[ENCOPREVENIMSS 2004. 5. Intake of healthy or potentially unhealthy food].
OBJECTIVE
to know the prevalence of healthy or potentially unhealthy food intake in the population insured by the Mexican Institute of Social Security.


METHODS
food intake was obtained from frequency questionnaires classified as healthy (HF) or potentially unhealthy food (PUF), and according to its nature and frequency consumption. The prevalences according to age groups were obtained for <1 year old and every five years until 19; then, they were recorded by decades, sex, location and place of residence, with or without coast.


RESULTS
in the first year of age, the consumption of HF is low, and the intake of PUF starts, with industrialized juices and soft drinks. Between the first and the ninth year of age, the consumption of HF increases; however, the intake of PUF increases too; there is not a significant intake of red meat, eggs and fish. Throughout adolescence, HF intake and diversity increases, although PUF consumption is higher too. In adults and senior citizens, the kind of HF most frequently consumed were cereals and leguminous plants, but they barely ate fruits and vegetables. The HF of greatest consumption were those of animal origin, and the riskiest ones were very greasy daily products with saturated fat, as well as soft drinks. We found that the population living in the Pacific coast consumes more sea food than the one living in the Gulf coast. We also found that, as people get older, the intake of PUF decreases.


CONCLUSIONS
in the first years of life, the proper intake of meat, eggs and fish should be promoted, as well as the consumption of HF and the decrease of food with refined sugar, saturated fat or salt.
Flores-Huerta
Samuel
S
Departamento de Salud Comunitaria, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. floreshuertamd@yahoo.com
Acosta-Cázares
Benjamín
B
Rendón-Macías
Mario Enrique
ME
Klünder-Klünder
Miguel
M
Gutiérrez-Trujillo
Gonzalo
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005502:Food / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D011314:Preventive Health Services