فهرست مطالب ناصر کلانتری

The production of functional foods to prevent and manage diet-related chronic diseases is rising worldwide, including in Iran. It is essential to understand factors affecting the acceptance of functional foods. The present study was conducted to design a valid reliable questionnaire for assessing determinants of functional dairy product consumption and preferences in adults in Tehran, the capital city of Iran.

This study was a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) study. The questionnaire items were derived from the qualitative study results mixed with items obtained from the literature. Then, psychometric characteristics of the instrument, including content validity, face validity, internal consistency, and stability, were assessed. Cronbach's alpha, intra-class correlation coefficient, and kappa were assessed using SPSS Software v.21.

The primary question pool included 52 questions, which decreased to 33 after assessing the content validity index and ratio. The instrument's overall scale content validity index was 0.96. The internal consistency reliability of the attitude scale was calculated as 0.87. The kappa coefficient values for familiarity/unfamiliarity with functional dairy products and their consumption/non-consumption ranged 0.61–1. Intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged 0.69–1 for the frequency of functional dairy consumption, 0.73–0.86 for the degree of importance of product characteristics in affecting consumer choices, and 0.83–0.92 for the consumer views for the information on functional dairy products. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the attitude towards these products was 0.92, indicating the high test-retest reliability of the instrument.

The questionnaire designed in this study was a valid reliable instrument that could assess various factors affecting the consumption of functional dairy products and consumer preferences concerning these products.

Fast-food consumption is associated with obesity and non-communicable diseases, leading to the severity of COVID-19 status. The aim of this study was to investigate fast-food consumption status and its determinants in Iranian population during the epidemic.

This cross-sectional study was carried out on 891 Iranian adults from most regions of the country (February to April 2021) using social media. Data were collected via demographic and socioeconomic information questionnaire, fast food consumption questionnaire, COVID-19 fear scale and self-reported preventive behaviors against COVID-19 questionnaire. Nine-item fast-food consumption questionnaire assessed frequency, type and expenditure of fast-food consumption. It also assessed reasons of the tendency and motivators to fast-food consumption. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Software v.22.

Most of the participants were married (61.9%) and employed (27%) with associate or bachelor degrees (49.5%). Fast-food consumption was reported in 59.7% of the participants. Consumption reduction of fast foods due to the epidemic was also reported as nearly 73.7%. Most repeatedly consumed fast foods were pizzas followed by sandwiches. Results showed that age, family size and income, employment status and self-reported preventive behaviors against COVID-19 were the predictors of fast-food consumption (p < 0.05). However, other variables, including sex, marital status, educational level and fear of COVID-19 had no significant association with fast-food consumption (p > 0.05).

Consumption of fast foods has decreased during the pandemic. Fast-food consumption was inversely associated to the score of self-reported preventive behaviors against Covid-19. Persistence in decrease of fast-food consumption can include long-term positive effects on the community health.

Lifestyle and its various components have multiple effects on human health and disease. These include dietary intakes and nutritional patterns, which can greatly prevent non-communicable diseases by adhering to dietary recommendations and guidelines. One of the most important and practical studies, showing relationships between the diets and diseases and the level of health in each country, is the cohort design of the study that can show the trend of changes in incidence and exposure over time. Design of the Iranian teacherschr('39') cohort, which specifically investigates relationships between the food intake, nutritional status and physical activity and the incidence of non-communicable diseases, began in 2001. To design the study and compile the questionnaire, advices of Dr. Walter Wilt from Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, USA, were used. This study was carried out in collaboration with the Office of Community Nutrition Improvement, the Office of Health and Wellness of the Ministry of Education and the Center for Research on Social Determinants of Health, Iran. The choice of teachers was due to their ability to understand and answer questions. The self-administered questionnaire was developed based on the data from the Institutechr('39')s 2000–2002 national food consumption survey as well as statistical methods to investigate food items and their portion sizes. In a pilot study on 1000 teachers in Tehran, the feasibility of the study was verified. In general, follow up of outcomes in teachers includes fewer barriers due to their use of national insurance services.

One of the major health problems in most of the countries is vitamin A deficiency, which causes serious complications in children. Worldwide, nearly 2.8 million children aged 4–6 years old are affected by clinical and subclinical symptoms of vitamin A deficiency. Based on the studies from Iran, prevalence of vitamin A deficiency has increased in some provinces. This problem needs  improvements through interventions and policies powered by scientific evidence-based policy analyses of the health systems. Therefore, the present review study investigated policies, experiences, effectiveness, strengths, advantages and limitations of other countries for the highlighted parameters.  Findings from this review suggested that vitamin A deficiency programs and policies could be classified into four major categories of supplementation, food fortification, dietary changes and health interventions. Considering effectiveness and strength of the programs (such as fast effectiveness of supplementations, sustainability of dietary changes or enrichments) and weakness (such as dependence on external sources of supplementation or high costs of enrichment and local resistance to dietary changes).
The best approach to decrease vitamin A deficiency is a combination of interventions as well as development and implement of community contexts, stakeholder supports and monitoring of the processes and outcomes of the programs.

