Food habits and physical activity in relation to overweight and obesity in Spain ; Hábitos alimentarios y actividad física en relación con el sobrepeso y la obesidad en España

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to determine the eating habits and the physical activity in the Spanish population along 2012 and to analyze its relationship with overweight and obesity.Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study of the National Health Survey in 2012. A descriptive analysis of the eating habits and the physical activity was conducted within the general population and also within the genders for ages between 18 and 90 of age. Also, a multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed calculating the RRR adjusted to a series of sociodemographic variables. The goal was to assess the risk of overweight and obesity and know whether the individuals followed or not the recommendations given by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) in relation to eating habits, alcohol consumption and regular physical activity.Results: Less than 50% of the Spanish population followed the recommendations given by the SENC in the consumption of pasta and rice, vegetables, sausages and sweets. Women significantly followed the recommendations of taking fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish, sausages, soft drinks, fast food and snacks and men followed the recommendations of pasta and rice, bread and cereals and legumes, in a statistically significant manner in both cases. More than a half of those surveyed (81.4%) did not physical activity during their free time being men the ones who performed physical activity more frequently. Daily consumption of fruit was associated with a higher risk of overweight (RRR adjusted=0.77; p=.008) and occasional consumption of sweets compared to the daily one showed a higher risk of overweight (RRR adjusted=0.83; p=.005) and obesity (RRR adjusted=0.73; p<.001). Physical activity several times a week or monthly decreased the latter risk significantly (p<.001).Conclusions: The Spanish population does not exercise enough in its free time. Association between eating habits and overweight and obesity is not clear and this paper follows the lead of the contradictions ...