Nutritional and food profile of children attended by a nutrition school clinic

In recent years there has been a decline in child malnutrition, in contrast, cases of overweight and obesity in this age group are increasing. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the anthropometric and dietary profile of children under nutritional monitoring. Retrospective cross-sectional study with data obtained from medical records of children aged 5 to 10 years attending the Clinic School of Nutrition of the Midwestern State University. Eighty-seven medical records were analyzed, the main reasons reported for seeking nutritional treatment were weight loss and dietary reeducation. There was a prevalence of overweight and obesity (87.3%) among the children analyzed. It was observed that there was no difference between the energy consumption assessed by the 24-hour recall and the energy requirement calculated by the Total Energy Expenditure (GET) of the children, but for all macronutrients there was a significant difference, and the carbohydrate and protein intake was less than the need (p = 0.022 and p = 0.032), and fat consumption was higher than recommended (p <0.001). Most children reported appetite during meals, but most also reported feeling hungry during breaks. Attendance for nutritional follow-up was low, with a mean of 2.76 +/- 2.1 returns. The nutritional profile of children seeking nutritional care revealed anthropometric condition of prevalent overweight, the result of inadequate eating habits, and a probable history of family overweight. We highlight the importance of frequent nutritional care for lifestyle changes, improvement in nutritional status and prevention of diseases due to overweight.