Food choices in autistic children are problematic and nutritional deficiencies is spotted in them. The purpose of this study is to compare anthropometric indices and dietary intake of autistic children with healthy children.

In this case-control study, the frequency of food intake and anthropometric indices for 90 autistic children and 93 healthy children aged 5 to 12 years were collected by food frequency questionnaire and general information questionnaire.

Only 23% of children with autism had a normal body mass index, compared to 63% for healthy children. Autistic children were in higher tertile for whole and refined grains, solid and liquid oils, simple sugars, honey and jams, beverages, snacks and desserts and salt and lower percentile of consumption for fruits and vegetables compared to healthy children.

Body mass index in children with autism due to weight gain in these children should be taken into consideration. The dietary intake of autistic child is different from that of a healthy child and the dietary intake of these children should be investigated.

Functional foods' market is growing steadily worldwide and new products are introduced to the market continuously. The development of functional foods requires knowledge of factors influencing their acceptance. Due to the information gap in this field in Iran, the present study aimed to identify the facilitating factors affecting functional dairy products' consumption from the viewpoint of stakeholders in Tehran. This qualitative study was conducted using a social marketing approach. Data were collected via eight focus group discussions and 40 in-depth interviews between May and September 2014. In total, 105 people participated in this qualitative research, including 10 stakeholders in production field, 9 stakeholders in supply field, 21 influencing stakeholders, and 65 women consumers (44 housewives and 21 employed women). Participants were selected by purposeful sampling technique with maximum diversity, and snowball sampling was used to identify key stakeholders. Data collection and directed content analysis were performed simultaneously using MAXQDA® software. Based on the results, the facilitating factors affecting functional dairy products' consumption were categorized in five main groups: i) factors related to product, including two subthemes – sensory and non-sensory characteristics; ii) price, including two subthemes – physical and economic accessibility; iii) place of the product supply; iv) promotion strategies, including five subthemes – informing, educating, recommending by friends, professionals and others, advertising, and supporting the production, as social marketing mix, and v) factors related to consumer as a new dimension, which included five subthemes – adequate knowledge, socio-demographic characteristics, positive attitude to the product, food taste, and food preferences. The findings of this study can be a source of valuable information for designing effective interventions to increase the consumption of functional dairy products in the community

Obesity is one of the most prevalent health problems in the adolescents. Since the level of self-efficacy plays an important role in the prevention and control of obesity, this study aimed to investigate the association between the self-efficacy in weight management and anthropometric indicators in male adolescents.

This study was performed on 535 male students in the 12-16 age range and resident of District 5 in Tehran. A Bioimpedance analyzer was used to measure the weight, BMI, body fat and muscle mass percentage. Moreover, the level of self-efficacy of the subjects was evaluated using Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL).

The results showed that there is no association between the level of self-efficacy and weight and BMI. With regard to the association between body composition and self-efficacy, the results identified a significant positive association between the level of self-efficacy and Skeletal muscle percentage) (P<0.05).

The results of the present study represented that the level of self-efficacy in male adolescents was significantly associated with body composition; and people with higher self-efficacy have muscular body. Doing Further studies about the effect of self-efficacy on Anthropometric Indicators in adolescents are recommended.

Overweightness and obesity, as the underlying cause of physical and mental health, are prevalent in Iranian girls. The present study aimed at evaluating the association between anthropometric measurements with mental health and self-confidence in Iranian girls.
In this case-control study, 160 girls (47 obese or overweight as the case group and 113 normal weight as the control group) aged 13 to 18 years old were recruited. Adolescents’ anthropometric measurements, including height and weight were measured according to international standards, and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Mental health status and self-confidence were measured using the validated General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Rosenberg Self-Confidence questionnaire, respectively.
Overall, 78% of cases and 21% of controls had mental disorders, which significantly differed from each other (P Overweightness was associated with mental health disorders in Iranian girls. However, it seems that obesity was not associated with reduced self-confidence of Iranian girls. Further longitudinal studies with larger number of participants are required to assess the mental effects of obesity in Iranian girls.

