Ortega Anta R M, Andrés Carvajales P, Requejo Marcos A M, López Sobaler A M, Redondo Sobrado M R, González-Fernández M
Dpto. de Nutrición, F. Farmacia, Univ. Complutense, Madrid.
An Esp Pediatr. 1996 Mar;44(3):203-8.
The objective of this study was to investigate the differences between the foods, energy and nutrient intakes of normal weight and overweight/obese adolescents.
To this end, a survey was made of the food, energy and nutrient intake of 60 adolescents. The subjects kept a 5-day dietary record, including one Sunday. Adolescents were divided into two study groups:overweight and obese subjects (S; with a body mass index-BMI > or = 23 Kg/m2, 75th percentile) and subjects of normal weight (PN; BMI < 23 Kg/m2).
We found no differences in the energy intake between obese and normal adolescents. Imbalances in the contribution of macronutrients to the total energy intake appear greater in overweight/obese adolescents with a greater proportion of their energy from fats and a lower percentage of their energy from carbohydrates. In addition, S subjects take-in significantly larger amounts of cholesterol. The situation was worse in S women who took 50% of their calories derived from fat, 21.9% from proteins and only 27.5% of their calories were derived from carbohydrates.
We conclude that the most significant finding of this survey is that the diet composition, rather than energy consumption, was the main factor responsible for obesity in both young men and women. Our results suggest that a diet higher in fat and lower in carbohydrates, independent of total energy intake, may contribute to obesity in adolescents.
