Optimal Dietary Patterns for Lower Weight Gain and Risk of Obesity Surrounding Menopause

Are dietary patterns associated with long-term weight change and obesity risk among women during the years surrounding menopause, and which patterns best support weight management?In a cohort study of 38 283 Nurses’ Health Study II participants, low-insulinemic and planetary-health dietary patterns, lower in red or processed meats, sodium, potatoes, and French fries, and higher in plant foods, were associated with the lowest weight gain and risk of obesity.These findings suggest that low-insulinemic, planetary-health diets may optimize weight management during menopause and, if promoted during routine midlife care, could improve women’s weight management and long-term cardiometabolic health.

Corresponding Authors: Cuilin Zhang, MD, PhD, MPH, Global Centre for Asian Women’s Health, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore 119077 (obgzc@nus.edu.sg); Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, MPH, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Bldg II, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02115 (nhbfh@channing.harvard.edu).

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