[Factors associated with being overweight among adults using low-budget restaurants in Belo Horizonte, Brazil]

The scope of this article is to assess the nutritional status of users of low-budget restaurants and soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte and to identify factors associated with being overweight. It involved a cross-sectional analytical study conducted among adults of both sexes in low-budget restaurants and soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte. Being overweight was the dependent variable and was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2. This was correlated with socio-demographic variables and the level of physical activity. The data were obtained directly through weight and height measurement and a semi-structured questionnaire. The study involved 1334 individuals, the majority being male. The prevalence of being overweight was 42.9% among the men and 45.8% among the women. The following factors were positively associated with being overweight: being older for both sexes; having a partner for the women; taking less physical exercise and higher socioeconomic level for the men. Detection of factors associated with being overweight reveals that there is a need to implement an effective systematic program of dietary and nutritional education in order to prevent and remedy this condition, so that low-budget restaurants fulfill their objective.