Several studies have shown that parents of overweight/obese children sometimes perceive their child's weight as normal. This can affect their level of concern and follow ups to correct their child's weight. This study aimed to evaluate association between maternal weight status and self-efficacy in controlling child’s weight-related behavior with their perception of their child's weight status. A total of 159 overweight/obese first grade students and their mothers from two districts of Tehran city were studied. Their height and weight were measured, and maternal BMI and children's BMI z-scores were calculated. Socio-demographic characteristics of the family, mother's self-efficacy and perception of their child's weight were assessed by a questionnaire through interview. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate factors effecting mother's perception. Mean age of children was 6.7±0.34 years. Among the children, 20.1% were overweight and 79.9% were obese, while 48% and 35% of the mothers were overweight and obese, respectively. About 77% of the mothers had misperception about their child's weight status. There was no significant relationship between the mother's occupation, education and weight status with misperception of child weight. Maternal self-efficacy in controlling the child’s weight related behaviors was low in 23.8% of the mothers; while it was medium and high in 50.3 and 25.8%, respectively. There was a reverse but insignificant association between self-efficacy and weight status of children. Considering the critical role of parents, especially mothers in the process of child obesity management, informing mothers on the definition and importance of desirable body weight in children and proper means to combat it is a priority.

The formation of food habits begins from early childhoods and is established in adolescence. The mass media especially television is one of the important factors affecting the formation of food habits and child BMI through changing appetite, the desire to consume junk foods and reducing physical activity. Because of childhood obesity had doubled in the past 10 years and to identify factors contributing to obesity and overweight, this study aimed to identify the relationship between the tendency to viewing TV and content of television programs on food groups’ intake and BMI of children. This Descriptive – analytical cross sectional study was conducted on 114 children aged 2 to 6 years old who were enrolled in kindergartens in Tehran. Data on the level of viewing TV was collected with questionnaire. Data about the content of television programs viewed by children was collected with a validated questionnaire. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was completed by the researchers through interviews with parents. Height and weight of children were measured by standardized procedures. The Pearson correlation test and ANOVA were used by performing SPSS version 21 to analyze the data. The results showed that more than 60% of children watched TV more than the daily recommendation (2 hours). Cartoons and child’s programs, television advertisements and movies were the most popular programs of TV in children. Boys were more interested in watching TV than girls (3.16±0.77 vs. 2.95±0.71). The results of the analysis showed that BMI significantly increased in children by the increase in their interest in watching TV (p=0.008). There was a positive significant correlation between the time spent on watching television and age (p=0.032), intake of snacks and desserts (p=0.018) and simple sugars (p=0.012). According to the result of this study, the probability of watching TV in preschool children increase as they grow older. Also Increasing tendency to watch TV leads to an increase in BMI and consumption of junk foods.

Regarding the important effect of zinc on normal body functions and individual health status, this study was conducted to show the daily per capita zinc intake, major food sources of zinc, prevalence of inadequate intake among Iranian rural and urban households. In this analytical cross sectional study, food consumption data of 7158 households at national level was collected during one year period 2000-2001. To minimize the impact of season the survey took place in 4 seasons for each of the provinces. Food consumption data was collected through household interviews using 24 hour recall questionnaire for three consecutive days with a combined method of recall and weighing. Mean per capita energy and nutrient daily requirement were calculated using FAO/WHO RNIs (2001). Zinc content of 5 common Iranian flat breads and 2 major varieties of rice were measured with direct analytical method. IZiNCG EAR- cut point method was used to determine the adequacy of zinc intake and the prevalence of zinc deficiency at national level. Total mean intake of zinc was 10.3±3.1, and in urban and rural areas were 10.3±3.0 and 10.7±3.3 mg/per capita/day, respectively. In comparison to requirements based on diets with low and moderate bioavailability 79% and 158% of FAOWHO RNI for zinc were provided respectively. Bread (38.5%), rice (12.2%) and red meat (10.8%) were the major food sources of zinc. Inadequate intakes of zinc based on IZiNCG-EAR values for unrefined plant based diets, indicates that prevalence of zinc deficiency is a public health problem and based on mixed or refined plant based diets, percentage of households in both regions with inadequate zinc intakes were reported in less than 25% of the population. Approximately ¼ of Iranian households are zinc deficient. Determining the level of zinc bioavailability in Iranian diets is essential for precise assessment of zinc intake and selecting the appropriate requirement standards.

Child obesity is increasing in developing countries. This study assessed the prevalence of obesity and some related factors among less than 5-years children in Bandar Turkmen district, Iran. In this descriptive-analytical study, 616 children aged less than 5 years were selected with stratified random sampling. Obesity was defined as more than +2 standard deviation (SD) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference. Data were collected by interviewing mothers using a questionnaire and were analyzed with chi-square and Fisher’s tests and multiple regression logistic models. 6 percent of children were obese. Prevalence of obesity did not differ significantly between boys and girls (6 and 6.1 percent respectively). Less than 2500 g and more than 4000 g birth weight (P = 0.031), less than 18 months breast feeding duration (P = 0.017), more than 37 years mother’s present age (P = 0.039), more than 30 years mother’s delivery age (P = 0.043), and formula or cow’s milk plus breast feeding up to 6 months of age (P = 0.018) had significant correlation with children’s obesity. Exclusively breast feeding up to 6 months of age rather than formula or cow’s milk plus breast feeding, reduced obesity risk about 2.45 times (P = 0.019). This study suggests that exclusively breast feeding at first 6 months of age, longer breast feeding duration and pregnancy in lower than 30 years of age reduce risk of child obesity.

