O consumo alimentar de adultos jovens com obesidade e sua relação com a doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is a Chronic Non-Communicable Disease, which has been growing at alarming levels worldwide, being responsible for several chronic complications, among them, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is defined as a set of abnormalities that can affect the liver in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption, ranging from simple steatosis to hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies show that the excessive consumption of energy, simple sugars and fats can contribute to its triggering. Objective: To evaluate food consumption and its relationship with NAFLD in young adults with obesity treated at an obesity clinic in Juiz de Fora, MG. Methodology: Epidemiological study, of cross-sectional design, including young adults with obesity, of both sexes, aged 18 to 30 years. Sociodemographic (age, sex, education and race), behavioral (tobacco use and physical activity), anthropometric (weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, hip and neck and waist-hip ratio) data were obtained , clinical (insulin resistance and blood pressure), biochemical (fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, insulin and HOMA-IR) and dietary, which were compiled through the application of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). In addition to data on total energy and macronutrients, foods were grouped according to the NOVA classification by degree of processing. The frequency reported by the volunteer in the application of the questionnaire was transformed into a daily frequency and subsequently the reported quantities were converted into grams. For the estimation of the energy and macronutrient contribution, the Dietwin program was used. NAFLD was defined as a dependent variable and the independent ones were dichotomized for further analysis of multivariate logistic regression. The project was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, opinion number: 2,475,428. Results: 95 individuals were evaluated, with an average age of 23.53 years (± 3.09 years), 71.6% of whom were female, 70% sedentary, 18% hypertensive and 41% with insulin resistance. In addition, 76.84% had some degree of NAFLD. The variables physical inactivity (p = 0.016), weight (p<0.001) , body mass index (BMI) (p <0.001) waist circumference (WC) (p <0.001), neck circumference (p = 0.018) , hip circumference (p = 0.001), waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.001), HOMA-IR (p<0.001) , insulin (p<0.001) , glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.006), insulin resistance (p = 0.013 ) and consumption of processed foods (p = 0.032) were statistically different among individuals, being higher in those with NAFLD. We also observed groups with high BMI, insulin and glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.03; p = 0.03; p = 0.01, respectively), associated with NAFLD, after adjustment for sex. The dietary variables analyzed were not associated with NAFLD. Conclusion: Only the processed foods group showed higher consumption in patients with NAFLD. In addition, an association of elevated glycated BMI, insulin and hemoglobin with NAFLD was observed. The importance of investigating the implications of food for pathology is emphasized, as new dietary patterns have been associated with unfavorable health outcomes. In addition, the repercussions of being overweight are important factors for the cause and progression of NAFLD, requiring actions to encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits.