Sugihiro T, et al. - Among 765 people with normal glucose tolerance at baseline medical examinations (1986 or 1989 in Los Angeles, CA, and in 1988 or 1992 in Hawaii) who subsequently completed follow-up medical examinations several years later, researchers investigated if Westernized dietary habits could affect the development of obesity or diabetes. Using Cox's proportional hazard model, nutrient intakes were analyzed for associations with the development of obesity or diabetes. Findings revealed that 41 lean subjects developed diabetes that was not related to intakes of nutrients. They observed that 36 obese subjects developed diabetes, which was associated positively with intakes of animal protein, animal fat, and saturated fatty acid. The investigators discovered that 85 lean subjects became obese, which was positively correlated with intakes of simple carbohydrates, sugar, and fructose, as well as inversely related to intakes of vegetable protein and complex carbohydrates. They concluded that different nutrient intakes affected the development of obesity and diabetes in the Japanese-Americans. In addition, the associations of nutrient intakes with the development of diabetes varied according to the presence or absence of obesity.