Wendy Campos-Pérez¹, Karina González-Becerra¹, Omar Ramos-López¹, Jorge A Silva-Gómez¹, Elisa Barrón-Cabrera¹, Sonia Roman¹, Arturo Panduro¹, Erika Martínez-López^1,

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased significantly in Westernized countries including Mexico. In general, unbalanced diets and physical inactivity have been identified as environmental factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic. The aim of this study was to compare the patterns of dietary intake and physical activity between Mexican individuals with normal-weight and overweight. In a cross-sectional and analytical study, 500 subjects were included. A 3-day food record and a food frequency questionnaire were used to evaluate dietary intake. In general, both groups had a higher intake of total fatty acids (36.9 ± 7.1%), saturated fatty acids (12.2 ± 3.5%), simple carbohydrates (19.2 ± 6.9%), dietary cholesterol (338.1 ± 253.8 mg/d) and a high n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio (12:1). In contrast, an insufficient daily consumption of PUFA (6.7 ± 5.7%), vitamins A and E, magnesium and zinc were found. The main foods that contributed to these dietary characteristics were an overconsumption of sugars, fats, and meat as well as an insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the normal-weight group had a higher prevalence of physical activity than the overweight group (56.7% vs. 33.3%, p<0.05). In conclusion both normal-weight and overweight groups had an inadequate dietary pattern, which could lead to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disease. Our work highlights the importance of dietary guidance and lifestyle intervention in both normal-weight and overweight groups.

Diet, PUFA, normal-weight, overweight, physical activity