MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Most Chileans have a “poor” and “unhealthy” diet shows nutritional report

Only 5% of Chileans eat fish more than twice a week

A study by the Catholic University of Chile and the Banmedical Foundation showed that 62% of Chileans were found to have a “poor diet” and 29% an “unhealthy” diet.

The study collected data from 15,000 people over the age of 20, who had participated in the “Eat Healthy” program.

It seems that combining food and health on the same plate is an elusive concept for many Chileans. While foods rich in protein and minerals such as fish, beans, fruit and vegetables, are often absent from Chilean tables, candy and sugary foods occupy an important place in their diets with 63% eating more than the recommended amount of sugary foods.

Analysis of the results suggests that Chilean's poor performance on the healthy eating test is due to the fact that they eat very little of the key foods. For example, 53% said they eat seafood at least once a week, while 42% do so only once or twice a week.

Federico Leighton, director of the Centre for Molecular Nutrition and Chronic Diseases at the Catholic University said “The fact that only 5% of Chileans eat fish more than twice a week is a national disgrace”.

The same is true for beans. Just 10% of respondents eat beans more than twice a week.

“Despite their nutritional value long beans and lentils are mistakenly seen as “poor people's foods”, according to Leighton.

Consumption of olive oil, a product rich in monounsaturated fats that helps reduce cholesterol is also low among Chileans, with only 7% consuming three or more teaspoons per day. However, 58% said that they eat avocado, another source of healthy oils, several times a week.

Other positive news is that only 15% of respondents eat fatty or processed meat twice a week and 85% said that they have reduced the amount of this that they eat.

“That's what we are doing well in, but we can do better,” said Leighton.

The study also revealed that older people are more likely to have a healthier diet. If 46% of those between the ages of 20 and 30 have a poor diet, this percentage decreases with age, with just 9% of those over the age of 61 having a poor diet.

Despite this, Leighton warned that “bad eating habits go hand in hand with low levels of physical activity and smoking, behaviour which increases the risk of chronic disease.”

By Sarah Fisher – Santiago Times