Association Between Dietary Patterns and Body Composition in a Group Or Puerto Rican Obese Adults: A Pilot Study (Report‪)‬

Overweight and obesity are serious public health problems in Puerto Rico and worldwide. It is estimated that 63% of adults in the US population are overweight or obese, while in Puerto Rico, the prevalence is 65% (1). Overweight and obesity are risk factors of several chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, and many types of cancer, leading to excessive death and lack of total health (2). Several studies have shown that overweight and obesity are associated with dietary patterns that include low consumption of fruits, vegetables and fiber and high intake of sweetened drinks, and increased energy intake (3-5). Sugar sweetened drinks, especially those carbonated, provide little nutritional benefit and contribute to increase weight gain, and probably also increase the risk of diabetes, fractures, and dental cavities (6). The meal time patterns, as frequency of meals, snacks and missing meals have also been suggested as important aspects in energy regulation, as most adult studies show that lower meal frequency consumption is associated with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) (7).