Eur J Nutr (2005) 44 : 18–25 DOI 10.1007/s00394-004-0487-x ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION Cynthia A. Thomson Cheryl L. Rock Anna R. Giuliano Tara R. Newton Haiyan Cui Phyllis M. Reid Tina L. Green David S. Alberts Longitudinal changes in body weight and body composition among women previously treated for breast cancer consuming a high-vegetable, fruit and fiber, low-fat diet EJN 487 ■ Summary Background Excess adiposity has been shown to be as- sociated with increased risk for breast cancer recurrence, and a plant-based eating pattern has been hypothesized to be protective. Whether a plant-based diet without specific energy goals will result in weight loss or changes in body composition in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer has not been fully explored. Aim of the study This study was conducted to identify changes in body weight, Received: 3 September 2003 Accepted: 8 January 2004 Published online: 5 March 2004 C. A. Thomson () · T. R. Newton · P. M. Reid · T. L. Green Dept. of Nutritional Sciences The University of Arizona P. O. Box 210038 Tucson, AZ 85721-0038, USA Tel.: +1-520/626-1565 Fax: +1-520/621-9446 E-Mail: cthomson@email.arizona.edu C. A. Thomson · A. R. Giuliano · H. Cui · D. S. Alberts Arizona Cancer Center The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ, USA C. L. Rock Cancer Prevention and Control Program Dept. of Family and Preventive Medicine University of California San Diego, La Jolla (CA), USA anthropometric measures, and body composition over a four year period in a sub-sample of breast cancer survivors participating in a dietary intervention targeting in- creased intake of vegetables, fruit and fiber and decreased dietary fat intake. Methods This randomized, controlled dietary intervention study compared longitudinal changes in intakes, body weight, waist:hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI) and body composition by treatment group among fifty- two women previously treated for Stage I, II, or IIIA breast cancer from the Arizona site of the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living Study. The dietary intervention aimed for eight servings of fruit and vegetables, 30 g fiber, ≤20 % to- tal energy from fat per day, as well as daily intake of vegetable juice. The comparison group was advised to follow general dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. Results The dietary intervention resulted in a significant and sustained increase in fiber, fruit, vegetable, and veg- etable juice consumption (p < 0.05) among intervention group subjects as compared to comparison group subjects. The first 6 months re- sulted in a reduction in body weight and body fat among the in- tervention group subjects while the comparison group subjects re- mained stable. Subsequent mea- surements, at 12, 24 or 36, and 48 months, showed no significant dif- ferences in mean body weight, BMI, WHR, or body composition by study group. Also, no significant changes in these measures were demonstrated for either study group between baseline and 48 months. Conclusions The dietary intervention efforts resulted in sig- nificant changes in diet toward an increase in plant foods and a de- crease in dietary fat. Changes in weight, WHR, BMI, and body com- position were not different over time or by study group assignment. Interventions that promote a plant- based diet without specific energy restriction do not appear to pro- mote changes in body weight or body composition in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. To adequately examine the role of energy restriction in reduc- ing obesity-associated breast can- cer recurrence, future interventions should include prescribed energy imbalance either through reduced intake and/or increased expendi- ture. ■ Key words breast cancer – body weight – body composition – diet