Prevalence and trend of overweight, obesity and consumption of undesirable foods in schoolchildren in northern Mexico

Introduction. School snacks have increased consumption of industrialized products and a decrease in the intake of fresh food has been observed. Objective. Determine the prevalence and trend of overweight, obesity and consumption of undesirable foods in schoolchildren in northern Mexico. Materials and methods. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 468 children of both sexes aged 9 to 12 in public schools and anthropometric measurements of weight, height and waist circumference were made. The body mass index (BMI) Z score was used to diagnose nutritional status using the Anthro Plus software. Food consumption of schoolchildren was evaluated by means of a checklist for five consecutive days by direct observation of the food and beverages that schoolchildren took from home to consume during school hours. Results. Overweight (PBS) and obesity (OB) were found to increase during the pandemic, with higher PBS in girls (17.0%) and higher OB in boys (46.8%). About food intake, it was observed that during the pandemic consumption of undesirable foods increased in association with the BMI. Conclusions. Overweight and obesity increased during the pandemic, being more overweight in girls and obesity in boys. As for food intake it was noted that during the pandemic consumption of foods not specifically recommended in sugary drinks increased and was associated with BMI.