Concurrent Changes in Diet Quality and Physical Activity and Association With Adiposity in Adults

Are there independent and joint associations of changes in diet quality and physical activity with changes in adiposity?In this cohort study of 7256 UK adults, improvements in diet quality and physical activity were independently associated with a lesser increase in total body fat and visceral fat, with the greatest benefit observed when both health behaviors improved together. The finding for visceral fat persisted after adjusting for total body fat, and no compensatory or synergistic interaction was found.These findings suggest that improving diet quality and physical activity over time may be most effective for managing overall and central adiposity and achieving a healthier adiposity profile.

Corresponding Author: Nita G. Forouhi, PhD, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Box 285 Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom (nita.forouhi@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk).

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