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Unhealthy eating behaviors and weight gain: A prospective study in young and middle‐age adults
Author(s) -
LeónMuñoz Luz M.,
GarcíaEsquinas Esther,
SolerVila Hosanna,
GuallarCastillón Pilar,
Banegas José R.,
RodríguezArtalejo Fernando
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21477
Subject(s) - weight gain , medicine , confidence interval , odds ratio , obesity , odds , prospective cohort study , demography , calorie , body weight , logistic regression , sociology
Objective Guidelines for obesity prevention recommend reducing certain unhealthy eating behaviors (UEB). However, the association between UEB and weight gain is uncertain. Methods Prospective cohort with 1,638 individuals aged 18‐60 years was recruited in 2008‐2010. UEB assessed at baseline were: not planning how much to eat, consuming pre‐cooked/canned food, buying snacks, eating in fast‐food restaurants, not choosing low‐calorie foods, not removing visible fat from meat or skin from chicken, and eating while watching TV or seating on a sofa. Participants were followed up through 2012 to assess weight change. Results Compared to reporting 0‐2 UEB, the multivariate odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for gaining ≥3 kg were 0.97 (0.74‐1.28) for 3‐4 UEB and 1.61 (1.09‐2.39) for ≥5 UEB, P ‐trend = 0.07. Results were similar for gaining ≥5 kg. The three UEB with the strongest associations with weight gain were: 1) not planning the amount of food to eat, 2) eating at fast‐food restaurants, and 3) eating while watching TV; compared to having none of these three behaviors, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for gaining ≥3 kg was 1.54 (0.77‐3.08) for 1 UEB, 1.70 (0.85‐3.37) for 2 UEB, and 2.75 (1.28‐5.90) for 3 UEB, P ‐trend = 0.007. Similar results were obtained for gaining ≥5 kg. Conclusions Several UEB are associated with weight gain.