NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF DEFICIENCY OR EXCESS OF MICRONUTRIENTS IN 4 TO 14 YEAR-OLD CHILEAN CHILDREN: A CRITICAL REVIEW

The prevalence of obesity in Chilean children has been increasing steadily for the last two decades. The first study to determine nutritional status and food intake in a representative sample of this population was carried out in 1960. Recently the National Food Consumption Survey (ENCA) carried out in 2012 was released by the Ministry of Health. However, this study did not include biochemical determinations of micronutrients which would allow a better diagnosis of nutritional status in children. to review the literature available from 2004 to 2014 in food intake and nutritional status in Chilean children aged 4 to 14 years. a total of 362 references published between 2004 and 2014 were obtained through searches in the databases PubMed, Lilacs, Embase and Scielo. From these, 40 articles were selected for a thorough review. food intake by children is characterized by a high-energy intake, a low consumption of fruits and vegetables and a high consumption of bread. The ENCA showed that 95% of the Chilean population has a deficient diet. A high prevalence of obesity is observed from very early in life. There is a dearth of data available on plasma indicators of vitamin and mineral status since 1960, which would provide more reliable information on nutritional assessment. It is imperative to implement a representative nutrition survey of children in Chile that includes biochemical indicators to get reliable information in order to develop strategies aimed to correct micronutrient malnutrition from excess or deficiency.