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Objective This study investigated food choices made by individuals consuming diets differing in energy density and explores relationships between energy density and diet quality. Design Cross-sectional, nationally representative survey. Subjects 7,500 adults (older than 19 years) in the 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. Statistical analysis Energy density values were calculated from reported food intake. Subjects were classified as consuming a low-energy-density diet, medium-energy-density diet, or high-energy-density diet using tertile cutoffs. For each group, the percentage consuming various foods/beverages and the mean amount of foods/beverages they consumed was determined along with mean nutrient intakes. Results Compared with participants consuming a high-energy-density diet, those with a low-energy-density diet had a lower energy intake but consumed more food, by weight, from most food groups. A low-energy-density diet included a relatively high proportion of foods high in micronutrients and water and low in fat, such as fruits and vegetables. Subjects with a low-energy-density diet consumed fewer (nonwater) beverages such as caloric carbonated beverages. They also consumed less fat and had higher intakes of several important micronutrients, including vitamins A, C, and B-6, folate, iron, calcium, and potassium. Conclusions These analyses further demonstrate the beneficial effects of a low-energy-density diet, which was associated with lower energy intakes, higher food intakes, and higher diet quality than a high-energy-density diet. To achieve a low-energy-density diet, individuals should be encouraged to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as low-fat/reduced-fat, nutrient-dense, and/or water-rich grains, dairy products, and meats/meat alternatives.

Dietary energy density [kcal/g (kJ/g)] influences energy intake under controlled laboratory conditions. Little is known about the energy density of the diets of free-living persons. Because energy density investigations are a relatively new endeavor, there are neither standard calculation methods nor published nationally representative values. This paper examines the calculation of energy density based on systematic exclusion of beverage categories, presents data on variability, and compares values by sex, age, and race/ethnicity in a representative sample of U.S. adults. Mean daily dietary energy density values for adults (aged > 19 y) were calculated using two 24-h recalls from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals 1994-1996 based on food, food and liquid meal replacements, food and alcohol, food and juice, food and milk, food and juice and milk, food and energy-containing beverages, and food and all beverages. Energy density varied by calculation method, ranging from 0.94 to 1.85 kcal/g (3.93-7.74 kJ/g). Intraindividual-to-interindividual CV ratios were highest for the food and energy-containing beverages calculation. Men reported diets with a higher energy density than women for all calculation methods (P < 0.0001). There were differences by race/ethnicity and an inverse linear trend for age. These data indicate that beverage inclusion schemes should be clearly defined when reporting energy density values. In epidemiologic studies, calculations based on food and all beverages and food and energy-containing beverages may diminish associations with outcome variables. These nationally representative data, which provide an important frame of reference for other studies, indicate that dietary energy density differs by sex, age, and race/ethnicity. KEY WORDS: * energy density * intraindividual variation * methodology * diet

Objective. We quantified maternal misclassification of child weight status and examined determinants associated with maternal perceptions of child weight status. Methods. Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) were used. The sample included 5500 children (aged 2-11 years) with maternal interview data. Maternal perceptions of children&apos;s weight status were compared with measured weights and statures from which body mass index (BMI; weight/[stature.sup.2]; kg/[m.sup.2]) percentiles and z scores were determined. Frequency analyses determined the percentages of mothers considering their child to be "overweight," "underweight," or "about the right weight." Multivariable logistic regression analyses determined predictors of maternal misclassification of overweight children ([greater than or equal to] 95th BMI-for-age percentile) and those at risk for overweight ([greater than or equal to] 85th to Results. Nearly one third (32.1%) of mothers reported their overweight child as "about the right weight." Younger children and those with lower BMI-for-age z scores had significantly greater odds of maternal under-classification of child overweight status. For children at risk for overweight, 14.0% of mothers reported sons to be "overweight," whereas 29.0% considered daughters to be "overweight." Odds of maternal misclassification of at-risk children as "overweight" were significantly greater for daughters, older children, children with higher BMI-for-age z scores, and children whose mothers had a lower BMI. Race/ethnicity was not a significant predictor in either model. Conclusions. Nearly one third of mothers misclassify overweight children as being lower than their measured weight status. Mothers are more likely to identify daughters who are at risk of overweight as being "overweight" than they are sons. Pediatrics 2003;111:1226-1231; maternal perception, child, overweight, obesity, weight status, body weight, mother-child relations., ABBREVIATIONS. NHANES III, Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; NCHS, National Center for Health Statistics; BMI, body mass index. The prevalence of [...]

The article discusses the findings of the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system (BRFSS) data which estimated the percentage of adults in the U.S. who met fruit and vegetable intake recommendations. Topics covered include the low percentage of U.S. adults meeting the recommendations, the state-specific percentage of respondents meeting federal recommendations, by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and income-to-poverty ratio, and the implications of the report for public health practice.

The article highlights the negative affects of obesity upon children's health as its associations with cardiovascular disease risk factors, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and victimization stemming from social stigma and poor mental health. It mentions the role of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).