Javier Aranceta

• MD, PhD, MPH
• President at Royal Academy of Medicine of the Basque Country

Background and objectives To assess the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity (AO) in the Spanish population aged ≥65 years, to analyse the influence of selected sociodemographic factors and association with risk factors. Methods The sample comes from the ENPE study, a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the non-institutional...

Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) have been developed to promote healthy diets and prevent chronic diseases. However, the methodological quality of Spanish FBDGs has not been systematically assessed yet. The objective of this review is to identify and assess the methodological quality of Spanish FBDGs, as well as to describe their food guides a...

Objectives To analyze the prevalence of weight gain during lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and associated factors in a sample of adults. Methods This cross-sectional study included 1029 adults recruited online through social media, website and newsletter of the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) in a snowball procedure. The...

Objectives To analyze estimated changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, cropland use and freshwater use of greater adherence to recommendations in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) issued by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) in average dietary patterns in Spain. Methods The data analyzed was drawn from the ENPE study (n = 6800...

Introducción: actualmente existe una gran preocupación relacionada con el contenido de azúcares de los alimentos y bebidas ya que un consumo excesivo se asocia con una mayor prevalencia de enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles. Además, hay una gran confusión tanto en los datos científicos publicados como en las informaciones que aparecen en los me...

Introduction and objectives: Obesity is a significant public health problem associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and abdominal obesity (AO) in the Spanish population aged ≥ 3 years and to analyze the influence of sociodemographic and lifestyle f...

Resumen Introducción y objetivos La obesidad es un importante problema de salud pública y se asocia con mayor riesgo de adquirir factores de riesgo cardiovascular (FRCV). En este estudio se estima la prevalencia de sobrecarga ponderal y obesidad abdominal (OA) en población española de edad ≥ 3 años y se analiza la influencia de factores sociodemog...

Resumen Antecedentes y objetivos Evaluar la prevalencia de obesidad y obesidad abdominal (OA) en población española ≥ 65 años, analizar la influencia de algunos factores sociodemográficos y su asociación con factores de riesgo. Métodos La muestra procede del estudio ENPE, estudio transversal en muestra aleatoria representativa de la población no...

Background: Lockdown due to COVID-19 influenced food habits and lifestyles with potential negative health impact. This study aims to identify patterns of change in eating habits and physical activity during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain and to identify associations with sociodemographic factors and usual habits. Methods: This cross-sectional study...

Food habits are complex and subject to multiple influences acting at different levels. Modern diets contribute not only to energy and nutrients but also to health and diseases. Therefore food and nutrient recommendations are aimed to prevent chronic diseases, improve life expectancy and quality of life. More recently, sustainability issues and the...

Currently, functional foods with probiotics are very popular and there is an increasing interest in society to include them in diet. Until now, scientific research was focused on testing the beneficial effects of certain bacterial strains, regardless of origin, in humans. However, studies that describe the functional importance of species that are...

Background: Nowadays the food production, supply and consumption chain represent a major cause of ecological pressure on the natural environment, and diet links worldwide human health with environmental sustainability. Food policy, dietary guidelines and food security strategies need to evolve from the limited historical approach, mainly focused o...

Food waste is a major environmental issue that must be tackled in order to achieve a sustainable food supply chain. Currently, in Spain there are no studies that examine the amounts and sources of plate waste (PW) produced by both household and out-of-home consumption. The present study aims to provide this information from a representative sample...

Introduction and objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of excess weight and abdominal obesity (AO), based on individual anthropometric measurements, according to various criteria in the Spanish population aged 3 to 24 years and to analyze their distribution by age and sex. Methods: We analyzed data from the ENPE study. T...

Active commuting (AC) has been proposed as a great opportunity to increase physical activity level (PA) in children and adolescents. The aim of the present study is to determine the associations between AC (walk and cycle commuting) and non-AC (motor vehicle commuting) with PA levels, and with AC and sedentarism in Spanish children and adolescents....

Resumen Fundamentos: El cierre de fronteras, el confinamiento de la población y el distanciamiento físico han sido las principales medidas instauradas en muchos países para contener el alcance y gravedad de la pandemia COVID-19. En este estudio se analizan los cambios en los hábitos alimentarios y en otros estilos de vida durante el periodo de conf...

Dietary habits amongst the Spanish population are currently a relevant cause for concern, as macronutrient profiles and micronutrient intakes seem to be inadequate and globally moving away from the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern. However, recent food consumption patterns have not been fully assessed. In the present study, our aim was the...

Diet-related risk factors and physical inactivity are among the leading risk factors for disability and are responsible for a large proportion of the burden of chronic non-communicable diseases. Food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) are useful tools for nutrition policies and public health strategies to promote healthier eating and physical activit...

