DIETARY-FAT COMPOSITION AND HUMANS ADIPOSITY

Objectives: This study was undertaken to investigate the relation betw een dietary fat composition and adiposity in adult men. Subjects: A sa mple of 128 male subjects who participated in Phase 2 of the Quebec Fa mily Study. Design: The association between adiposity and total dietar y fat intake (TFI), saturated fat intake (SFA), monounsaturated fat in take (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fat intake (PUFA) was analyzed in the overall sample. A comparison of body fatness was also performed betwee n consumers of high (4th quartile) and low amounts (Ist quartile) of T FI, SFA, MUFA and PUFA. Results: Significant positive correlations wer e found between the percentage of dietary energy as total fat and body fatness, Men in the upper quartile of TFI displayed significantly mor e adiposity than those in the lower quartile. Significant differences were also observed when quartiles were established using SFA and MUFA. However, higher intakes of PUFA had no statistical effects on adiposi ty. Conclusion: These results confirm the notion that high fat diets m ight lead over time to excess body fat deposition. SFA and MUFA intake also seem to be predictors of actual adiposity markers while high PUF A intake seems to exert no effect on these markers.