Violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (WHO Code) in two Ecuadorian cities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of violations of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (World Health Organization [WHO] Code) in Ecuador's two main cities, Quito and Guayaquil.

Methods: The WHO Net Code Protocol was applied. It examines compliance with the WHO Code by: (1) Interviews with health professionals and mothers of children <24 mo in randomly selected health facilities (HFs); (2) Surveillance of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) points of sale (POS); (3) Assessment of BMS labels; and (4) Mass media monitoring.

Involvement of the food industry in nutrition conferences in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objective: Identify and characterise the food industry's involvement in nutrition and dietetics national and regional events in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Design: Between February and April 2020, we conducted desk-based searches for nutrition and dietetics events held in the region between January 2018 and December 2019. Online freely accessible, publicly available information was collected on the involvement of the food industry through: sponsorship of events; sponsorship of sessions; speakers from the food industry; scholarships, fellowship, grants, awards and other prizes and; exhibition space/booths.

The double burden of chronic malnutrition and overweight and obesity in Ecuadorian mothers and children, 1986-2012.

Background:: The simultaneous presence of undernutrition and over-nutrition represents a paradox in global public health and is of increasing concern in Ecuador, where chronic malnutrition and overweight and obesity occur in the context of demographic and epidemiologic transitions. Two overlapping trends are present in Ecuador; while levels of stunting have decreased slowly in the past three decades, increasing proportions of children <5 years and women of reproductive age suffer from overweight and obesity.

Aim:: To analyze stunting and overweight and obesity in children <5 and their mothers aged from 15 to 49 years in the context of demographic and household characteristics between 1986 and 2012.

[Food labeling in Ecuador: implementation, results, and pending actions].

Noncommunicable diseases are the world's leading cause of death, responsible for 38 million deaths in 2012. This epidemic is primarily associated with smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, and changes in dietary patterns, characterized by diets high in sugar and saturated fat, typical of processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, plus low intake of fruits and vegetables. Ecuador is no exception to this epidemiological profile or to changes in eating patterns.

[Nutritional traffic light system for processed foods: qualitative study of awareness, understanding, attitudes, and practices in Ecuador].

Objectives.: To analyze awareness, understanding, attitudes, and practices related to the nutritional traffic light system (NTLS) on processed food packaging in Ecuador.

Materials And Methods.

A qualitative study of consumer perceptions and use of traffic light food labelling in Ecuador.

Objective: To analyse patterns of knowledge, comprehension, attitudes and practices regarding the traffic light label placed on processed food packages to inform Ecuadorian consumers about levels of added fat, sugar and salt.

Design: Twenty-one focus group discussions organized by age group, sex and place of residence. Interviews with representatives of companies that manufacture or market processed foods.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity in older Mexican adults and its association with physical activity and related factors: An analysis of the study on global ageing and adult health.

Objectives: The obesity epidemic in Mexico is increasing and represents a considerable public health challenge. The population aged 50 years and older is also increasing and is not exempt from the obesity rise. We aimed to determine the current prevalence of Body Mass Index (BMI) categories in a sample of Mexicans aged 50 years and older and to test the associations of BMI with physical activity categories and related factors.