Fat-rich foods set up long term risk for malnutrition, suggests study

By Nathan Gray

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Nutrition

Fat-rich foods set up long term risk for malnutrition
Consumption of fat laden foods can have huge implications for the risk of malnourishment in older age, according to new research.

The study - presented at the ESPEN Congress on Nutrition and Metabolism – examined the association between previous eating habits and current nutritional status in elderly people, finding that for every percentage of energy intake that came from dietary fat resulted in a 7% higher risk of being malnourished 10 years later.

Led by Lisa Loderstrom from Uppsala University in Sweden, the research team followed more than 700 people from mid-Sweden for an average of 10 years – revealing a relationship between levels of dietary fat intake and the later risk of malnourishment.

Study details

Loderstrom and her colleagues followed 732 men and women aged between 44 and 80 years old from 1997 to 2009. All participants were asked to provide information on dietary habits lifestyle information at the beginning of the study. This included information on potential risk factors form malnutrition such as: sex, age, BMI, tobacco use, and percentage energy intake from fats, carbohydrate, protein and alcohol.

The team followed the participants for an average of 10 years, before conducting a final nutritional assessment – using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA).

The team reported that while the percent of energy gained from carbohydrate, protein or alcohol were not associated with the risk of malnourishment; smoking, BMI, and percentage of energy from fat were all significantly associated with the later risk of malnourishment.

After adjusting for the risk of smoking and BMI, the team revealed that for each additional percentage of energy from fat the risk of later malnourishment increases by 7%.  

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3 comments

End McCarbthyism

Posted by Mark,

TO Lori who posted the comment on the Mayo clinic study: what makes you think all carbohydrates are created equal? Are jellybeans and poptarts the same as rice, pasta, potatoes. beans, and lentils? THe current carbphobic craze that is sweeping Western nations is comical considering that Asia has lived off of white rice for centuries while remaining lean. It is not until the infiltration of fast-food from the West did obesity and type-2 diabetes begin to become a problem. Sure trans fats are bad, but any diet rich in fat is bad. Ever hear of the glucose-fatty acid cycle? A diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates sets yourself up for insulin resistance. People may want to hear that they can eat all the fat they want, but it is not a nutritionally sound message and your representation of the Mayo CLinic study is misleading. The Mayo Clinic does not promote a low-carb diet. What the study basically says is junk food like doughnuts and fast food is associated with cognitive decline. Read the actual study.

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fat

Posted by mm,

what is a "real whole fat" as opposed to an "unreal not whole fat?"

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Say what??

Posted by Lori,

This gives so little information. What percentage of fat was transfat, omega-3, etc? Nutrients from real whole fats are life-sustaining. The Mayo clinic just released a study showing a diet high in carbs and/or one low in fat caused more cognitive impairment than those diets higher in fat. Not all fats are created equal.

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