Excessive sodium consumption is associated with adverse health effects. An elevated dietary intake of salt (sodium chloride) has been related to high blood pressure or hypertension, a major but modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as to other ill health conditions. In the present work, our aim was to describe the contribution...

Diet is one of the key modifiable behaviors that can help to control and prevent non-communicable chronic diseases. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the overall diet composition of the population through non-invasive and independent indexes or scores as diet quality indexes (DQIs). The primary aim of the present work was to estimate the adequ...

Resumen Introducción y objetivos El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la prevalencia de exceso de peso y obesidad abdominal (OA) con base en mediciones antropométricas individuales, según diferentes criterios, en población española entre 3 y 24 años y analizar su distribución según la edad y el sexo. Métodos La muestra procede del estudio ENPE....

Introduction: For centuries the traditional ingredients of food patterns in Basque Country were millet, chestnuts, cabbage, beans, lentils, fish, pork and beef especially, as well as a variety of fruits such as apples, pears and grapes. Later, the potato replaced chestnuts, corn replaced millet and beans replaced broad beans. In addition, tomatoes...

Introduction: Objectives: the culture and the eating habits of a territory give shape its gastronomy and determine the nutritional and health status of its population. We set the goal of reviewing food, culture, gastronomy and the nutritional and health status of the Catalan population. Methods: bibliographic and documentation search. Results: the...

Desde el Grupo de Expertos es posible plantear las siguientes conclusiones siguiendo el modelo DAFO de análisis (debilidades, amenazas, fortalezas y oportunidades).

Low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS), intensely sweet compounds that virtually contain no calories, are used to replace added sugars in food and drinks. Knowledge about different LNCS data in Spanish foods and added sugar sources in Spain is limited, therefore our aim was to identify and compare their presence across main food groups consumed. Foo...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188828.].

Foods consumed at breakfast (% consumers). Differences regarding WHtR categories. Z test proportions. The differences are between the same gender groups.* p<0.05. (DOCX)

Este número extraordinario de la revista Nutrición Hospitalaria incluye una selección de las ponencias impartidas en la Reunión de Expertos sobre “Nutrición, gastronomía y ciencias ómicas”, celebrada en San Sebastián los días 24 y 25 de abril de 2017. Un evento científico que supuso mucho trabajo preparatorio y con excelentes exposiciones impartida...

Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6 are essential micronutrients that are mainly involved in energy metabolism; they may prevent the occurrence of developmental abnormalities and chronic degenerative and neoplastic diseases. The aim was to analyze dietary intake and food sources of those four nutrients in subjects (n = 2009) aged 9–75 years...

International scientific experts in food, nutrition, dietetics, endocrinology, physical activity, paediatrics, nursing, toxicology and public health met in Lisbon on 2–4 July 2017 to develop a Consensus on the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as substitutes for sugars and other caloric sweeteners. LNCS are food additives that are broadl...

The gastronomy and the Omic sciences are having a great influence on the present and the future of the habitual food intake of the population. A very large percentage of the population makes at least one meal outside the home and this food impact is maintained over an extended period of time. Food production, food industry and food distribution (in...

The gastronomy and the Omic sciences are having a great influence on the present and the future of the habitual food intake of the population. A very large percentage of the population makes at least one meal outside the home and this food impact is maintained over an extended period of time. Food production, food industry and food distribution (in...

Introducción y objetivos: numerosos determinantes ambientales influyen en el crecimiento y en el desarrollo y condicionan la expresión potencial o su evolución en el tiempo. Se analiza la influencia de algunos condicionantes sociodemográficos en la sobrecarga ponderal, en el peso y en la talla en la población adulta española. Métodos: el análisis...

Background and objectives: a number of environmental determinants influence children growth and development and influence the potential expression or its evolution over time. In this paper we analyse the influence of selected sociodemographic factors on overweight, body weight and height in the Spanish adult population. Methods: the analysis was...

Socioeconomic factors (SEF) can exert a great impact on food choices. However, limited data are available from the Spanish population. Our aim was to describe the influence of place of residence and habitat size on food group intakes. Data were obtained from the ANIBES study. A 3-day dietary record provided information on food and beverage consumpt...

Differences in meal patterns and timing with regard to central obesity in the ANIBES (‘Anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain’) Study – CORRIGENDUM - Aránzazu Aparicio, Elena Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Javier Aranceta-Bartrina, Ángel Gil, Marcela González-Gr...

Being well hydrated is related to an adequate state of health and well-being; however, what happens in those adult patients having some pathological conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease and heart failure, kidney diseases (renal failure, polycystic renal disease and renal lithiasis), chron...

