Diet and body fat in adolescence and early adulthood: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

Résumé 0

"Adipose tissue is a vital component of the human body, but in excess, it represents a risk to health. According to the World Health Or - ganization, one of the main factors determining excessive body adiposity is the dietary habit. This systematic review investigated longitudinal stu - dies that assessed the association between diet and body fat in adolescents and young adults. Twen - ty-one relevant papers published between 2001 and 2015 were selected. The most used method for estimating body fat was the body mass index (15 studies). Diet was most commonly assessed by es - timating the consumption of food groups (cereals, milk and dairy products) and specific foods (sugar -sweetened beverages, soft drinks, fast foods, milk, etc.). Ten studies found a direct association betwe - en diet and quantity of body fat. During adoles - cence, adhering to a dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of energy-dense food, fast foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and soft drinks, as well as low fiber intake, appears to contribute to an increase in body fat in early adulthood. The findings of the present study suggest that the fre - quent consumption of unhealthy foods and food groups (higher energy density and lower nutrient content) in adolescence is associated with higher quantity of body fat in early adulthood ."