An appraisal of food serving characteristics among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending a tertiary care diabetes facility in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: The primary objective of the present study was to identify the portion sizes of food consumed by adult type 2 diabetic patients in Sri Lanka and to evaluate if these were within the current recommendations. Materials and Methods:A cross sectional survey was performed at a tertiary care diabetes facility in Sri Lanka.Starch, fruits, vegetables, meat or alternative, pulses, dairy and added sugar consumption was assessed according to standard methods using a 24-hour dietary recall. Results:One hundred and twenty three randomly selected adult type 2 diabetic patients were studied. Forty six percent of participants exceeded the national recommendation of 4.5 to 9 servings of starch per day for patients with diabetes. Mean daily consumption of starch was 10.5 (median 10.2 IQR 4.7) servings. Only 26% and 45% of participants consumed the recommended 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables per day. Thirty three percent and 8% did not consume any fruits or vegetables respectively. Dairy products were consumed by 25% only. Added sugar was not used by 99% of participants. Portion size was smaller in females and with advancing age. The mean proportions of total Carbohydrates, proteins and fats comprising total energy intake were 68.1%, 11.5% and 20.2% respectively.Discussion: Medical nutrition therapy in diabetes recommends a mixed diet with carbohydrates from a variety of sources such as cereals, fruits and vegetables. Although Sri Lankan patients with diabetes consume less starch and more fruits and vegetables compared to non-diabetic counterparts, a substantial proportion still fail to meet the recommendations.