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We found that increased fish intake was independently related to the lower odds of metabolic syndrome and its features. Further prospective investigations are warranted to confirm this association.

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Objective: Limited observational studies have considered habitual consumption of the general population to examine the relationship between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and obesity. The aim of the present study was to investigate adherence to the DASH diet in relation to general and central obesity among female nurses in Isfahan, Iran. Design: Cross-sectional study carried out among 293 female nurses aged > 30 years who were selected by a multistage, cluster random sampling method. Usual dietary intakes were assessed using a validated FFQ. We constructed the DASH score based on foods and nutrients emphasized or minimized in the DASH diet, focusing on eight components: high intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy products and whole grains and low intakes of sodium, sweetened beverages, and red and processed meats. General and abdominal obesity were defined as BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 and waist circumference ≥ 88 cm, respectively. Setting: Isfahan, Iran. Subjects: Female nurses (n 293) aged > 30 years. Results: Increased adherence to the DASH diet was associated with older age (P < 0·01) and lower waist circumference (P = 0·04). There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of general obesity between extreme quartiles of the DASH diet score. After adjustment for age, energy intake and other confounding factors, DASH diet score was not significantly associated with obesity. However, with further controlling for other dietary factors, those in the highest quartile of DASH diet score were 71 % less likely to have general obesity compared with those in the lowest quartile. In addition, following a DASH diet was inversely associated with central obesity after adjustment for potential confounders (OR = 0·37; 95 % CI 0·14, 0·96). Conclusions: We found that adherence to the DASH diet was inversely related to central obesity among Iranian adult females. This association remained significant even after adjustment for potential confounders. Keywords Obesity DASH diet IranThe prevalence of overweight and obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide. During the past decades, obesity and obesity-related co-morbidities have become epidemic in the world (1) . The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008 (2) and it has been estimated that in 2030, globally an estimated 2·16 billion adults will be overweight and 1·12 billion will be obese (3) . Epidemiological studies have shown that obesity, and in particular central obesity, predicts the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular mortality and proinflammatory conditions (4) . It has been estimated that 21 % of cardiovascular events in men and 28 % in women can be explained by overweight and obesity (5) .With improvement in the socio-economic situation in developing countries, an increasing prevalence of obesity is observed among both adults and children in these countries (6) .