Práticas alimentares: o efeito de uma intervenção profissional

Abstract

The dietary pattern in Brazil, focused on processed and ultra-processed foods, is associated with health problems, especially in women with a high prevalence of overweight and chronic diseases. Conventional treatment approaches have unsatisfactory results, indicating the need to consider eating behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a nutritional intervention based on behavioral nutrition approaches on the eating practices of women in a higher education institution. This study consisted of a controlled, randomized and non-blinded clinical trial, lasting three months, involving 56 overweight adult women. They were randomly divided into intervention (IG) and control (CG) groups. The IG participated in fortnightly meetings addressing behavioral nutrition topics, while the CG received a booklet with guidance on healthy eating. Both groups responded to sociodemographic, socioeconomic questionnaires and the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population Questionnaire (GAPB) at the beginning of the intervention, with anthropometric measurements also collected. At the end, the participants were re-evaluated with the GAPB Questionnaire and new anthropometric measurements. Data analysis included both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Both groups showed improvements in eating practices after a 12-week intervention, but the GI achieved a more significant reduction in inappropriate eating behaviors. No significant differences were found between the groups initially, however, at the end, the difference in scores was significantly greater in the GI. These results indicate that the intervention based on behavioral nutrition can effectively improve the eating practices of adult women, suggesting benefits in the treatment of overweight and obesity.