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. 2024 Jun 6;16(11):1784.
doi: 10.3390/nu16111784.

Dietary Intake among Lebanese Adults: Findings from the Updated LEBANese natiONal Food Consumption Survey (LEBANON-FCS)

Maha Hoteit  1   2 , Maroun Khattar  2 , Dana Malli  2 , Esraa Antar  2 , Zahraa Al Hassani  2 , Maher Abdallah  2 , Dalia Hachem  2 , Elham Al Manasfi  3 , Abdulrahman Chahine  3 , Nikolaos Tzenios  4 , The Adults-Lebanon-Fcs Group
Affiliations

Dietary Intake among Lebanese Adults: Findings from the Updated LEBANese natiONal Food Consumption Survey (LEBANON-FCS)

Maha Hoteit et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: The rates of obesity, undernutrition, and other non-communicable diseases are on the rise among Lebanese adults. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the food consumption habits of this population to understand diet quality, analyze consumption trends, and compare them to healthy diets known to reduce risks of non-communicable diseases.

Aim: To evaluate the food consumption patterns, energy intake, as well as macro- and micro-nutrient intake among a nationally representative sample of Lebanese adults aged 18-64 years old.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from May to September 2022 involving 444 participants from all eight Lebanese governorates. Sociodemographic and medical information was gathered through a questionnaire, food consumption was evaluated using a validated FFQ and 24 h recall, and anthropometric measurements were recorded.

Results: There was a notable lack of adherence to three healthy diets (Mediterranean, EAT-Lancet, USDA) among Lebanese adults. Their dietary pattern is characterized by high energy, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat intake while being low in healthy fats, vitamin A, D, and E. Adult women are falling short of meeting their daily calcium, vitamin D, iron, and vitamin B12 requirements, putting them at increased risk of anemia, osteoporosis, and other health issues. Grains and cereals were the most consumed food groups, and most participants were found to be overweight or obese.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the results highlight the need for public health policies and interventions aimed at encouraging Lebanese adults to make healthier food choices and transition towards diets like the Mediterranean, EAT-Lancet, or USDA diet. These diets have been shown to promote overall health and wellbeing.

Keywords: adult; food consumption; food groups; healthy diets; macronutrients; micronutrients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant distribution across the Lebanese governorates (Map template adapted from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lebanon_districts.png, accessed on 1 May 2024).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of the current food consumption to three different diets.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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