Individual SFA intake and risk of overweight/obesity: findings from a population-based nationwide cohort study

The relationship between SFA consumption and the risk of overweight/obesity remains unclear. Epidemiological evidence is lacking among Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the association between individual dietary SFA intake and the risk of overweight/obesity in Chinese adults. Data from 8465 adults with BMI < 24 kg/m(2) at entry in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1989-2011) were analysed. Three-day 24-h dietary records were used to collect dietary data. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for the risk of developing overweight or obesity. A total of 3171 incident cases of overweight/obesity were identified (1649 for women and 1522 for men) during a median of 11 years of follow-up. Compared with the lowest category, the intake of total SFA (TSFA) showed no significant association with the risk of overweight/obesity. However, an increased risk of overweight/obesity was observed with a higher intake of medium chain SFA (MCSFA) (P (trend) = 0 center dot 004), especially decanoic acid (10:0) (HR was 1 center dot 25 (95 % CI 1 center dot 10, 1 center dot 42) comparing the highest category with the reference group; P (trend) < 0 center dot 001), whereas an inverse relationship was observed for hexanoic acid (6:0) consumption; compared with non-consumers, 6:0 intake was associated with 32 % lower risk of overweight/obesity (HR: 0 center dot 68 (95 % CI 0 center dot 56, 0 center dot 84); P (trend) < 0 center dot 001). Overall, the intake of subtypes of MCSFA but not TSFA was associated with the risk of overweight/obesity. Increasing hexanoic acid (6:0) and limiting decanoic acid (10:0) consumption may be protective for overweight/obesity among Chinese population.

Automated summary

This study found that the intake of medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCSFA) was associated with an increased risk of overweight/obesity, especially decanoic acid (10:0). On the other hand, hexanoic acid (6:0) intake was linked to a lower risk of overweight/obesity.