Is Dietary Fat Intake Related to Liking or Household Availability of High‐ and Low‐Fat Foods?

Objectives : Despite the increasing availability of low‐ and reduced‐fat foods, Americans continue to consume more fat than recommended, which may be a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. This investigation examined relationships between liking and household availability of high‐ and low‐fat foods and their association with dietary fat intake. Research Methods and Procedures : A food frequency questionnaire assessed percent calories from fat consumed over the past year in 85 men and 80 women. Participants reported their degree of liking 22 “high‐fat foods” (>45% calories from fat) and 22 “low‐fat foods” (<18% calories from fat), and the number and percentage (number of high‐ or low‐fat foods/total number of foods × 100) of these high‐ and low‐fat foods in their homes. Results : Hierarchical regression analyses examined the ability of liking and household availability of low‐ and high‐fat foods to predict percent dietary fat intake. After controlling for age, sex, and BMI, liking ratings for high‐ and low‐fat foods and the interaction of liking for low‐fat foods by the percentage of low‐fat foods in the household were significant predictors of percent dietary fat consumed. Greater liking of high‐fat foods and lower liking of low‐fat foods, both alone and combined with a lower percentage of low‐fat foods in the home, were predictive of higher dietary fat intake. Discussion : Interventions designed to reduce dietary fat intake should target both decreasing liking for high‐fat foods and increasing liking for low‐fat foods, along with increasing the proportion of low‐fat foods in the household.