Food habits of well nourished and overweight children in Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Objective To compare the food habits between well nourished and overweight children. Methods Case-control study with 50 well nourished children and 50 overweight children, paired by gender age and socioeconomic conditions. They were selected from the nutritional assessment of 2074 children aging from 6 to 8 years, enrolled in public and private schools of the urban area of Vicosa, Minas Gerais State. Nutritional status was classified according to the Body Mass Index criteria of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A food frequency questionnaire with the foods that contribute to overweight as well as the usual food recalls regarding week and weekend days were applied. The food recalls were also used to determine intake of energy, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, calcium and fibers. A fourth questionnaire was applied in order to determine if the children had the habit of going on diets. Results Food intake among overweight children was excessive. They had a higher intake of energy, lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamin C and vitamin A (p<0.05). However the food habits were similar in both groups. A high percentage of overweight children had the habit or have the habit of dieting (p<0.05). Conclusion This study confirms the importance of educating both well nourished and overweight children with respect to diet. They need a healthier and more varied diet, especially at this age, and the overweight children need to make smaller meals.