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Using restrictive messages to limit high-fat foods or nonrestrictive messages to increase fruit and vegetable intake: what works better for postmenopausal women?

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 64, pages 194–202 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

To compare the effects of two dietary approaches on changes in dietary intakes and body weight: (1) an approach emphasizing nonrestrictive messages directed toward the inclusion of fruits and vegetables (HIFV) and (2) another approach using restrictive messages to limit high-fat foods (LOFAT).

Subjects/Methods:

A total of 68 overweight–obese postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to one of the two dietary approaches. The 6-month dietary intervention included three group sessions and ten individual sessions with a dietitian. Dietary food intake and anthropometric variables were measured at baseline, at 3 months and at 6 months.

Results:

Energy density decreased in both groups after the intervention compared with baseline (HIFV, −0.3±0.2 kcal/g; LOFAT, −0.3±0.3 kcal/g; P<0.0001). Although body weight decreased significantly in both groups after the intervention compared with baseline (HIFV, −1.6±2.9 kg; LOFAT, −3.5±2.9 kg; P<0.0001), women in the LOFAT group lost significantly more body weight than women in the HIFV group (P=0.01). In the HIFV group, the decrease in energy density was found to be an independent predictor of body weight loss.

Conclusions:

The LOFAT approach induces more weight loss than does the HIFV approach in our sample of overweight–obese postmenopausal women.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participants for excellent collaboration and to the staff of the Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods and the Diabetes Research Unit for their contribution to this study. We especially thank Louise Corneau, Danielle Aubin, Claire Julien, Michèle Fournier, Alexandra Bédard and Annie Bouchard-Mercier for helping in the collection and analysis of the data. This study was supported by the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA). Annie Lapointe is the recipient of a studentship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ). Véronique Provencher is a CIHR and a CDA fellow.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Laval University, Québec, Canada

    A Lapointe, V Provencher, A-A Dufour-Bouchard, C Trudeau & S Lemieux

  2. Diabetes Research Unit, Laval University Medical Center, Québec, Canada

    S J Weisnagel

  3. Lipid Research Center, Laval University Medical Center, Québec, Canada

    S J Weisnagel

  4. School of Psychology, Laval University, Québec, Canada

    C Bégin

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  1. A Lapointe
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  7. S Lemieux
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Correspondence to S Lemieux.

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Lapointe, A., Weisnagel, S., Provencher, V. et al. Using restrictive messages to limit high-fat foods or nonrestrictive messages to increase fruit and vegetable intake: what works better for postmenopausal women?. Eur J Clin Nutr 64, 194–202 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.135

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