[The significance of dietary and behavioral changes in patients with chronic metabolic disorders: a review]

Eating behavior and the psycho-cultural significance of food for patients with chronic metabolic disorders have been a focus of interest due to the difficulty in ensuring the compliance of these patients in terms of changing their habits and in fostering self-care. A review of the literature was condusted using the LILACS and MEDLINE databases and the PUBMED search engine to identify qualitative studies in which the opinion of patients with respect to diet and lifestyle was analyzed. Key words used were: metabolic syndrome; eating behavior; diet; obesity; psychological factors; qualitative study; and dietary habits. Inclusion criteria consisted of: articles in English, Spanish or Portuguese, published between 2000 and 2008; studies carried out in adult populations; containing one or more of the key words in the title. Based on the 15 papers analyzed, it was concluded that compliance with a change of habit is a dynamic process that depends on various individual factors and requires greater interaction between professionals and patients in clinical practice. Promoting self-care depends on respecting the decisions and feelings resulting from personal experience.