Objective: to know the food intake of eutrophic and overweight adolescents. Methods: casecontrol study that analyzed the food intake and habits of adolescents with normal weight and overweight, matched for age and sex, using a food frequency questionnaire and food diaries for 3 days, compared with the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population and analyzed by the software Virtual Nutri. Results: Mean body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat were 29.5 and 49.4 for the overweight group and 21.0% and 29.1% for the normal group, respectively (p < 0.01). Among normal individuals the average daily intake of calories was 1915.5 while overweight adolescents consumed 1761.8 calories. Most adolescents ate the three main meals: breakfast (86%), lunch (98,9%) and dinner (96.8%). For eutrophic teenagers the average percentage of energy consumed was 56.7% for carbohydrates, 154% for proteins and 27.9% for lipids, while the overweight group consumed 52.7%, 17.1% and 30.2%, respectively. Conclusions: the study showed that both groups of adolescents consume the same types and similar amounts of foods, except when considering the group of cereals, roots and tubers whose consumption was higher among eutrophic adolescents (p < 0.01) .

There are no conflicts of interest.ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To assess the eating habits and physical activity of adolescents enrolled in two public schools in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP). METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to analyze the eating habits and practice of physical activity of a group of overweight adolescents and of a eutrophic control group matched for sex and age. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ short version) and a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire were applied and a 3-day food record was obtained. The nutritive value of the foods consumed was calculated with the Virtual Nutri® software. Body fat was estimated using the equations of Slaughter et al. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and by the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Fifty-one (44.7%) overweight and 63 (55.2%) eutrophic adolescents were studied. Mean BMI was 29.5 for the overweight group and 21.0 for the eutrophic group, and percent body fat was 49.4 and 29.1, respectively (p<0.01-ANOVA). The daily calorie intake of the eutrophic adolescents consisted of 56.7% carbohydrates, 15.4% proteins and 27.9% lipids and the intake of the overweight group was 52.7%, 17.1% and 30.2%, respectively. In the eutrophic group, 28.6% were considered to be very active and 60.3% active and in the overweight group these values were 23.5% and 70.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Information about the eating and physical activity habits of adolescents is of fundamental importance for subsidizing individual and community actions. Although adolescents report apparently adequate physical activity and calorie consumption, health professional should be aware of the high rates of overweight and obesity detected in this age range.

Objective: to know the intake of macro and micronutrients among a group of adolescents in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP). Methods: observational study in which it is observed the intake and eating habits of adolescents, through the food frequency questionnaire validated for adolescents and the food record of 3 days. Results: the participants were 130 adolescents, of whom 81 (62.3%) were female and 49 (37.6%) male, with a mean age 196.8 ± 11 months. Food items with the highest intake were rice, beans, candies, bread, sugar and milk. The percentage of energy from macronutrients were 56.4% for the group of carbohydrate, 15.3% protein and 28.3% lipid. Regarding minerals, it was observed a low intake than the recommended for calcium, adequate intake of iron and zinc and, notably, excessive sodium intake. Conclusions: The results showed that adolescents consume a large amount of simple sugars, saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol and sodium, which, in excess, can cause harm to the health of individuals in full stage of development. Therefore, the evident need to implement food education programs targeted to adolescents and their families, in order to change consumer's habits, specially the reduction of sodium present in processed foods as well as those prepared in restaurants, decrease of sugar consumption and increase of eating vegetables and foods with calcium.