Differences in diet composition of Brazilian adolescent girls with positive or negative score in the Eating Attitudes Test

Abstract

Dieting, a behavioral phenomenon which is becoming more frequent among adolescents, is certainly involved in the pathogenesis of eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa (AN), and may result in an unbalanced nutrition. Our study aimed at identifying girls with symptoms of AN and describing their diets. We assessed girls with symptoms by using the Eating Attitudes Test and considered girls with a score > or = 20 as having symptoms of AN. To evaluate their diets, a "modified" 24-hour recall was applied on three alternate days. Twenty-one percent of the 279 girls studied showed symptoms of AN. Analysis of the food intake showed that calories, calcium and iron were below the recommendations of the Standing Committee on the Specific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI Committee) and the National Research Council, while protein and carbohydrate were within the recommended range and fat was above the percentage of recommended total energy intake. Compared to girls without symptoms, they had a significantly smaller intake of calories and iron, and a higher intake of protein. Findings shown in this paper point out the need for intervention in adolescents because their dieting behavior can predispose to an eating disorder.

Dietary intake and nutritional risk in Mediterranean adolescents in relation to the severity of the eating disorder

“…In this regard, and in line with the findings of several authors (9)(10)(11) , our study showed lower energy and/ or macronutrient intake(s) in adolescent females at rED.…”

“…Lower intakes of Na, Fe and vitamins B 12 , B 6 , A, E and/or C have been observed in females at rED (9)(10)(11)(12) . Compared with these studies, our results show lower intakes of a greater number of micronutrients (Ca, Fe, Mg, K, P, Na, thiamin, vitamins E, C, B 6 , B 12 , pantothenic acid and folic acid) in adolescents at rED and with EDNOS.…”

“…Compared with these studies, our results show lower intakes of a greater number of micronutrients (Ca, Fe, Mg, K, P, Na, thiamin, vitamins E, C, B 6 , B 12 , pantothenic acid and folic acid) in adolescents at rED and with EDNOS. These differences could be because these studies used different methodologies to assess dietary intake such as FFQ (12,47) , a single 24 h recall (9)(10)(11) and diet histories (46) . In relation to inadequate micronutrient intake, we observed that a high percentage of females with rED (57·8 %) or EDNOS (83·3 %) presented risk of micronutrient intake inadequacy.…”

“…As far we can ascertain, there are only four studies that have quantitatively evaluated dietary intake in adolescent females at rED, and none that have looked at boys. Of these studies, the Brazilian (9) and Taiwanese (10,11) studies showed that girls at rED consumed less energy than the control group. However, two of them identified lower intakes of macronutrients, vitamin B 6 , vitamin B 12 and Zn (10,11) ; whereas one of them observed lower intakes of energy and Fe compared with the control group (9) .…”

Comportamento de risco para transtorno alimentar em universitárias brasileiras

“…Estudos internacionais que avaliaram comportamento de risco encontraram frequências variando de 6,2% na China 9 a 21,7% no Paquistão 10 . Os estudos nacionais sobre comportamento de risco para TA no Brasil foram localizados e realizados com amostras pequenas e variadas -como escolares, adolescentes e estudantes universitá-rias [13][14][15][16][17][18] . Nenhum estudo foi realizado até o momento com um mesmo grupo etário, em diferentes localidades do Brasil, a fim de investigar diferenças e/ou semelhanças entre a frequência dos comportamentos de risco para TA.…”