Association between animal and plant protein intake and obesity: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the study of cardiovascular risk in adolescents (ERICA)

Background and aims: Obesity among children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years has increased dramatically. This study aimed to investigate the association of animal protein intake (API) and plant protein intake (PPI) with obesity in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Methods and results: This cross-sectional study used data from 70,332 adolescents who participated in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA). Dietary intake of animal and plant proteins was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall (24HR). Protein intake was stratified into quintiles based on the percentage of total energy derived from this nutrient. Associations between protein intake and obesity were estimated using logistic regression models, adjusted for age, type of school (used as a proxy for income), physical activity level, and total energy intake. All models were stratified by sex. Among boys, those in the fourth and fifth quintiles of API had 75% and 91% higher odds of obesity, respectively. Among girls, there was a trend toward increased odds of obesity, although it was not statistically significant. Higher odds of abdominal obesity were observed for both sexes in the two highest quintiles of API intake (girls: OR1.26, 95% CI 1.03–1.54; boys: OR1.78, 95% CI 1.29–2.46). As for PPI, lower odds of abdominal obesity were observed only among girls in the fourth quintile (OR0.80, 95% CI 0.65–0.98). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that despite the multifactorial nature of obesity, reducing API and increasing PPI may help decrease the odds of general and abdominal obesity among adolescents.