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Cardiometabolic risks more likely with high consumption of subsidized food commodities
In a cross-sectional analysis of U.S. adults, those with high consumption of calories from subsidized food commodities had greater odds of certain cardiometabolic risks.
Researchers calculated an individual-level subsidy score based on 1 day of dietary recall by 10,308 participants (mean age, 40 years; 51% men) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cohort to determine whether food subsidies promote cardiometabolic health or cardiometabolic risk.
The outcomes of interest were BMI, abdominal adiposity, C-reactive protein, BP, non-HDL and glycemia.
Karen R. Siegel, PhD, from the division of diabetes translation at the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and colleagues determined that 56.2% of the calories consumed by the cohort were from subsidized food commodities.
Compared with those in the lowest quartile of the subsidy score, those in the highest quartile had increased odds for BMI of at least 30 kg/m2 (prevalence ratio, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.23-1.52), waist circumference-to-height ratio of at least 0.6 (prevalence ratio, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25-1.59), CRP level of at least 0.32 mg/dL (prevalence ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.19-1.51), elevated non-HDL (prevalence ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.25) and dysglycemia (prevalence ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.4), according to the researchers.
Siegel and colleagues found no relationship between the subsidy score and BP.
“Nutritional guidelines are focused on the population’s needs for healthier foods, but, to date, food and agricultural policies that influence food production and availability have not yet done the same,” the researchers wrote. – by Erik Swain
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.