@article{3090900,
    title = "Nutritional habits of subjects with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in the
Mediterranean Basin: comparison with the non-diabetic population and the
dietary recommendations. Multi-Centre Study of the Mediterranean Group
for the Study of Diabetes (MGSD)",
    author = "Thanopoulou, A and Karamanos, B and Angelico, F and Assaad-Khalil, S and and Barbato, A and Del Ben, M and Djordjevic, P and Dimitrijevic-Sreckovic, and V and Gallotti, C and Katsilambros, N and Migdalis, I and Mrabet, M and and Petkova, M and Roussi, D and Tenconi, MT",
    journal = "Diabetologia",
    year = "2004",
    volume = "47",
    number = "3",
    pages = "367-376",
    publisher = "Springer-Verlag",
    issn = "0012-186X, 1432-0428",
    doi = "10.1007/s00125-003-1316-0",
    keywords = "dietary habits; diabetes; Mediterranean Basin; recommendations",
    abstract = "Aims/hypothesis. The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional
habits of Type 2 diabetic patients among Mediterranean countries and
also with those of their background population and with the nutritional
recommendations of the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group.
Methods. We did a cross-sectional study of 1833 non-diabetic subjects
and 1895 patients with Type 2 diabetes, in nine centres in six
Mediterranean countries. A dietary questionnaire validated against the
3-Day Diet Diary was used.
Results. In diabetic patients the contribution of proteins,
carbohydrates and fat to the energy intake varied greatly among centres,
ranging from 17.6% to 21.0% for protein, from 37.7% to 53.0% for
carbohydrates and from 27.2% to 40.8% for fat, following in every
centre the trends of the non-diabetic population. Furthermore, diabetic
patients compared to the corresponding background population had: (i)
lower energy intake, (ii) lower carbohydrate and higher protein
contribution to the energy intake, (iii) higher prevalence of obesity,
ranging from 9 to 50%. The adherence to the nutritional recommendations
for proteins, carbohydrate and fat was very low ranging from 1.4 to
23.6%, and still decreased when fibre was also considered.
Conclusion/interpretation. In diabetic patients of the Mediterranean
area: (i) dietary habits vary greatly among countries, according to the
same trends of the background population; (ii) the prevalence of obesity
is much lower than the 80% reported for patients with diabetes in
Western countries; (iii) Carbohydrate intake is decreased with a
complementary increase of protein and fat consumption, resulting to a
poor compliance with the nutritional recommendations."
}