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DASH diet helped teen girls stay lean

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Adolescent girls whose diet resembled one that is recommended for adults with hypertension appeared to have smaller gains in overall BMI during a 10-year period, according to a study published online.

Jonathan P. B. Berz, MD, of Boston University Medical Center, and colleagues evaluated the effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) style eating plan on BMI in a group of 2,327 girls aged 9 years who participated in the National Growth and Health Study. They were enrolled in 1987-1988 and were followed for 10 years. The researchers gathered data annually and each participant was given a DASH food group score based on individual adherence to dietary requirements.

Higher DASH scores were associated with higher total energy intake, as well as higher average intake from each food group. Girls in the highest quintile of DASH scores had the smallest gains in BMI during the study and the lowest BMIs at the end of follow-up. Conversely, at age 19 years, girls in the lowest DASH score quintile had an average BMI that was more than the threshold for overweight, as defined by the 85th percentile.

Study participants who consumed two or more servings of fruit per day had the smallest gains in BMI during the study years and the lowest BMI at the end of follow-up. Compared with participants consuming the least amount of whole grains, those who consumed the most had lower BMI scores over time and a lower BMI at the end of follow-up. The same results were seen for girls consuming higher amounts of low-fat dairy products.

In an accompanying editorial, Robert C. Klesges, PhD, and Marion Hare, MD, of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis said, “The DASH diet has been well validated in adults, and there is absolutely no reason for it to not work in children.”

For more information:

• Berz JP. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165:540-546.
• Klesges RC. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165:567-568.

Disclosure: The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

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