Dietary habits and incidence of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in a population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dietary intake as initially estimated in a cross-sectional study has been related to the 12-y incidence of diabetes mellitus in a prospective study of 1462 women. In addition, all 50-y-old women (n = 352) were subjected to an intravenous glucose tolerance test. Because of the sampling procedure and a high participation rate the participants were representative of middle-aged women in the general population. No differences of statistical significance were observed concerning intake of energy and different nutrients. Neither did the number of meals nor the longest time between meals differ between women who developed diabetes and those who did not. Women with impaired glucose tolerance who developed diabetes did not differ from those who did not develop diabetes, concerning dietary intake. Body mass index was significantly higher in women who developed diabetes compared with other women. No specific dietary recommendations can be based on the results of this study.