Impact of Food and Nutrition Education activities on diet quality and body adiposity in overweight adults assisted in the project MeNu

• Grant number: 24/23106-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Junqueira Vasques
• Grantee: Emanuele de Oliveira Dorta
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: The culinary transition is characterized by a reduction in the transmission of cooking skills across generations and is associated with a lower frequency of homemade food preparation, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, and higher prevalence of obesity. Food and Nutrition Education strategies that encourage the habit of cooking and the adoption of a healthy diet can aid in managing obesity. However, the literature lacks intervention models that integrate cooking workshops and are systematically applied based on national guidelines, such as the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines. Moreover, few studies have evaluated the impact of culinary interventions on specific health outcomes, considering a control group.Objective: To evaluate the impact of Food and Nutrition Education activities on diet quality and body adiposity in adults with overweight and obesity.Methods: An intervention study (n = 25) with a control group (n = 25). Participants will undergo an initial evaluation and will be reassessed three months after the execution of the Food and Nutrition Education activities. Sociodemographic and lifestyle questionnaires will be applied. The Diet Quality Questionnaire will be used to calculate the diet quality score. Adiposity will be assessed through anthropometry and the DXA technique. The intervention group will participate in four meetings with activities based on cooking workshops, grounded in motivational approaches that promote behavior change, and will be reassessed after three months. The control group will also be reassessed after three months and subsequently invited to participate in the same workshops, with the following themes:1.Eating behavior;2.Healthy eating from food selection to conviviality;3.Healthy and accessible cooking: weekly menu planning, basic culinary techniques, and use of seasonings;4.Food groups and the impact of excess salt, sugar, and fat on health.Results: It is expected that Food and Nutrition Education activities will positively impact the diet quality and adiposity indicators of the intervention group, contributing to health promotion and serving as a model for other public health initiatives to combat obesity and promote healthy eating.