Dietary intake and energy balance in the adult population in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: the Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Health Survey (PNAFS)

This study aimed to assess typical daily dietary intake and energy expenditure in a probabilistic sample of adults in the city of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Dietary intake was measured by 24-hour dietary recall, body mass and height were measured in the household, and energy expenditure was estimated by the Flex-heart rate method. The results showed mean energy intake of 1,570.9 (24.1) and 2,188.8 (46.1) kcal.day-1 for women and men, respectively. Energy expenditure was higher in obese women and men (1,511.5 +/- 19.5 and 2,222.3 +/- 68.8 kcal.day-1, respectively) due to their higher body mass. Measured energy balance (intake-expenditure) decreased with increasing body mass index (BMI) in both women and men and was negative (-3.2; 131 kcal.day-1) in obese men. In conclusion, energy intake among adults in Niteroi falls within the recommended values, despite high prevalence of overweight and obesity in women and men. Energy intake decreased with increasing body mass, indicating possible overestimation of energy expenditure. It is important to develop better estimates of energy expenditure in this population.