[Association between dietary habits and the presence of overweight/obesity in a sample of 21,385 chilean adolescents].
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of the present study was to explore the potential associations between dietary habits and the presence of overweight and obesity in Chilean adolescents.


METHODS
For the present study dietary habits of 21,385 Chilean students were analyzed and weight and height assessed, in order to determine potential associations between eating patterns and body mass index (BMI) values.


RESULTS
The majority of participants have lunch and a snack in the afternoon every day a week (81% and 71.2%, respectively), although only a 59.5% have breakfast every day and a 22% have dinner every night. To have breakfast is common for thin and normal weight subjects, but only a half of overweight and obese individuals usually have it. The obese is the group having less dairy products. A 50.2% of all subjects have legumes once or never in a week. Around a 15% have sweets all days and nearly a 50% of all the participants consume fizzy drinks every day of the week. Interestingly, having breakfast was found to be associated with less truancy.


CONCLUSIONS
Nutritional education strategies should be carried out within students in Chile, since inadequate dietary habits are related to the higher values of BMI.
Phaculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.. patricia.lopez@uautonoma.cl.
Patricia
P
Lopez-Legarrea
Phaculty of Education, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Talca, Chile.. patricia.lopez@uautonoma.cl.
Pedro R
PR
Olivares
Phaculty of Education, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Talca, Chile.. patricia.lopez@uautonoma.cl.
Alejandro
A
Almonacid-Fierro
Phaculty of Education, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Talca, Chile. Grupo Interdisciplinar de Estudios e Investigación en Ciencias de la salud y deporte. GEISADE. Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Talca, Chile.. patricia.lopez@uautonoma.cl.
Rossana
R
Gomez-Campos
Centro de investigación en desarrollo biológico humano. CIDEBIHU. Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile. Departament of Physical Activiy Science, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.. patricia.lopez@uautonoma.cl.
Marco
M
Cossio-Bolaños
Phaculty of Education, Universidad Autonoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.. patricia.lopez@uautonoma.cl.
Javier
J
Garcia-Rubio
D000293:Adolescent; D001628:Beverages; D015992:Body Mass Index; D062408:Breakfast; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D007887:Fabaceae; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D062410:Snacks