RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the preference of healthy and unhealthy foods among pre-school children attending daycare and its association with that of their parents, body mass index and socio-demographic variables. METHODOLOGY: We asked children and parents to depict their food preferences through 54 pictures of different food items. The association between the preferences and socio-demographic variables was done using the Phi correlation, chi-squared, Fisher's correlation, as well as univariate and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Two-hundred and sixty-five parent-child pairs participated in the study. Ice cream, potato chips and lollypops were the foods most preferred by children. On the other hand, quince jelly, coffee and avocado were the least preferred. Overweight and obese children had a higher preference for quince jelly, preserved fruits, and vegetable soup. With univariate logistic regression, children of low-income homes (OR= 2.56, p=0.007) and attending public daycare centers (OR= 6.2, p=0.0001) preferred less healthy fruits. When the father's education was added in a multivariable model including family income, only children whose fathers had <=9 years of education showed a higher preference for less healthy food. When parent's education, family income, and parent's preference for healthy foods were included to the model only children attending public daycares were more likely to prefer healthy foods. CONCLUSION: The foods most preferred by children have a high caloric density. The children's body mass index, their parent's monthly income, the father's education and the type of daycare they attended were associated with the preference of healthy or unhealthy foods.
Assuntos
Preferências Alimentares , Índice de Massa Corporal , Creches , Pré-Escolar , Dieta/métodos , Dieta/estatística & dados numéricos , Escolaridade , Ingestão de Energia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , México/epidemiologia , Obesidade/epidemiologia , Razão de Chances , Sobrepeso/epidemiologia , Pais , Prevalência , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity have dramatically increased in recent years. In 2006, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 6- to 12-year-old children was 26% in Mexico. Food advertising has shown to be a contributor to childhood obesity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency and types of food advertisements geared toward children living in Baja California. METHODS: Two local channels and three national channels, during a period of 7 h on weekday afternoons and 6 h on weekend mornings, were recorded for 7 days. A total of 235 h were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 8299 advertisements were registered; 22% were food-related and 50% were geared toward children. The average of food-related advertisements (FRAs) per half an hour was 4, and half of them were geared toward children. During the time that children may be watching television, 50% of all FRAs were potato and corn chips, desserts and cakes, juices, sweetened cereals, candies, cookies, sweetened beverages and fast foods, which comprises a higher percentage of adult-oriented FRA (32 versus 22%). CONCLUSION: Children are systematically more exposed than adults to advertisements for high-energy-dense foods.
Assuntos
Publicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Alimentos , Televisão/estatística & dados numéricos , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Criança , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Nutrição Infantil , Alimentos/classificação , Humanos , Marketing , México , Comunicação Persuasiva , Gravação de VideoteipeRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The high demand for obesity treatment and conventional therapies' lack of effectiveness increases the use of alternative products. This study was aimed at assessing evidence from randomised clinical trials regarding the effectiveness of alternative weight-loss products' ingredients. METHODS: A survey was conducted in Ensenada, Baja California, to assess the frequency of consuming alternative products used for weight reduction. The ingredients in the products most in demand were included in this review. The Pubmed database was searched for all randomised clinical trial papers including these ingredients and assessing weight loss. RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of the subjects questioned had used alternative methods for weight-loss, 83% of them being women. The most frequently used products were shakes, tea, pills and flaxseed/linseed. Sixteen randomised clinical trials using four ingredients were used: Garcinia cambogia, green tea, L-carnitina and flaxseed. Only two studies (green tea and Garcinia cambogia) showed significant weight-loss (25%) amongst control and experimental groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in the studies regarding L-carnitina and flaxseed. CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of evidence regarding quality studies justifying the use of alternative products for weight loss.