia and other developed countries has improved greatly in the last decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still a leading cause of premature death and morbidity [1]. Poor diet is a modifiable behavior that can lead to risk factors for CVD, such as obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes. Dietary guidelines for the prevention of CVD recommend limiting fat intake, especially saturated fat, to reduce blood cholesterol concentration and body weight [2,3,4]. Red meat is thought to be associated with the development of CVD due to the high proportion of saturated fat. After trimming visible fat, red meat such as beef and lamb contains up to. Studies examining the association between red meat consumption and CVD risk have reported inconsistent results.
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