EVALUATION OF DIETARY HABITS AND NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF FOOD INTAKE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PATIENTS

Abstract

Background and Aims To document the nutritional content of food intake in overweight and obese people, in order to change dietary habits for acquiring the normal weight. Material and methods We assessed the nutritional content of food intake (kilocalories, vitamins and minerals) in a sample of 124 overweight and obese people and 33 subjects with normal weight. We also measured abdominal circumference, percent of body fat and resting metabolic rate. Results Overweight and obese patients, compared to normal weight, have a significant increased intake of vitamin A (p=0.002), vitamin B1 (p=0.037), vitamin B5 (p=0.047), vitamin C (p=0.029) and vitamin D (p=0.015), sodium (p=0.036), iron (p=0.032) and selenium (p=0.007). The percent of body fat in obese persons is increased (p=0.00001) and very close to abnormal in patients with no weight problems. An increased food intake, above the calculated resting metabolic rate, is associated with a slower metabolism and a rapid resting metabolic rate is often associated with food intake below resting metabolic rate (p=0.002). Conclusions All subjects had imbalanced intake of vitamins and minerals. The normal weight group didn’t achieve the dietary recommendations for vitamins and minerals and we found that these subjects had risk factors for cardiac diseases like increased abdominal circumference, body fat and sodium intake.