Association of dietary and lifestyle inflammation score with general and central obesity in Iranian adults

Previous studies have suggested a positive association between a more pro-inflammatory diet and lifestyle- factors with obesity, separately.

Determine the relationship between the dietary and lifestyle inflammatory-score (DLIS) and general and abdominal obesity in adults.

We included 834 adults aged 18 to 59 years (69% female, mean age: 44.7 ± 10.7 years). Using a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, we collected dietary-intakes. The DLIS was calculated by using the dietary inflammatory score, calculated by data from 18 components of the diet, and two components of the lifestyle including physical-activity and cigarette smoking. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI of the general and abdominal adiposity across quartiles of the DLIS was calculated by logistic-regression analysis after controlling for age, sex, marital status, occupation, education status, and energy intake.

The DLIS ranged between -3.00 and 2.32 (man ± SD: -0.31 ± 0.99). The ORs of central obesity, as assessed by waist-to-hip ratio (≥0.8 for women and ≥1 for men) across quartiles of the DLIS were as follows: 1.91 (95%CI: 1.21, 3.02), 1.62 (95%CI: 1.03, 2.56), and 1.25 (95%CI: 0.79, 1.97) for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. The results for weight-to-height ratio (>0.5) were 2.26 (95%CI: 1.24, 4.11), 1.08 (95%CI: 0.63, 1.86), and 1.38 (95%CI: 0.79, 2.39) for the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively. Higher DLIS was not associated with increased waist-circumference and general-obesity as assessed by body mass index.

Having a diet and lifestyle with more pro-inflammatory properties may be associated with abdominal-adiposity.