Effects of a healthy food supply intervention in a military setting: positive changes in cereal, fat and sugar containing foods.

Background: In Finland, all men are liable to military service and a clear majority completes service. The increasing prevalence of obesity also among soldiers concerns conscripts' food choices. Conscripts are served nutritionally planned regular main meals but individual choices take place in free-time eating.

Food choices and health during military service: increases in sugar- and fibre-containing foods and changes in anthropometric and clinical risk factors.

Objective: To analyse changes in food choices, diet-related risk factors and their association during 6 months of military service.

Design: Longitudinal cohort study in Finland, where all men are liable to military service and a clear majority of each age group completes service. Dietary intake data were collected by self-administered questionnaire before and at 6 months of service.

Conscripts' attitudes towards health and eating. Changes during the military service and associations with eating.

The study explores young men's (n=290) attitudes towards food and eating before and during military service and their associations with eating of sweet and fatty foods. Before service eating of sweet foods was associated negatively with health interest and positively with craving for sweet foods and using food as a reward, and eating of fatty foods negatively with health interest. At six months of service, craving, using food as a reward and pleasure increased, whereas health interest remained stable.

Quality of diet and food choices of Finnish young men: a sociodemographic and health behaviour approach.

Objective: Eating habits of Finns have improved dramatically in 40 years. The proportion of fat in the diet has decreased and vegetable and fruit consumption increased. Knowledge of Finnish young men's dietary habits is limited.

Nutrient intake and food use of Finnish conscripts in garrison, on leave, and in encampment conditions.

Background: 80% of Finnish men fill their civic duty and complete military service. Conscripts' dietary habits have been studied limitedly.

Objective: The aim was to determine conscripts' nutrient intake and food use in garrison, on leave, and in encampment conditions.