Red meat, overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to review and perform a meta-analysis summarizing the available evidence on the association between red meat consumption and obesity.

Methods: A computerized search strategy was performed up to Feb 9, 2020. PubMed, Scopus, and web of science were used to conduct a comprehensive search for all relevant publications. The quality of the included articles was determined by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A random-effects model was conducted for analysis of the included cross-sectional studies. In the case of significant heterogeneity, subgroup analyses were conducted to explore possible sources of inter-study heterogeneity.

Results: In the overall pooled estimate of 3 studies, it was shown that red meat consumption was not associated with overweight (pooled effect size: 1.19, 95% CI: 0.97-1.46, p = 0.099). The results from combining 7 studies showed a non-significant association between red meat intake and obesity (pooled effect size: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.93-1.44, p = 0.199) with significant heterogeneity among studies (I² = 87.3%, p_{heterogeneity} < 0.0001).

Conclusion: In conclusion, results extend the evidence that red meat consumption was not associated with the risk of overweight as well as no association between total meat consumption and obesity.

Keywords: Body mass index; Meat; Meat-analysis; Obesity; Overweight.