Intervention and Prevention
Obesity (2008) 16, 107–112. doi:10.1038/oby.2007.33
Alteration of Dietary Fat Intake to Prevent Weight Gain: Jayhawk Observed Eating Trial
Joseph E Donnelly1, Debra K Sullivan2, Bryan K Smith1, Dennis J Jacobsen3, Richard A Washburn1, Susan L Johnson4, James O Hill5, Matthew S Mayo6, Kendra R Spaeth2 and Cheryl Gibson7
- 1Energy Balance Laboratory and Center for Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Weight Management, Schiefelbusch Institute for Lifespan Studies, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- 2Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
- 3Global Medical Affairs, Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Kennilworth, New Jersey, USA
- 4Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
- 5Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
- 6Department of Biostatistics, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
- 7Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
Correspondence: Joseph E. Donnelly, (Jdonnelly@ku.edu)
Received 8 January 2007; Accepted 1 June 2007.
Abstract
Objective:
To examine the effects of ad libitum diets with three distinct levels of fat intake for the prevention of weight gain in sedentary, normal-weight and overweight men and women.
Methods and Procedures:
Three hundred and five participants were randomized to one of three diets. The diets targeted <25% of energy from fat (low fat (LF)), between 28 and 32% of energy from fat (moderate fat (MF)), or >35% of energy from fat (high fat (HF)). Participants consumed two meals per day on weekdays and one meal per day on weekends in a university cafeteria over a 12-week period. Energy and nutrient content of cafeteria foods were measured by digital photography. All meals and snacks consumed outside the cafeteria were measured by dietary recall. All analysis of energy and nutrient content was completed using Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R) version 2005.
Results:
Two hundred and sixty participants completed the study. LF gained 0.1 
3.1 kg, MF gained 0.8 2.5 kg, and HF gained 1.0 2.2 kg and there was no gender or age effect. Longitudinal mixed modeling indicated a significant difference among the groups in weight over time (P = 0.0366). When adjusting for total energy intake, which was a significant predictor of weight over time, the global effect for the group was eliminated. Thus, increasing weight was a function of increasing energy but not increasing percentage of fat intake.
Discussion:
Energy intake, but not percentage of energy from fat, appears responsible for the observed weight gain. LF diets may contribute to weight maintenance and HF diets may promote weight gain due to the influence of fat intake on total energy intake.
