Women's Health Initiative Findings

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term national health study that focuses on strategies for preventing heart disease, breast and colorectal cancer and fracture in postmenopausal women. This fifteen year project involves over 161,000 women ages 50–79. Recently, findings of this study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association to much media attention and scrutiny. The study found that women who follow a low-fat diet do not significantly reduce their risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease. 

In response to the WHI findings, the American Society for Nutrition released a press release encouraging us to look beyond the headlines, and to critically evaluate the findings of the WHI.  For example, two important facts relating to the results of the study include:

  • the subjects of the WHI study were all postmenopausal, and
  • the study did not differentiate between types of fat in the overall intake of its subjects. 

According to the American Society for Nutrition, “the general public should not see these findings as a carte blanche to eat a high–fat diet”; these areas [the impact of different types of fat in the diet and the influence of age] need further exploration and evaluation. The American Society for Nutrition emphasizes that the WHI results are not in conflict with the d ietary guidelines and encourages us to continue to promote a variety of nutrient-dense foods. 

To read the American Society for Nutrition press release, click here.

To read the Journal of American Medical Association abstracts, visit the Women’s Health Initiative Web site at http://www.whi.org (scroll down to Results from the Dietary Study).