Publicidad televisiva y preferencias alimentarias en escolares de la Región Metropolitana / Television advertising and food preferences of school age children of the Región Metropolitana

Background: There is an alarming increase in the prevalence of child obesity in Chile. Lack of exercise and bad feeding habits strongly contribute to the problem. Aim: To investigate the influence of television publicity on school age children food preferences. Material and methods: A semi structured interview was applied to a representative sample of 786 school age children aged 6 to 11 years old, living in Metropolitan Santiago. Time watching television during week days and the attitude towards food and beverage commercials was analyzed and related to food preferences. Results: Ninety nine percent of school age children watch television during week days and 20 percent watches more the three hours daily. Snack commercials such as those about potato chips, chocolates, cookies and ice cream, are preferred by 35 percent of children. Soda commercials are preferred by 33 percent and yoghurt commercials by 12 percent. Eighty five percent of children had money to buy food. Of these, 66 percent bought snacks, 15 percent bought sodas and 7 percent yoghurt. The same tendency was observed in school collations. Conclusions: The high percentage of children watching television and the influence of commercials in their food preferences, requires an urgent educational strategy to promote healthy feeding habits

Obesidad en el preescolar: evolución antropométrica y determinantes socioeconómicos / Obesity in Chilean preschool children: anthropometric evolution and socioeconomic determinants

Background: The prevalence of obesity among low-income preschool children has increased in Chile. Aim: To compare the anthropometric evolution of obese and non obese children from birth and to determine the influence of maternal body composition and socioeconomic variables with childhood obesity. Subject and methods: Using a case control design, 237 obese, 449 normal and 54 overweight 4 year old low income children, attending 8 public outpatient clinics in Santiago, were studied. Anthropometric data since birth to the moment of the study was gathered from the clinical charts at the clinics. Results: Z scores for height/age and weight/height were significantly higher at all ages, excepting height/age in boys at the moment of birth. At the moment of the atudy, obese and overweight children were four and one cm taller than the normal weight controls. Maternal body mass index (odds ratio 3.07), being a first child, having a working mother; to have a telephone at home and birth weight were the variables significantly associated with obesity, according to an adjusted effects analysis. Conclusions. The strong association of maternal and offspring obesity implies that the prevention of childhood obesity must consider health actions directed towards mothers as well