NUTRITION SURVEY OF THE HUNGARIAN POPULATION IN A RANDOMIZED TRIAL BETWEEN 1992-1994

Objective: Collection of data relating to nutrition, nutrient supply a nd nutritional status, and to certain risk factors of diet-related dis eases in a group of Hungarian population. Design: Collection of data o n diets three times 24 h dietary recall, anthropometric measurements t o obtain information about the nutritional status, laboratory tests me asurements of biochemical markers. Subject: Examination of 2559 volunt eer adult persons, selected in a quasi random way in Budapest and seve n other counties. Results: The diets of the persons examined contained more than necessary protein 14.6en%, considerably more fat 38.0 en%, mainly fat of animal origin with low PUFA and including high cholester ol, little total carbohydrate 45.1 en%, in that much added sugar 15.4 en%. Vitamin supply was generally satisfactory, borderline deficiency may be observed in the case of tocopherol equivalent and in some age-g roups, first of all in women, in the case of thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine. Out of the macro- and microelements, sodium intake is thre e to four times the acceptable level, potassium and calcium intakes in both genders, iron and zinc intakes in women show deficiency. The mea n value for relative body mass, the distribution of BMI values prove a high incidence of overweight 34.3% and obesity 21.1%. Means for bioch emical markers appear to indicate that nutrient supply was in the norm al range of laboratory tests. The averages of total cholesterol and LD L-cholesterol 5.6 and 3.6 mmol/L, respectively unequivocally suggested the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: The nutrition of th e Hungarian population presents several risk factors of diet-related d iseases: P/S ratio of 0.27-0.29, Na/K ratio of 2.6 g/g, intake of some micronutrients (vitamins, macro- and microelements) was low in certai n groups of investigated persons.