Abstract

Over nutrition has become a public health problem over the life cycle. The objective of the study was to analyze the eating habits and nutritional status of children attending the Integral Sports Schools (ISS) of the National Sports Institute in Chillán, Chile. An anthropometric evaluation was performed; an eating habits survey, which measured the consumption of fruit, vegetables, dairy products, water, meat, fish, legumes, sweet and salty treats, fried products, junk food, and cold meats on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis was completed. Results confirmed a high prevalence of overnutrition (58.7%). Complying with Food Based Dietary Guidelines for the Chilean Population, values were 59.2% for fruit, 71.4% for vegetables, 13.8% for fish, 39.3% for legumes, and 66.3% for dairy products. More than 65% of the children ate sweet and/or salty treats on a daily basis. Weekly intake of junk food and fried products was 66% and 79%, respectively. Multidisciplinary prevention and health promotion interventions are required to improve healthy lifestyles in children and thus contribute to reducing child morbidity rates.