Inverse Association of Mediterranean Diet with Obesity and Abdominal Obesity: 6.7 Years Follow-up Study

Studies have shown beneficial health effects of the Mediterranean diet, for instance, it’s associations with risk of chronic disease. In this study, the associations between of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and obesity and abdominal obesity were evaluated among Tehranian adults, participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Subjects, whose dietary intake were recorded at baseline, and were followed up for 6.7 years, were assessed. Dietary intake was assessed using two 24-h dietary recalls, and all subjects received scores between 0 to 10 points, based on the modified Mediterranean diet scales (MDS). The components of MDS were vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish, whole grains, refined grains, dairy, PUFA to SFA ratio, and red to white meat ratio. The mean±SD for age of participants was 36.7±12.3 years; 45.8 and 54.2% were men and women, respectively. After a follow-up period of 6.7 years, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was significantly associated with lower BMI in women (quartile 1: 28.4±0.2 in comparison to quartile 4: 27.7±0.3 kg/m2, P<0.05). After adjustment for BMI, physical activity, and smoking status, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was significantly associated with waist circumference in women (quartile 1: 90.1±1.8 in comparison to quartile 4: 89.0±1.9cm, P<0.05). No association was observed between adherence to MDS and BMI or waist circumference, in men. This study showed that in women, adherence to the Mediterranean diet had an inverse relationship with BMI and waist circumference.