Study the Effect of an Innovative Educational Program Promoting Healthy Food Habits on Eating Disorders, Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Body Composition in University Students

Abstract

The university stage is a good time to promote healthy eating strategies. The sociological and cultural changes experienced by students lead them to skip meals, increase their intake of fast food and energy-dense foods, decreasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD). Professionals related to food such as nutritionists and dietitians are also considered a population at risk of developing eating disorders due to the extensive knowledge they possess, which can be used for both good and bad practice. The objective was to analyze the impact of a 4-month educational program promoting the Mediterranean diet on risky eating behaviors, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and body composition in nutrition and dietetics students, studying the differences according to the group investigated (control group and educated group). The context of the research was 196 students (49 males and 147 females) from two consecutive years. The control group did not receive any type of intervention, while with the control group (educated) an educational program was carried out. Results showed that women with greater control over energy intake, carbohydrates, and sugar had a lower percentage of fat mass, while in men, the relationship was established with weight. Regarding adherence to the Mediterranean diet, at post, it is adequate in both men (8.25 ± 2.87) and women (7.90 ± 2.89), with no significant differences between the intervention groups.

Excess Weight in Relation to Lifestyle Habits in Spanish First-Year University Students: Differences between Pre- and Post-COVID-19—A Serial Cross-Sectional Study Based on uniHcos Project

“…Educational programs have been carried out to improve healthy habits among university students, with mixed results. For instance, Martínez-Rodríguez et al [15] observed an improvement in body composition but not in the potential risk of developing an eating disorder after implementing a 4-month educational program. Similarly, interventions for promoting physical activity yielded inconsistent results, with limited evidence regarding both the immediate and the longer-term beneficial effects [16].…”

Beneficios del consumo de dieta mediterránea en individuos con elevado riesgo cardiovascular: un patrón que debe convertirse en el común denominador

“…Particularmente, la dieta mediterránea, basada esencialmente en el consumo de frutas, vegetales, granos, legumbres, aceite de oliva, especias, seguido de proteína derivada de pescado y comida de mar, dando poca prioridad a los lácteos y carnes rojas, es un régimen viable en (6)(7)(8) nuestro medio occidental . Este beneficio se presenta debido a que la distribución adecuada de porciones, considerando la composición de los alimentos, culminaría en un patrón normo o hipocalórico, lo que se ha asociado significativamente con beneficios sustanciales en la salud (9) cardiovascular .…”