WOMENS DIETARY-FAT AND SUGAR INTAKES - IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD BASED GUIDELINES

Objective: To examine how women's dietary data can be used to formulat e food based dietary guidelines for fat. Design: Dietary intake data w as assessed cross-sectionally using the 7 d diet history method. Subje cts were divided into quartiles on the basis of their intakes of total fat and saturated fatty acids (% energy) and the diets of those in th e lowest and highest quartiles were compared. Subjects and setting: Su bjects studied were socially advantaged and disadvantaged women (n = 8 3, mean age 35 years) recruited from their workplaces. Results: The in verse relationship between intakes of sugar and total fat (P < 0.0001) found in this study also extended to saturated fatty acids (P = 0.000 7). Women in the lowest quartile of total fat, in common with those in the lowest quartile of saturated fatty acids, were found to have high er intakes of fibre (P < 0.005), vitamin C (P < 0.01), folate (P < 0.0 05) and vitamin B-6 (P < 0.05) while their intakes of vitamin A were l ower (P = 0.01). Most (76%) of the differences in sugars intake betwee n women of low and high total fat consumption were accounted for by ad ded sugars, particularly non-fat containing confectionery/drink food s ources where median daily intake values were 15 g vs 7 g sugars (P = 0 .05) respectively. The finding that at best only 62% of the women had total fat and saturated fatty acids intake in similar quartiles, toget her with the differences that emerged in their food intake patterns, i ndicate that the goals for these nutrients may be separately achieved. Conclusion: Existing dietary data can be useful for the formulation o f specific food based dietary guidelines and diets higher in sugar are not necessarily more dilute in micronutrients.