During recent decades household incomes have increased steadily, leading to changes in dietary habits and food expenditure. To report changes in household food expenditure focusing on trends in processed food across income quintiles in Metropolitan Santiago. Information obtained from the Fourth (1986-1987), Fifth (1996-1997) and Sixth National Institute of Statistics (INE) Surveys (2006-2007) were used. Food expenditure data over the study periods was extracted from household expenditure surveys (HES) after verifying and adjusting food prices registered by the INE to current 2007 prices. Absolute food expenditure over the study period increased for all groups; the largest increase was found in lowest income quintiles; however, the proportion of total family budget spent on food decreased in all groups. The largest increases in food expenditure corresponded to sweetened beverages, processed fruit juices, alcoholic drinks, ready meals and "eating out". Expenditure on fish rose slightly whereas the absolute spending on legumes, eggs and oils decreased. Expenditure in processed food as percentage of total food expenditure increased from 42% to 57% of total for mean household. For the 2nd quintile it rose from 31% to 48% and for the lowest quintile increased from 53% to 68% over the three decades (1987-2007). Changes were greatest in energy rich processed foods such as bread, pastries, confectioneries and granulated sugar. These particular foods are of high energy density and contain high amounts of saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. These results confirm that food consumption patterns over the past decades have progressively departed from the recommended dietary guidelines given by national and international health organizations.

In 2018 the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) updated the definition of sarcopenia, with loss of muscle strength being the primary feature. The objective is to describe and associate sarcopenia and nutritional status in a group of Chilean older adults aged 65 years and older. Methods: Descriptive, associative and comparative study, with a cross-sectional design and a quanti-qualitative approach. A number of 155 institutionalized and community-dwelling Chilean older people aged 65 years and older participated in the study (year 2018). Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the algorithm proposed by the EWGSOP2. Muscle strength, muscle quantity and physical performance were assessed; Body Mass Index (BMI) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) were used. Variables were described according to sex and age groups (65–69; 70–79; and ≥80 years). The association between sarcopenia and nutritional status was studied by the application of multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustments for age and sex. Results: 49.7% and 5.2% of older adults had probable sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, respectively; 52.9% and 7% had malnutrition by excess and by deficit, respectively, according to their BMI; and 33.5% had malnutrition according to the MNA. Participants with obesity had 3.2 times more risk of presenting sarcopenia, versus subjects with normal nutritional status (OR: 3.2; 95% CI; 1.24; 8.26). Conclusion: Sarcopenia, as defined by the criteria of the EWGSOP2, depends on the nutritional status according to BMI in older people, with obese individuals being at greater risk of suffering from sarcopenia. Nearly 50% had probable sarcopenia, a condition that could be detected early with the purpose of taking preventive measures, such a nutritional approach.

Nowadays the great offer of dietary supplements (DS) in the market has led to a situation in which the use of these products are not only acquired by sportspersons but also to a great population related with physical activity. The main objective of our study was to know the characteristics of the DS consumers and to evaluate its consumption through a survey previously validated and applied to 314 users (198 males and 116 females) from 6 gyms in Viña del Mar. The results showed that more than half of the subjects consumed DS products (54.5%). Within male consumers, a 69.4% use these products in order to increase muscular mass, while within women, a 62.2% consumed them in order to diminish their body fat. There were 5 kinds ofDS products consumed the most: Proteins (55.6%), amino acids (25.9%), vitamins and minerals (25.1%), food substitutes (6.4%), caffeine (6.4%), and L-carnitine (6.4%). The consumer profile is represented by young male individuals, those who follow a special diet, with long practice in gym and who exercise several days a week. Much of consumers did not provide an adequate association between DSN used and the purpose of consuming these supplements.

A clinical nutritionist (CN) is a university-educated professional trained to perform preventive and recovery functions in the health of patients. The actions of these professionals, both worldwide and in Latin America, may face barriers and opportunities that require careful identification and examination. The main objective of this study is to identify the most important barriers and opportunities for the clinical nutritionist in 13 Latin American countries. A qualitative study was carried out; the initial phase involved conducting in-depth individual interviews with 89 informants, experienced CNs from 13 Latin American countries. After calculating the mean and standard deviation, we ranked the top 10 most frequently reported barriers by assigning a score ranging from 1 to 10. Additionally, 3 opportunities were identified with a lower score from 1 to 3. Means and standard deviation were calculated to sort the responses. Results: the most important barrier was the absence of public policies that regulate and/or monitor compliance with the staffing of CNs according to the number of hospital beds, while the most important opportunity was the advances in technology such as software, body analysis equipment and other tools used in Nutritional Care. The identified barriers can interfere with the professional performance of CNs and, moreover, make it difficult to monitor the good nutritional status of patients. It is recommended to consider the barriers identified in this study, as well as the opportunities, with a view to improving the quality of hospital services with an adequate supply of nutritionists.

The main diet-related cancers include colorectal, lung, breast in (postmenopausal) women, stomach, esophagus, prostate and pancreas. After tobacco, obesity is the leading cause of cancer; it accounts for one third of all cancers. Cancer is associated with high total body fat, abdominal fat and weight gain in adult life. These are all potentially modifiable risk factors. Consumption of a "healthy diet" and living an "active life" can significantly reduce the risk of cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the recommendations published by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) for the prevention of cancer in 2007. We compared the recommendations of Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective", with the national situation in Chile, analyzing the national report on the prevalence of risk factors. Our main finding was that the pattern of consumption and lifestyles differ markedly from the WCRF recommendations: we observed an over consumption of sugary drinks and high intake of processed foods high in sodium and total fat and low consumption of legumes, vegetables, fruits high in antioxidants and fiber that protect from cancer. Chile has an increased cancer prevalence which is associated with poor quality diets, rising mean body mass index and a sedentary behavior. We recommend the strengthening programs to promote healthy diets and active living, in order to reduce cancer risk.