Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread globally, forcing countries to apply lockdowns and strict social distancing measures. The aim of this study was to assess eating habits and lifestyle behaviours among residents of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study among adult residents of the MENA region was conducted using an online questionnaire designed on Google Forms during April 2020. A total of 2970 participants from eighteen countries participated in the present study. During the pandemic, over 30 % reported weight gain, 6·2 % consumed five or more meals per d compared with 2·2 % before the pandemic (P < 0·001) and 48·8 % did not consume fruits on a daily basis. Moreover, 39·1 % did not engage in physical activity, and over 35 % spent more than 5 h/d on screens. A significant association between the frequency of training during the pandemic and the reported change in weight was found (P < 0·001). A significantly higher percentage of participants reported physical and emotional exhaustion, irritability and tension either all the time or a large part of the time during the pandemic (P < 0·001). Although a high percentage of participants reported sleeping more hours per night during the pandemic, 63 % had sleep disturbances. The study highlights that the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused a variety of lifestyle changes, physical inactivity and psychological problems among adults in the MENA region.

Sugar intake has been associated with increased prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity; however, results remain controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the probability of overweight/obesity with higher sugar intakes, accounting for other dietary intakes. Data from 1165 children and adolescents aged ≥2–18 years (66.8% males) enrolled in the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS) were used; specifically, 781 children aged 2–11 years and 384 adolescents 12–18 years. Total and added sugar intake were assessed using two 24 h recalls (24 hR). Foods were categorized into specific food groups to evaluate the main foods contributing to intakes. A significant proportion of children (18.7%) and adolescents (24.5%) exceeded the recommended cut-off of 10% of total energy intake from added sugars. Sweets (29.8%) and processed/refined grains and cereals (19.1%) were the main sources of added sugars in both age groups, while in adolescents, the third main contributor was sugar-sweetened beverages (20.6%). Being overweight or obese was 2.57 (p = 0.002) and 1.77 (p = 0.047) times more likely for intakes ≥10% of total energy from added sugars compared to less <10%, when accounting for food groups and macronutrient intakes, respectively. The predicted probability of becoming obese was also significant with higher total and added-sugar consumption. We conclude that high consumption of added sugars increased the probability for overweight/obesity among youth, irrespectively of other dietary or macronutrient intakes.

Context: Over the past few decades, traditional foods have been displaced by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), with the latter being associated with health problems. Objective: This scoping systematic review aimed to identify the relationship between UPF intake and overweight/obesity as well as other cardiometabolic risk factors during childhood and adolescence. Data Sources: The guidance for this protocol is the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). A systematic search was undertaken on PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library electronic databases based on prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria up to 6 February 2022. Data Extraction: A total of 17 observational studies—9 cross-sectional, 7 cohort-longitudinal, and 1 study reporting both cross-sectional and longitudinal outcomes—among children and adolescents aged ≤18 years were eligible for inclusion in this review. Fourteen studies evaluated the consumption of UPFs in association with overweight/obesity and 9 studies examined the association of UPF consumption and cardiometabolic-related risk factors. Data Analysis: Most studies (14/17) showed that an increase in UPFs was associated with a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities among children and adolescents, whereas 4 of 17 studies (3 cross-sectional and 1 cohort) found no association. Most cohort and cross-sectional studies showed good quality according to the National Institutes of Health and Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment, respectively. Conclusion: The positive association found between UPFs and overweight/obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities among children and adolescents raises concerns for future health. Further investigation is recommended to explore the role of specific types of UPFs on cardiometabolic conditions and to identify the amount of daily intake that increase risk in order to shape appropriate public health policies. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022316432.

Nitrate and nitrite are plant nutrients that, although ubiquitous in plant foods, are highly controversial substances in human nutrition because they are also used as additives in processed foods and may be found as contaminants in drinking water. The aim for this narrative review is to provide a thorough insight into the current literature on the relationship between dietary nitrate and nitrite and the health risks and benefits by source of intake. The results highlight beneficial effects of nitrate and nitrite consumption from plant origin on cardiovascular disease and, to date, no positive correlation has been reported with cancer. On the contrary, high intake of these compounds from processed animal-based foods is related to an increased risk of gastro-intestinal cancer. Nitrate in drinking water also raises some concern, because it appears to be related to adverse health effects. The up-to-date debate on the role of nitrate and nitrite in human nutrition seems to be justified and more research is required to verify safe consumption.

Cholesterol is a sterol synthesized by animal cells and is also a component of the diet, being present in food of animal origin