Consumption of Meat, Fried Foods, and Diet Soda May Increase the Risk of Developing the Metabolic Syndrome

In a prospective study involving 9,514 subjects between the ages of 45 and 64 years, consumption of a "Western" dietary pattern, including meat, fried foods, and diet soda, was found to be associated with the development of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetSyn). Food-frequency questionnaires were used to assess subjects' dietary intakes, from which "Western" and "prudent" dietary patterns were derived. 3,782 cases of MetSyn were reported over the course of a 9 year follow-up. After adjusting for various potentially confounding factors, adherence to a Western dietary pattern was found to be associated with development of MetSyn. Further analysis of individual food groups found that meat, fried foods, and diet soda were each independently associated with the MetSyn. Dairy consumption, on the other hand, was found to have a beneficial effect. The authors conclude, "These prospective findings suggest that consumption of a Western dietary pattern, meat, and fried foods promotes the incidence of MetSyn, whereas dairy consumption provides some protection. The diet soda association was not hypothesized and deserves further study."

Lutsey, P.L., Steffen, L.M., Stevens, J. (2008). Dietary intake and the development of the metabolic syndrome: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Circulation, 117 (6): 754-61.