Dietary factors associated with metabolic syndrome and its components in overweight and obese Brazilian schoolchildren: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MS) has been assessed since childhood mainly because of the nutritional and epidemiological transition that has occurred worldwide. Our objectives were to explore the MS and its components according to anthropometric and demographic factors and to assess the relationship among MS components and dietary characteristics in overweight and obese schoolchildren. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study which included 147 schoolchildren (aged 6–10 years) from three elementary schools, with body mass index (BMI) higher than the 85th percentile. Sexual maturation stages, anthropometric measures (weight, height, skinfold thickness and waist circumference), biochemical data (glucose, HDL-C and triacylglycerol), blood pressure and dietary intake were assessed. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed if three or more of the following components were presented: waist circumference ≥90th age and sex-specific cut-off, blood pressure ≥90th age, sex and height-specific cut-off, glucose ≥100 mg/dL, HDL-C ≥ 40 mg/dL and triacylglycerols ≥ 110 mg/dL. The dietary intake was assessed by three non-consecutive 24-h recalls. The T test, Kruskal–Wallis and multiple linear regression analysis were applied to assess MS components and dietary intake. RESULTS: The MS percentage was 10.2 % and it was higher in obese children and ones with high body fat percentage. The waist circumference was the main altered component of MS and 62 % of overweight schoolchildren showed at least one altered component of MS. The components of metabolic syndrome associated with dietary intake were triacylglycerol (positive association with saturated and monounsaturated fat, whole-milk products and processed foods and negative associated with legumes and polyunsaturated fat), glycemia (positive association with processed foods and negative with cereals), HDL-C (positive association with vegetables and greens) and waist circumference was negative associated with protein. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of MS was higher in obese than overweight schoolchildren and the frequency of at least one MS component was high in more than half of our subjects. The waist circumference was the most frequent among all other components. The triacylglycerol and glycemia were the most frequent MS components associated with dietary intake. Unprocessed food was considered a protective dietary factor for MS metabolic components and processed food with high percentage of sugar and saturated fat was a risk factor for MS metabolic components

Etiquetado y rotulación de los alimentos en la prevención del sobrepeso y la obesidad: una revisión sistemática Food labeling and the prevention of overweight and obesity: a systematic review

Revisión de los artículos sobre el etiquetado o la rotulación en la prevención de la obesidad y el sobrepeso. Estudio, mediante técnica sistemática, de los trabajos recuperados mediante revisión bibliográfica. Bases de datos consultadas: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library Plus, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, LILACS y CINAHL. Descriptores DeCS/MeSH: obesity y food labeling. 207 artículos recuperados, mediante los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, se seleccionaron 14: 11 sobre etiquetado y la rotulación en el consumo final del producto; 2 sobre establecimientos de comida rápida. Uno sobre atributos sensoriales en contraste con recomendaciones saludables y 2 realizaron un seguimiento de las intervenciones. El etiquetado y la rotulación tienen efecto positivo en el consumo final de los alimentos, suceso no observado en restaurantes de comida rápida. Los atributos sensoriales fueron más efectivos que las recomendaciones recogidas en el etiquetado. El seguimiento de las actuaciones confirmó el efecto a largo plazo de las intervenciones estudiadas.<br>This article reports on a systematic review of articles on food labeling and the prevention of obesity and overweight, in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library Plus, Food Science and Technology Abstracts, LILACS, and CINAHL databases. The DeCS/MeSH descriptors were obesity and food labeling. 207 articles were retrieved. Using inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were selected: 11 were on food labeling and its impact on final food product consumption; 2 were on fast food establishments; 1 on sensory attributes as compared to health recommendations; and 2 on follow-up of interventions. Labeling has a positive effect on final food product consumption, in contrast with fast food restaurants. Sensory attributes were more effective than recommendations on the labels. Follow-up of interventions confirmed the long-term effect of the target interventions

A vida não pode ser feita só de sonhos: reflexões sobre publicidade e alimentação saudável Life cannot consist of dreams alone: reflections on advertising and a healthy diet

Neste ensaio apresentamos algumas reflexões sobre publicidade e alimentação saudável no mundo contemporâneo onde o consumo exerce papel de grande relevância. Buscamos enfatizar dois aspectos, entre tantos outros ainda por serem explorados na literatura científica do campo alimentar-nutricional: a hegemonia do paradigma biomédico e a fragmentação da vida humana quando campanhas publicitárias anunciam alimentos associando-os à ideia de alimentação saudável. Consideramos que não podemos viver somente como naquela publicidade onde nossos desejos são acionados, sem limites, onde mundo é só de sonhos e o objetivo principal é vender mais e lucrar mais, ainda que para isso se tenha feito uso de estratégias de disseminação de algumas informações de cunho biomédico-nutricional. O encontro entre alimentação e saúde, ou seja, alimentação saudável, deve pressupor, no nosso entendimento, a valorização da ação do sujeito, inclusive por meio de informações qualificadas e contextualizadas na vida social de modo a que se possa desenhar projetos de felicidade. Um sujeito fortalecido em sua identidade, íntegro e total que, entre sonhos e concretudes, pode ousar a buscar o conhecer e o pensar sobre si mesmo no mundo, sobre sua alimentação e sua saúde.<br>In this essay we present some thoughts on advertising and a healthy diet in the contemporary world, where consumption plays a highly relevant role. We seek to emphasize two aspects, among many others yet to be explored in the scientific literature in the food and nutritional field: the hegemony of the biomedical paradigm and the fragmentation of human life when advertising campaigns associate food with the idea of a healthy diet. We believe that we cannot merely live through advertisements in which our desires are triggered constantly and where the world is only dreams and the main goal is to sell more and earn more, even using some strategies for dissemination of biomedical and nutritional information. In our opinion, the merger between diet and health, i.e. a healthy diet, must involve enlightenment of the individual including information on quality in the context of social life in order to achieve the ideal of happiness. Individuals whose identities are fully formed both in dreams and reality can boldly seek knowledge and think about themselves in the world context, as well as zeal for their diet and health