Nutrition Profile and Physical Activities in Military Police in Vitória ES Brazil

  • Juliana Prando Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo
  • Ivania Elisa Bufolo Cola Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo
  • Mírian Patrícia Castro Pereira Paixão Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo
Keywords: Obesity, physical activity, military police.

Abstract

Obesity is characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat with serious consequences to health. Nutritional transition shows changes in food habits and is characterized by an increase in food intake and in the prevalence of obese people in the population, especially among working adults. Current analysis evaluates the prevalence of overweight and abdominal obesity, food intake and levels of physical activities of military police posterior to their probation period. Food intake was evaluated by a qualitative Questionnaire in the Frequency of Food Consumption and the usual level of physical activity was investigated by the application of a short version of the International Questionnaire of Physical Activity. Nutritional evaluation was undertaken by weight and height measurements and used to determine body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), according to the Brazilian Cardiology and Hypertension Consensus (2010). Seventy-nine military police were evaluated, or rather, 64.2% of total, 86.08% males and 13.92% females. Further, 50.4% were classified as physically active, although 61.8% were overweight and 22.1% obese. Only 20.6% had high risks when WC was taken into account. Moreover, 45.5% of females were overweight and 18.2% were obese; 27.3% had a high WC. Individuals with excess weight consumed more food from the extra energetic and construction food group. On the other hand, eutrophics had a high daily intake of alcoholic drinks, coffee and tea. Overweighed and obese individuals were characterized by high food intake, such as extra energy food, in spite of the fact that they maintained the same level of physical activity as the others. Results show that inadequate food may be one of the factors that contributes towards these nutritional conditions

Author Biographies

Juliana Prando, Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo
Nutricionista pela Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo; Email: juprando@ymail.com
Ivania Elisa Bufolo Cola, Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo
Nutricionista pela Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo; Email: ivaniaelisa@yahoo.com.br
Mírian Patrícia Castro Pereira Paixão, Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo
Doutora em Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos; Docente da Faculdade Católica Salesiana do Espírito Santo; E-mail: miriannutricionista@yahoo.com.br
Published
2012-07-13
Section
Artigos Originais