Food and nutritional profile of high energy density consumers in an adult Mediterranean population.
OBJECTIVE
To test if an adult Mediterranean population consumes different food volumes while spontaneously ingesting diets of different energy density and to estimate which are the food and nutritional profiles of these diets.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of food consumption.


METHODS
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus.


METHODS
Five hundred and seventy two adult individuals (25 65 y) randomly selected from the population census of Reus.


METHODS
24 hour recall method for 3 non-consecutive days including one holiday. The population was classified into three groups of differing energy densities by simple linear regression analysis. Means were compared by ANOVA.


RESULTS
Both sexes consume similar food volumes across the different levels of energy density. High energy density consumers ingest significantly more red meat, olive oil, sweet cereals, cereals and sugars and less reduced fat milk, green vegetables and fruit compared to low energy density consumers. Male and female high energy density consumers show a significantly higher consumption of energy (1686 kJ and 2200 kJ, respectively) (P < 0.001), a 5.2% (P < 0.001) and 2.3% (P < 0.05) respectively higher energy intake derived from fat and a 1.3% (P < 0.05) and 1.3% (P < 0.05) respectively higher energy intake derived from saturated fatty acids compared to low energy density consumers.


CONCLUSIONS
Our adult Mediterranean population normally consumes similar food volumes, independently of the energy density ingested. High energy dense diets in our population could represent an important health risk because they are excessively rich in energy, fats and saturated fatty acids.
Cucó
G
G
Unitat de Medicina Preventiva i Salut Pública, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
Arija
V
V
Martí-Henneberg
C
C
Fernández-Ballart
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain
D004041:Dietary Fats