Abstract:

Objective: to analyze the knowledge on healthy feeding, eating habits and lifestyle of overweight schoolchildren and their responsibles.Methods: a cross-sectional study with a mixed approach covering 10 overweight schoolchildren 7 to 10 years old, from a public school in the city of Estância Velha, RS, and their respective responsibles. The instruments used were two questionnaires, applied in taped interviews, involving knowledge about healthy feeding, eating habits and lifestyle. The anthropometric diagnosis was defined based on BMI and abdominal circumference. There were also not recommended consumption of soft drinks (40%) and frying (60%).Results: the transcription of the interviews showed the preference of the interviewees for processed and ultraprocessed foods and, through the statistical analysis, it was identified a significant percentage of schoolchildren who consume salty snacks and stuffed crackers, at least once a week (50%), unlike their responsibles who did not consume them (55.6%). In addition to physical education in school, 30% of schoolchildren report not practicing other physical activity.Conclusion: both schoolchildren and their responsibles have revealed that they have knowledge about healthy eating, but they do not practice it. The statistical results showed that there is a predominance of inadequate eating habits and that the practice of physical activities is not sufficient.

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