RESEARCH & NOTICE

Background: Allostatic load (AL) measures overall physiological wear and tear on one's body, as a preclinical marker of pathophysiologic processes that precede the onset of disease. We studied the association of dietary habits with AL.

Methods: Consecutive patients visiting a tertiary hospital Health Promotion Center from September 2009 to February 2010, older than 20 years with metabolic syndrome were selected for study (n = 204). By multivariable linear regression analysis, we investigated the association of various dietary habits evaluated by questionnaires.

Results: In male, multivariable linear regression showed a significant negative association between fat preference and AL with BMI ≥ 30 (1st quartile [Q] vs. 2Q: β = -3.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], -6.26 to -1.16), a significant negative association between salt preference and AL with BMI 25-30 (β = -1.36; 95% CI, -2.46 to -0.26), a negative association between appetite control and AL with BMI < 25 (1Q vs. 3Q: β = -1.54; 95% CI, -3.00 to -0.096), a significant positive association between appetite control and AL with BMI 25-30 (1Q vs. 3Q: β = 1.30; 95% CI, 0.12 to 2.48), and a significant positive association between eating in response to food cues and AL in males with BMI 25-30 (1Q vs. 4Q: β = 1.09; 95% CI, 0.020 to 2.15).

Conclusion: Our results suggest that metabolic syndrome patients should be discouraged from eating fat and eating in response to food cues, and should be educated about nutrition and balanced diet.

Keywords: Allostasis; Food Habits; Food Preferences; Metabolic Syndrome.