News from the October 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association

CHICAGO – Research studies featured in the October 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association include:

• Dietary Restraint and Gestational Weight Gain
• Learner-Centered Nutrition Education Improves Folate Intake and Food-Related Behaviors in Non-Pregnant, Low-Income Women of Childbearing Age
• Changes in Nutrient Intake and Dietary Quality among Participants with Type 2 Diabetes Following a Low-Fat Vegan Diet or a Conventional Diabetes Diet for 22 Weeks
• Experts Stress Both Wellness and Amenity Aspects of Food and Nutrition Services in Assisted Living Facilities for Older Adults
• The Effect of Exercise on Water Balance in Pre-Menopausal Recreationally Active Women.

For more information or to receive a copy of a Journal article, e-mail media@eatright.org.

Women who diet "habitually" prior to becoming pregnant tend to gain more weight during pregnancy and "regard themselves as less accountable for their weight while pregnant," according to researchers at the University of North Carolina.

More than 1,200 women were studied to determine whether a history of dieting and restrained eating prior to pregnancy was related to higher weight gains in pregnancy.

The researchers note that excessive gestational weight gain "is of concern because of its association with postpartum weight retention" and other "adverse pregnancy outcomes such as gestational diabetes mellitus, cesarean sections, large-for-gestational age, and breastfeeding duration."

"With the exception of underweight women, all other women with a history of dieting or restrained eating gained more weight during pregnancy and had higher adequacy of weight gain ratios," the researchers found.

They concluded: "Restrained eating behaviors were associated with weight gains above the Institute of Medicine's recommendations for normal, overweight, and obese women and weight gains below the recommendations for underweight women."

Adequate intakes of dietary fiber help protect against cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders. Usual intakes of dietary fiber in this country are only half of the recommended levels, so there is a need to promote high-fiber foods such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits to people of all ages. Not all dietary fibers are equally effective in their physiological effects, so it is best to obtain fiber from a wide range of sources. The American Dietetic Association encourages consumers to consume adequate amounts of fiber, particularly from food sources, according to a new ADA position statement published this month on the health implications of dietary fiber:

It is the position of The American Dietetic Association that the public should consume adequate amounts of dietary fiber from a variety of plant foods.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association is the official research publication of the American Dietetic Association and is the premier peer-reviewed journal in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Conclusions of research studies do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the American Dietetic Association, and ADA does not assume responsibility for opinions expressed by authors of Journal articles.

The American Dietetic Association is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.