Adolescent girls who follow a DASH diet, which was initially devised to help curb high blood pressure in adults, are less likely to experience excessive weight gain throughout their adolescence, according to research published in the
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The DASH diet features high consumption of:
• Fruits and vegetables
• Low or nonfat dairy products
• whole grains; lean meats, fish and poultry; nuts and beans
Researchers from Boston University Medical Center looked at the relationship between following a DASH diet and weight gain throughout adolescence among over 2,000 girls. The girls were participants in the Prospective National Growth and Health Study for which they received yearly follow-ups regarding their weight-for-height and diet starting at age 9 and continuing through to age 19.
After taking into account other factors that can influence weight, including race, height, socioeconomic status and the number of hours spent watching television or playing video games, the girls whose diet most closely matched the DASH diet had a lower average BMI than those whose diets were least like DASH. In particular, high consumption of fruits, low-fat dairy products and – to a lesser extent – whole grain foods were associated with a lower BMI.
Today’s research suggests that feeding children plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains can help them avoid unhealthy weight gain.
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All In One's Blog
