Gender differences in the relationship between dietary energy and macronutrients intake and body weight outcomes in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND: To explore the gender differences in the relationship between dietary energy and macronutrients intake and body weight outcomes in Chinese adults. METHODS: Data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS, 2015) for10,898 participants aged 18–64 years. Three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls was used to assess the dietary intake. Quantile regression models for body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were performed separately for each sex. RESULTS: Adult males showed greater absolute intakes of energy and macronutrients as compared to females as per the body weight outcomes. A 10% increase in BMI resulted in an additional intake of 0.002–0.004 kcal/d of dietary energy, 0.032–0.057 g/d of fats, 0.039–0.084 g/d of proteins, and 0.018–0.028 g/d of carbohydrates across all quantiles in males (p < 0.05). A 10% increase in WC lead to an additional intake of 0.004–0.008 kcal/d of dietary energy, 0.051–0.052 g/d of carbohydrates across the entire quantile in males (p < 0.05), and an increased intake of 0.060–0.150 kcal/d of fat in females (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dietary fat intake could be the risk factor of abdominal obesity in women. The importance of gender-specific evidence should be considered before promoting macronutrient allocation for the prevention and treatment of obesity.