URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTHY EATING CULTURE: THE CASE OF ARARI CITY, MARANHÃO STATE (BRAZIL)

Abstract

Due to the urbanization, successive technological modernization and marketing strategies, the Brazilian population food habits have changed, inducing an increase in consumption of processed food, known as damaging to population health. In the present study the impacts of urbanization on the eating practices of the urban population of Arari – MA (Brazil) were evaluated considering that this municipality has the highest urbanization rate of the Baixada Maranhense micro region. This is a qualitative transversal study using the questionnaires “10 steps for eating healthy” of the Health Ministry with a sample of 90 resident adults. Among the greatest adhesions, we highlight the inclusion of cereals, tubercles and roots, as well as meat, birds, fish, and eggs in contraposition to the daily consumption of at least three portions of milk, fruits or vegetables. However, only 57.8% of the participants avoided consuming industrialized food, cakes, cookies and other processed goods. Thus, we conclude that the frequency of adhesion to the Health Ministry recommendations regarding consumption of in nature or minimally processed foods is low and not satisfactory. The studied individuals do not have healthy food habits, therefore we believe that this scenario reflects the influence urbanization processes have on the eating habits of this group.