Background Folates and vitamin B12 are key nutrients in one-carbon metabolism and related diseases. Updated and plausible information on population intakes and their major dietary sources is scarce and urgently needed in Spain in order to increase the knowledge that can lead as previous step to prevention by fortification and supplementation polici...

Background Previous studies have indicated that breakfast has a protective effect against obesity. The aim of this study was to describe the breakfast habits of the Spanish adult population and to assess the possible association between breakfast frequency and the presence of abdominal obesity, in a cross-sectional analysis of the ANIBES Study. Me...

Foods consumed at breakfast (% consumers). Differences regarding WHtR categories. Z test proportions. The differences are between the same gender groups.* p<0.05. (DOCX)

Foods consumed at breakfast (% consumers). Z test proportions.* p<0.05. (DOCX)

Zinc, selenium, and the vitamins A, E and C, all have specific biological functions that are involved mainly in the antioxidant defence system, which has important implications for the development of chronic diseases. We aimed to assess the reported intake of those six nutrients, as well as the food that contributes to their sources of intakes. Dat...

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18–64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample (n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBE...

Objective To study the association of meal patterns and timing with central obesity to identify the best dietary strategies to deal with the increasing obesity prevalence. Design A cross-sectional study performed on data from a representative sample of the Spanish population. Height and waist circumference were measured using standardized procedur...

Spain as other industrialized countries face a major public health challenge in the form of the increasing burden of chronic diseases, fuelled by the rising prevalence of obesity. Nutritional risk factors have been recognized as some of the main drivers of obesity and chronic diseases in the Western world. They are key levers to public health polic...

The aim was to study the intake and food sources of fibre in a representative sample of Spanish adults and to analyse its association with excess body weight and abdominal obesity. A sample of 1655 adults (18-64 years) from the ANIBES (“Anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data...

The consumption of total and individual sugars is controversial and little is known about consumption and dietary sources in Spain. The purpose was to examine free and intrinsic sugar intake and food and beverage sources. The ANIBES Study (Anthropometry, Intake and Energy Balance in Spain), a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the...

Objective: The Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) designed in 1994 a food guide for the Spanish population, updated in 2001. This report presents a new updated edition based on the best scientifi c evidence available. Methods: From a health in all policies approach, a group of experts in nutrition and public health associated with SENC w...

Background: Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional problems in the world. It is frequent in both developed and developing countries and mainly affects women of childbearing age and children. Methods: Results were derived from the ANIBES cross-sectional study using a nationally-representative sample of the Spanish population (9-75...

Calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D have important biological roles in the body, especially in bone metabolism. We aimed to study the reported intake, the disparity between the reported consumption and the level needed for adequacy and food sources of these four nutrients in the Spanish population. We assessed the reported intake for both,...

Background An increase of sedentary behaviors far from the Mediterranean lifestyle is happening in spite of the impact on health. The aims of this study were to describe sedentary behaviors in children and adolescents. MethodsA representative sample of 424 Spanish children and adolescents (38% females) involved in the ANIBES study was analyzed rega...

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the dietary intake of the Spanish population according to ponderal status and body fat distribution. Methods: Data were obtained from ANIBES (Anthropometry, Intake, and Energy Balance in Spain), a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample (1013 men, 996 women) of the Spanish...

The aim of this study is to explore a predictive capacity of psychosocial factors of motivation, ability and environmental opportunity factors of vegetable intake between urban and semi-urban schoolchildren population 10 to 12 years old of six cities of the State of Chihuahua (Mexico). A validated questionnaire was administered in a representative...

Olive oil has been part of human diets and has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Spain is at the forefront of the global ranking of countries producing olive oil. Olive oil contains a high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Phenolic content in olive oil depends on the variety of olive fruit, region where it is gro...

The aim of the present study was to analyze the association of socioeconomic (SES) and lifestyle factors, with the conditions of overweight (OW), general (OB) and abdominal obesity (AO) in Spanish adults. A representative sample of 1655 Spanish adults (18 to 65 years) from the ANIBES Study was investigated. Collected data included measured anthropo...

Objective: To characterize the multiple dimensions and benefits of the Mediterranean diet as a sustainable diet, in order to revitalize this intangible food heritage at the country level; and to develop a multidimensional framework - the Med Diet 4.0 - in which four sustainability benefits of the Mediterranean diet are presented in parallel: major...

Objective: The Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) designed in 1994 a food guide for the Spanish population, updated in 2001. This report presents a new updated edition based on the best scientific evidence available. Methods: From a health in all policies approach, a group of experts in nutrition and public health associated with SENC wa...

