[Food habits of adults in France. Epidemiological data]

During the year 1990, 43,440 men and women aged from 17 to 69 years accepted to fill the NAQA questionnaire (18 items) on feeding habits, as part of a routine health examination. The frequency of consumptions and the amounts of food consumed are reported here according to sex. Mean energy intake was 2,586 kcal for men and 1,758 kcal for women and consisted of: fats 102 and 74 g respectively, sucrose 60 and 35 g, proteins 95 and 72 g, alcohol 24 and 4 g, calcium 1,128 and 982 mg and cholesterol 457 and 341 mg. For both men and women 16 percent and 16.8 percent respectively of non-alcohol intakes were made of proteins and 38 percent and 38.6 percent of lipids. Calcium intake was low in 7.5 percent of the subjects. Data analysis by sex and 10-year age groups showed a decrease of fats and sucrose rations and stability of protein rations as the subjects were growing older. These results were similar to those of a recent survey performed with the food history technique. The data obtained by us are an interesting source of information for Public Health epidemiology. They are compared with those found in the literature and discussed.