Differences in food intake and nutritional habits between Spanish adolescents who engage in ski activity and those who do not.

Background: Increasing obesity among adolescents in the industrialized world may result from poor nutritional habits and inadequate exercise.

Aim: To determine differences in food intake, nutritional habits, and body mass index between Spanish adolescents who engage in ski activity and those who do not.

Methods: A socio-demographic survey, food frequency questionnaire, 24-hr dietary recall, and physical activity questionnaire were completed by 300 Spanish schoolchildren aged 10 to 18 yrs. RESULTS were compared (Student's t, chi-square and Fisher's exact test) between adolescents engaged (SP) and not engaged (N-SP) in skiing according to their sex.

Results: SP adolescents devoted > 4 h/day to physical activity versus < 1 h for N-SP adolescents. No significant differences were found in nutrient intake or nutritional habits between SP and N-SP adolescents. Protein and fat intakes of both groups were above recommended levels. A higher proportion of N-SP than SP males were overweight. Logistic regression analysis showed that the maintenance of a normal weight was favored by the practice of skiing, the consumption of sugar-free drinks, and supplementation with vitamins/mineral salts and was negatively associated with body weight dissatisfaction, intake of nutritional supplements other than vitamins or minerals, and the consumption of snacks.

Conclusions: The diet of this adolescent population was poorly balanced. Engagement in physical activity appears to be a key factor in maintaining a healthy body mass index.