DIET AND CONTROL OF DIABETES AND WEIGHT I N GIRLS WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS TYPE-1

The object of the study was, first, to investigate whether girls suffe ring from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are more overweig ht than an age- and puberty-matched control group and, second, to stud y the impact of diet, calorie intake and pubertal stage on body mass i ndex (BMI), body weight and fat content. We studied 43 girls with IDDM and controls, divided into two age groups: group 1 (n = 21; 10-13 yea rs) and group 2 (n = 22; >13 pears, 13.1-20.7 years). Overweight was a ssessed by BMI, relative weight and body fat from skinfold thickness. Food consumption data were collected over a one week food and drink pr otocol. The diabetic girls, particularly those after puberty, were mor e overweight than the controls. Although the calorie intake was increa sed compared with their peers, the proportions of energy derived from protein, fat and carbohydrate were as recommended by the American and Swiss Diabetes Association. Most importantly, the recommended proporti on of saturated fatty acids (<10%) was not achieved by either the diab etic patients or the control girls. Insulin dose/unit body weight corr elated with BMI and fat content; Therefore, the increased insulin dose may be responsible for the relatively increased energy intake and, in addition, increased intake of saturated fatty acid which has been rel ated to poor metabolic control and obesity. The food intake of the con trol girls was identical to that reported in adults by the Swiss Gover nment in 1991 in the Third Report on Food Consumption.