ABSTRACT
Diet is essential for diabetes treatment. It must provide a balanced nutritional intake with adaptation to each patient. The aim of this study is to evaluate the spontaneous food consumption in a group of 150 type 2 diabetic Tunisian patients. Main food consumption abnormalities are an excessive caloric intake, an excess in glucid consumption, a saturated, fatty acids intake accounting for 26 +/- 6% of the lipid ration which is positively correlated with high LDL cholesterol levels [p=0,04], a ratio animal/vegetable proteins greater than I and an insufficiency in anti-oxidant vitamins. Thus, the qualitative analysis of the, food intake shows several anomalies which exposes our diabetic patients to a high cardiovascular risk; adapted recommendations appear to be necessary