African American Women Could Combat Obesity With Diet Rich In Vegetables

 African American women could combat obesity with diet rich in vegetables and fruits, say researchers with the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University.The African American women who consumed such a gained less weight over a 14-year period than those who consumed a diet high in red meat and fried foods. This is the first prospective study to show that a healthier diet is associated with less weight gain in African American women, a population with a high prevalence of obesity. The study results, published in the American journal of clinical nutrition , were based on data from the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), a large follow-up study of 59,000 African American women from across the U.S. conducted since 1995. The study asked participants about their diet at the beginning of the study in 1995, and again six years later in 2001. Two major dietary patterns  were identified: 1) a “vegetables/fruit” pattern high in vegetables, fruit, legumes , fish and whole grains; and 2) a “meat/fried foods” pattern high in red meat, processed meat, french fries and fried chicken.