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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #365328
Title: Participant characteristics and self-reported weight status in a cross-sectional survey of self-identified followers of popular diets: Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste ADAPT Feasibility Survey

Author
item KARLSEN, MICAELA - Tufts University
item LICHTENSTEIN, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item ECONOMOS, CHRISTINA - Tufts University
item FOLTA, SARA - Tufts University
item CHANG, REMCO - Tufts University
item ROGERS, GAIL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item JACQUES, PAUL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item LIVINGSTON, KARA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item MC KEOWN, NICOLA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Public Health Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/6/2020
Publication Date: 7/27/2020
Citation: Karlsen, M.C., Lichtenstein, A.H., Economos, C.D., Folta, S.C., Chang, R., Rogers, G., Jacques, P.F., Livingston, K.A., McKeown, N.M. 2020. Participant characteristics and self-reported weight status in a cross-sectional survey of self-identified followers of popular diets: Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste ADAPT Feasibility Survey. Public Health Nutrition. 23(15):2717-2727. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020001330.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020001330

Interpretive Summary: Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT) was a cross-sectional feasibility survey conducted in the summer of 2015. Participants were recruited to enroll in this online survey through emailed invitations or social media posts. Although ADAPT targeted followers of specific popular diets, ranging from vegan to Paleolithic, anyone was allowed to enroll, including individuals who reported following no particular diet. Our research question was "How do demographic characteristics and weight status of self-identified popular diet followers differ across specific diet groups?" Data was available on a total of 9,019 popular diet followers. The majority of participants were white, female, and 85% reported using dietary supplements. Participants reported eating the following diets: whole food, plant-based (WFPB) (26%); vegan (including raw vegan) (20%); Paleolithic (paleo) (15%); try to eat healthy (TTEH) (12%); vegetarian & pescatarian (10%); whole food (including Mediterranean and "locavore") (8%); Weston A. Price (WAP) (5%); and low-carb (4%). Following a WFPB, vegan, whole food, or low-carb diet for a longer period of time (>1 yr) was associated with lower BMI, indicating that these diets might have a beneficial effect on health and/or weight. A number of participants reported that they ate no particular diet but tried to eat healthy. When we compared individuals following a specific diet, including WFPB, vegan, Paleo, vegetarian, whole food, WAP, and low-carb, to the group reporting "try to eat healthy," participants who followed a specific diet for 1-5 years had, on average, significantly lower BMIs. Thus, our findings suggest that BMI is lower among those who make an active decision to adhere to a specific diet. In other words, following an intentional eating plan for a longer period of time may be more beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight than simply "trying to eat healthy."

Technical Abstract: Objective: To describe characteristics of self-identified popular diet followers and compare mean BMI across these diets, stratified by time following diet. Design: Cross-sectional, web-based survey administered in 2015. Setting: Non-localised, international survey. Participants: Self-selected followers of popular diets (n 9019) were recruited to the survey via social media and email announcements by diet community leaders, categorised into eight major diet groups. Results: General linear models were used to compare mean BMI among (1) short-term (<1 year) and long-term (>=1 year) followers within diet groups and (2) those identifying as 'try to eat healthy' (TTEH) to all other diet groups, stratified by time following the specific diet. Participants were 82 % female, 93 % White and 96 % non-Hispanic. Geometric mean BMI was lower (P < 0.05 for all) among longer-term followers (=1 year) of whole food, plant-based (WFPB), vegan, whole food and low-carb diets compared with shorter-term followers. Among those following their diet for 1-5 years (n 4067), geometric mean BMI (kg/m2) were lower (P < 0.05 for all) for all groups compared with TTEH (26.4 kg/m2): WFPB (23.2 kg/m2), vegan (23.5 kg/m2), Paleo (24.6 kg/m2), vegetarian (25.0 kg/m2), whole food (24.6 kg/m2), Weston A. Price (23.5 kg/m2) and low-carb (24.7 kg/m2). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that BMI is lower among individuals who made active decisions to adhere to a specific diet, particularly more plant-based diets and/or diets limiting highly processed foods, compared with those who simply TTEH. BMI is also lower among individuals who follow intentional eating plans for longer time periods.