Cada vez es más sólida la evidencia científica y epidemiológica sobre la relación entre distintos aspectos de la dieta como factores de riesgo o bien con potencial protector para la salud. Este hecho ha suscitado un creciente interés por los aspectos cualitativos que pudieran repercutir en mayor medida en la génesis de las enfermedades crónicas, la...

Water is the major component of our organism representing about 60% of total body weight in adults and has to be obtained through the consumption of different foods and beverages as part of our diet. Water is an essential nutrient performing important functions, including transport of other nutrients, elimination of waste products, temperature regu...

La obesidad es un importante problema de salud pública que se asocia con problemas físicos, psíquicos y sociales. La prevalencia en niños y adolescentes ha aumentado de forma alarmante en los países desarrollados y economías en transición en las últimas décadas. Es más frecuente en los grupos de población con menor nivel educativo y socioeconómico....

Obesity is a major public health problem, which is associated with physical, psychological and social problems. The prevalence in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in developed countries and economies in transition in recent decades. It is more common in population groups with lower educational and socioeconomic status. The increa...

Javier Aranceta-Bartrina1, Ángel Gil2, Ascensión Marcos3, Carmen Pérez-Rodrigo4, Lluis Serra-Majem5 and Gregorio Varela-Moreiras6*1Associate Professor at University of Navarra. Pamplona, Spain. 2Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. University of Granada. Granada, Spain. 3Research Professor at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)...

Resumen : Informar sobre salud y alimentacion en los medios de comunicacion plantea dificultades que requieren formacion especifica y experiencia. Los medios de comunicacion, al transmitir a los ciudadanos informacion sobre alimentacion y salud, contribuyen tambien de manera importante a la alfabetizacion y educacion en estas materias, incluso aunq...

Background: Inadequate hydration is a public health issue that imposes a significant economic burden. In Spain, data of total water intake (TWI) are scarce. There is a clear need for a national study that quantifies water and beverage intakes and explores associations between the types of beverages and energy intakes. Methods: The Anthropometry,...

Introduction and objectives: According to the 2013 analysis of the Institute of Health Metrics, high body mass index values are the most important risk factor for disease in Spain. Consequently, we describe the prevalence of total obesity and abdominal obesity in the Spanish adult population (25-64 years) for 2014-2015. Methods: The sample was t...

Resumen Introducción y objetivos Según el análisis de 2013 del Institute of Health Metrics, valores elevados de índice de masa corporal son el primer factor de riesgo de carga de enfermedad en España. Con base en este punto de interés, se describe la prevalencia de obesidad total y obesidad abdominal en la población adulta española (25-64 años) en...

Our aim was to analyze dietary macronutrient intake and its main sources according to sex and age. Results were derived from the ANIBES ("Anthropometry, Intake and Energy Balance in Spain") cross-sectional study using a nationally-representative sample of the Spanish population (9-75 years old). Mean dietary protein intake was 74.5 ± 22.4 g/day, wi...

Background: Representative data for the Spanish population regarding physical activity (PA) behaviors are scarce and seldom comparable due to methodological inconsistencies. Aim: Our objectives were to describe the PA behavior by means of the standardized self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and to know the proporti...

Objective. To analyze the anthropometric parameters from a representative sample of Spanish adults participating in ANIBES study and the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity. Methods. This cross-sectional study focused on 1655 adults aged 18–64 years. Weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were evaluated, and body mass index (BMI) and...

At present, food supply and sustainability are an indivisible binomial that aims to create a trail of health and sustainability in all directions. The new Dietary Guidelines for the Spanish population developed by the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition (SENC) provide specific recommendations compatible with better health. Include explicit and i...

Weight gain has been associated with behaviors related to diet, sedentary lifestyle, and physical activity. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep time in Spanish children and adolescents and whether the identified clusters could be associated with overweight. Analysis...

Energy intake, and the foods and beverages contributing to that, are considered key to understanding the high obesity prevalence worldwide. The relative contributions of energy intake and expenditure to the obesity epidemic, however, remain poorly defined in Spain. The purpose of this study was to contribute to updating data of dietary energy intak...

Nutritional studies including food and beverage consumption assessment are needed for different purposes in the field of nutrition, food supply monitoring, toxicology or in the context of intervention strategies that include changes in eating behaviors. Different methods have been used, each with strengths, weaknesses, biases and limitations that m...

In nutritional epidemiology it is essential to have reference values for nutrition and anthropometry in order to compare individual and population data. With respect to reference nutritional intake, the new concept of Dietary Reference Intakes is generated based more on the prevention of chronic diseases than on covering nutritional deficiencies, a...

The results and conclusions of well design nutrition studies, using the appropriate methods to achieve the intended aims with the best validity and precision possible are of great value for nutritional, food and toxicological surveillance systems; also in the planning, follow-up and evaluation of nutrition and health policies and providing high val...