Dietary habits and lipid profile of chadian obese children attending school: The case of the towns of moundou and doba

Context: Eating habits are related to childhood obesity and associated chronic diseases. The increase in obesity in Chad has become a health problem and remains a cause for concern. The objective of this study was to assess the dietary and lipid profile of obese Chadian children. Materials and methods: A total of 436 overweight and obese subjects recruited from 12 schools in the towns of Moundou and Doba constituted the sample for this study. All children were subjected to anthropometric measurements and clinical examinations. Eating habits were measured using the 24-hour recall. Lipid profile was measured by methods enzymatiques calorifiques selon le kit commercial Bio Systems. Results: The results showed that cereals, animal proteins, oilseeds, dairy products and sweets are the foods most consumed by these obese children. The results also showed elevated serum concentration of total cholesterol (46.5%), LDL cholesterol (54.6%), and triglycerides (41.0%) in the surveyed students. However, the level of HDL cholesterol was reduced in 74.7% of the subjects. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the dietary behavior adopted by this obese population increases cardiovascular risk. It is therefore likely to modify the dietary habits for the prevention and fight against childhood obesity in Chad.