Intakes of dietary fat components on the nutrition facts panel are associated with indices of body composition in children (383.3)

Abstract

Packaged food in the United States has a nutrition facts panel on the label where daily recommended values for each of the nutritional components are listed. With concerns about obesity and the role nutrition may play in obesity development, we investigated if nutritional components are associated with body composition indices and if the association is a simple association or if it can be altered by genetic predisposition for obesity. Fat mass index (FMI = fat mass/height2), lean mass index (LMI = lean mass/height2), and BMI were calculated for 279 children of European‐, African‐ and Hispanic‐American background. Fat mass and lean mass were determined using dual x‐ray absorptiometry. Total fat, monounsaturated fat (MUFA), polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), carbohydrate, sugar, fiber, and protein intakes were obtained from 24 hour dietary recall. Obesity genetic risk score (ORS) was calculated from 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms by counting the number of obesity‐risk alleles. Models evaluating the association of BMI, LMI, and FMI with dietary components, dietary components and ORS, and the interaction of ORS and nutrition components were adjusted by standard covariates. FMI was associated with the interaction of MUFA and ORS (b= ‐0.018, p=0.042). LMI was associated with the interaction of PUFA and ORS (b=0.013, p=0.049). Association of total fat intake and LMI was suppressed until ORS was added to the model (b=0.0011, p=0.036). The relationship between dietary components and indices of body composition exists with dietary fat components. Associations of dietary components with body composition were more complex than thought and this complexity should be taken into consideration in modeling of these relationships.Grant Funding Source: NIDDK T32 DK062710, NIDDK P30DK056336, NIDDK R01 DK067426