The study of food practices in Brazil faces important problems because of the nonexistence of properly tested methods and lack of a gold-standard instrument. Furthermore, only one instrument is capable of measuring food choice or knowledge in this specific population. In the present study we sought to develop a rapid assessment tool for food choice, consumption, and knowledge about healthy foods and test the reliability of the assessment tool in young adults as an initial step in the validation process. The scale was composed of 22 photographs of foods that were ready to consume, divided into "healthy" and "unhealthy" groups typically eaten as an afternoon snack in our region. To test the reliability of the instrument, 101 college students (51 males) were asked to select three items in response to three questions: "What would you like to eat as an afternoon snack?" "What do you consider healthy?" "What do you usually eat?" The procedure was repeated in the same subjects 1 month after the first application of the instrument. Results indicated a perfect reliability (κ = 1.0) among men when asked to select what they would like to eat, and perfect reliability was found among men and women when asked to select foods that they considered healthy. Excellent reliability (κ > .75) was found among women and the total sample for foods they would like to eat and among men and women for what they usually eat. As an initial step in validating the instrument, the results suggested that it was properly developed and had reliability in the present context for studies that involve eating behavior.

OBJETIVO: Analisar modificações fisiológicas e metabólicas em ratos submetidos à dieta hiperlipídica por um mês. MÉTODOS: Os animais receberam a dieta AIN-93 modificada, com aumento do teor de lipídeos e diminuição do teor de carboidratos, enquanto o grupo controle recebeu a dieta AIN-93. RESULTADOS: Foi observado que a dieta hiperlipídica não induziu o ganho de peso, porém levou a um maior ganho de gordura hepática, em comparação ao grupo controle. Os parâmetros bioquímicos, glicemia, colesterol total e proteína sérica não diferiram entre os grupos. Ao mesmo tempo os ratos alimentados com dieta hiperlipídica, apresentaram uma menor ingestão de alimentos. CONCLUSÃO: O desenvolvimento da obesidade com a dieta hiperlipídica está associado com aumento da ingestão de energia e tempo de exposição à dieta, enquanto a síndrome metabólica está mais associada a dietas com alto teor de gordura e carboidratos, concomitantemente.

PURPOSE: The objective of the present study was to analyze the physiological and metabolic changes occurring in rats subjected to high-fat diet for one month. METHODS: The animals received a modified AIN-93 diet with increased lipid content and decreased carbohydrate content, while the control group received the normal AIN-93 diet. RESULTS: It was observed that the high-fat diet did not induce weight gain but led to greater gain of hepatic fat compared to control. Biochemcal parameters, glycemia, total cholesterol and serum protein did not differ between groups. In parallel, rats receiving the high-fat diet consumed less feed. CONCLUSION: The development of obesity through high-fat diet is associated with increased energy intake and time of exposure to the diet, while the metabolic syndrome is more associated with the combination of a diet rich in fat and carbohydrates.