Análise da qualidade nutricional de dietas de emagrecimento publicadas em revistas não científicas

Abstract

Objectives: To assess and compare the nutritional composition of diets for weight loss published in scientific journals not in accordance with current dietary recommendations. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Twelve volumes of scientific journals not belonging to three publishers, all on a monthly basis, for the female audience, published from December 2012 to March 2013 were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi -square and t-student tests. Quantitative variables were described by mean and standard deviation or median and interquartile rang. Categorical variables were described by absolute and relative frequencies. The level of significance was set at 5 % ( p ≤ 0.05 ) and analyzes were performed using SPSS version 18.0 . Results: twelve magazines that resulted in seventeen stories with sixty six options menus, totaling sixteen diets with caloric intake ranging from 530.66 to 1575.01 Kcal / day were analyzed. The recommended carbohydrate diets (p = 0.010) and fiber ( p = 0.003) and significantly lower than recommended insufficient amounts of vitamin D ( p = 0.001) , folate (p < 0.001) , calcium (p < 0.001) and iron (p < 0.001). The protein content of the diets, in % , was above the normal ( p < 0.001 ) in all diets . Regarding lipids and total cholesterol, the differences were not significant. Conclusions: The observed inadequacies in the diets published in scientific journals do not allow us to state that eating plans have not reached the daily recommendations for the target audience. Not reaching the middle of many important for maintaining health nutrients nutritional recommendations, which turns out not to be possible to include them within the concept of “healthy diet”.