Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of food neophobia in pre-school children and its association with eating habits, dietary intake and anthropometric parameters.Design: Cross-sectional survey performed in 2012–2013. The Child Food Neophobia Scale (CFNS) adapted by Wardle, Carnell and Cooke was used to assess the level of food neophobia. Dietary intake was measured using an FFQ and dietary records from three days. Anthropometric measurements were taken to determine children’s nutritional status and BMI was computed based on Polish growth charts. Wilcoxon’s rank test and Pearson’s rank-correlation coefficient were applied to compare the level of food neophobia and frequency of consumption of food products and nutrient intakes.Setting: Kindergartens in southern Poland located in or near Cracow.Subjects: Three hundred and twenty-five pre-school children and their parents.Results: Low neophobia was observed in 12·3 % and high neophobia in 10·8 % of the children examined. Children with a high level of neophobia were significantly less likely (P<0·05) to eat eggs, raw or cooked vegetables and legumes, whereas they tended to eat sweets and snacks more frequently; these foodstuffs were also eaten more often between meals. Because the neophobic children ate vegetables very rarely, their intakes of vitamin C (36 % of RDA) and thiamin (84 % of RDA) were far below the norms. No differences in anthropometric parameters according to level of food neophobia were observed.Conclusions: High levels of neophobia are associated with diet variation and may enhance the risk of nutritional deficiencies in children.

The aim was to estimate the adult exposure to cadmium, lead and mercury from daily household diets in Eastern Poland (Lublin city and province). A duplicate diet approach was used to top collect diet samples in 1990, 1993, 1998 and 2002. Cadmium and lead contents were measured by flame atomic absorption and the mercury content was measured by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry. The intake of the three elements was calculated using FOOD computer software. The exposure to cadmium taken with daily diets was from 16.4 – 34.5 μg/person/day (27–58% PTWI). The lead exposure was 66.5 – 106 μg/person/day (31–49% PTWI), which posed a smaller risk, and the exposure risk to mercury of 4.08–6.65 μg/person/day (10–16% PTWI) was even lower.

Inadequate eating habits, as well as a low level of physical activity, influence adipose tissue deposition. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of central obesity in upper-secondary students and to determine the factors related to its occurrence. The survey included 309 participants, aged 16 to 18 years from Krakow (Poland). Anthropometric measurements were taken during the periodic assessment of students’ health status. An anonymous questionnaire was used to assess the nutritional and non-nutritional risk factors of participants. According to different methods of measurement, abdominal obesity (AO) was observed in 15.5% (WC—waist circumference), 10.7% (WHtR—waist to height ratio) or 21.7% (WHR—waist to hip ratio) participants. Abdominal obesity (WC) was significantly associated with family history of excess body weight and higher economic status of the family. The risk of AO (WC) was significantly lower among adolescents who declared higher physical activity. Boys who eat first breakfasts have lower AO risk according to WHtR interpretation. Abdominal obesity in gender group was related to the self-esteem of one’s own appearance according to WHtR and WC. Abdominal obesity was associated with the family environment and modifiable lifestyle factors and was dependent on gender.