High intake of fruits and vegetables predicts weight loss in Brazilian overweight adults Daniela Saes Sartorelli a, ⁎ , Laércio Joel Franco a , Marly Augusto Cardoso b a Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP) SP 14049-900, Brazil b Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, USP, Brazil Received 9 October 2007; revised 4 January 2008; accepted 4 February 2008 Abstract To determine whether changes in dietary intakes predict weight loss, we studied 80 overweight adults who attended a nutritional counseling program during 6 months of follow-up at a primary health care center in Brazil. Habitual diet was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire at baseline and after 6 months. The mean age (±SD) of the participants was 46.5 ± 9.5 years, and their mean body mass index was 29 ± 3 kg/m 2 at baseline. After 6 months, the differences in body weight and fruit/vegetable intake were -1.4 ± 3 kg and ±109 ± 320 g daily, respectively. Using multiple linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, changes in walking time, and total energy intake, the increased intake of dietary fiber from fruits/vegetables was associated with a greater weight loss (β1 [95% confidence interval (CI)] = -0.180 [-0.269, -0.091]) after 6 months of follow-up. Similar results were observed for increased intake of vegetables (β1 [95% CI] = -0.00497 [-0.008, -0.002]) and fruits (β1 [95% CI] = -0.00290 [-0.005, -0.001]) as predictors of weight loss. The increase of 100 g/d of vegetables and fruits represented a body weight loss of 500 and 300 g after 6 months, respectively (P b .05). Our findings support the relevance of increased intakes of fruits and vegetables that may help avoid weight gain in overweight adults. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Dietary predictors; Fruit and vegetable intake; Humans; Nutritional counseling; Overweight; Weight loss Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; CI, confidence interval; mm Hg, millimeter of mercury; r, Pearson correlation coefficient. 1. Introduction Obesity is a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. The importance of prevention and control of obesity is increasingly recognized; and the identification of modifiable risk factors, such as usual food intake, for body weight control is of great relevance [1]. The usual food consumption has been considered as one of the main modified risk factors for obesity, and there is growing evidence of the role of food intake in the promotion of the quality of life of the individuals [1]. Current evidence points to the beneficial effects of eating at least 5 daily portions of fruits and vegetables on the prevention of chronic diseases [1], given their low energy density and high content of micronutrients, fiber, and other components with functional properties [2]. At present, the best approach to preventing obesity and chronic disease appears to be through lifestyle modification [3,4]. Weight loss is the consequence of a state of negative energy balance due to increased physical activity or decreased energy intake. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that energy-dense foods promote weight gain and that energy-diluted foods such as fruits and vegetables could protect against overweight [5]. Nevertheless, the ideal dietary and physical activity prescriptions to control body weight remain elusive. Investigations focusing on dietary factors associated with changes in body weight [6-8] and the Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Nutrition Research 28 (2008) 233 – 238 www.elsevier.com/locate/nutres ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 16 36022712; fax: +55 16 36331386. E-mail address: daniss@fmrp.usp.br (D.S. Sartorelli). 0271-5317/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2008.02.004