Chocolate-candy consumption and 3-year weight gain among postmenopausal U.S. women.

Pubmed ID: 25644711

Pubmed Central ID: PMC4351742

Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)

Publication Date: March 1, 2015

Affiliation: Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

MeSH Terms: Humans, Female, Aged, United States, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Follow-Up Studies, Overweight, Body Weight, Postmenopause, Feeding Behavior, Weight Gain, Cacao, Surveys and Questionnaires, Candy

Grants: HHSN268201100001C, HHSN268201100003C, HHSN268201100004C, HHSN268201100046C, HHSN271201100004C, R00 HL095649, HHSN268201100001I, HHSN268201100004I, N01 WH032109, K99 HL095649, U01 HL105268, KL2TR000160, P30 DK020541, KL2 TR000160, P60 DK020541

Authors: Greenberg JA, Waring ME, Wang L, Manson JE, Buijsse B, Tinker L, Neuhouser ML, Allison MA, Isasi CR, Martin LW, Thomson CA

Cite As: Greenberg JA, Manson JE, Buijsse B, Wang L, Allison MA, Neuhouser ML, Tinker L, Waring ME, Isasi CR, Martin LW, Thomson CA. Chocolate-candy consumption and 3-year weight gain among postmenopausal U.S. women. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2015 Mar;23(3):677-83. Epub 2015 Feb 3.

Studies:

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that greater chocolate-candy intake is associated with more weight gain in postmenopausal women. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involved 107,243 postmenopausal American women aged 50-79 years (mean = 60.7) at enrollment in the Women's Health Initiative, with 3-year follow-up. Chocolate-candy consumption was assessed by food frequency questionnaire, and body weight was measured. Linear mixed models, adjusted for demographic, socio economic, anthropomorphic, and behavioral variables, were used to test our main hypotheses. RESULTS: Compared with women who ate a 1 oz (∼28 g) serving of chocolate candy <1 per month, those who ate this amount 1 per month to <1 per week, 1 per week to < 3 per week and ≥3 per week showed greater 3-year prospective weight gains (kg) of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.85), 0.95 (0.84, 1.06), and 1.40 (1.27, 1.53), respectively, (P for linear trend<0.0001). Each additional 1 oz/day was associated with a greater 3-year weight gain (kg) of 0.92 (0.80, 1.05). The weight gain in each chocolate-candy intake level increased as BMI increased above the normal range (18.5-25 kg/m(2)), and was inversely associated with age. CONCLUSIONS: Greater chocolate-candy intake was associated with greater prospective weight gain in this cohort of postmenopausal women.