Child obesity is increased in developing countries. This study assessed the prevalence of obesity on children which are exclusively on breast feeding and its duration among children aged 24-59 months in Bandar Turkmen district Northern, Iran. In this descriptive- analytical study, 343 in children aged 24-59 months were selected with stratified random sampling. Obesity was defined as >+2SD NCHS (National Center for Health Surveys) reference. Data were collected by questionnaire, interview with mothers and were analyzed with Chi-Square and Fisher tests and multiple regression logistic models. In this study, 6.4% of children were obese. Prevalence of obesity was not significantly different between boys and girls (5.4% and 7.4% respectively). Breast feeding duration<18 months (P<0.005) and formula or cow’s milk plus breast feeding up to 6 months old (P<0.01) was significantly correlated with children’s obesity. Breast feeding duration more than 18 months reduced the obesity risk factor with 64%. This study demonestrated that exclusively breast feeding in the first 6 months of life and breast feeding duration more than 18 months reduce the child obesity.

Relevant eating pattern has an important role in childhood. Recent studies have shown that the methods used by parents to feed children have an important role in the child’s diet and BMI. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between social factors and feeding practices with diet in 3- 6 years old children. A cross-sectional survey was conducted upon of 208 parents with children aged 3-6 years was carried out in 30 nurseries of Rasht in 2010. Parents reported their own and their children demographic data. Aspects of child’s feeding practices were assessed using Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ). Height and weight of mothers participated in the study were measured. Measures included social factors, aspects of parental control practices and the child’s diet. The role of parental and child social and demographic factors and child feeding practices in predicting children’s diet was assessed using multiple block entry linear regression. Results showed that Children diet was related to mother’s age, marriage, education and child’s age and sex. Moreover, mother’s use of encourage balance and variety, Food as reward, involvement, modeling, monitoring, child control, restriction for health, and teaching about nutrition was related to child’s diet. The results showed a significant relationship between social factors and control practices with aspects of the child’s diet.

There is no comprehensive study on the effect of Folate on food intake; therefore the present study was carried out to determine the effect of Folate supplementation on serum concentrations of Leptin and Grehlin and food intake in male Wistar rats. The study was carried out for 42 days during which the animals were weighed weekly; their food and water intakes were measured every 48 hours. Serum leptin, ghrelin and insulin were measured using ELISA. Repeated Measures and t-test were done to analyze the data. The amount of water intake in the case group was significantly (p<0.05) higher that the control group, food intake was also higher in the group receiving folate as compared to the control although it did not reach the significance level. The Body weight of the rats receiving the supplement were significantly (p<0.001) higher than the control group. The experimental group had higher serum leptin and lower serum ghrelin levels although not significantly. Serum insulin level was significantly higher in the experimental group (p<0.001). A significant correlation was found between Water and food intake (r=0.9, p<0.001), and between body weight and the food intake (r=0.6, p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between serum insulin level with food intake (r=0.6, p< 0.001) and body weight (r=0.36, p=0.05). Daily folate supplementation for a long period increased body growth and food intake in weaning rats. Since serum ghrelin level was also higher, it is possible that increased weight was related to the other body tissues, rather than adipose tissue.

A deficiency of folate or vitamin B12, particularly in tissues with a high cell replication rate, could inhibit RNA and DNA synthesis, DNA methylation, as well as cell maturation. Therefore, a sufficient intake of these vitamins in childhood is of vital importance. Since there are no published reports on the status of folic acid and vitamin B12 in Iranian children, the present study was conducted to assess serum and red blood cells concentrations and some related factors in healthy 3-6 year-old children in Tehran, Iran, 2010. Subject and This was a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study, in which 228 children, 3-6 year old (105 girls and 123 boys), were selected by random systematic cluster sampling from 20 (out of 270) day-care centers in Tehran. A 2-ml non-fasting blood sample was drawn from each child and analyzed for serum and red blood cell folate and vitaminB12 by the RIA method. SPSS.16 was used for data analysis, the statistical tests being t-test, Chi-square and ANOVA. There were no significant differences between the 2 sexes with regard to age, weight, height, BMI, RBC folate, or serum folate and vitamin B12 levels. Based on the serum folate level, 9.6% and 37.8% of the children suffered from severe and mild deficiency, respectively; 52.6% had normal folate serum levels. The data also showed that 97.4% of the children had a normal serum vitamin B12 level, only 2.6% being mildly deficient. As judged by the RBC folate level, of 105 children (60 boys and 45 girls), 1% and 37% had severe and mild deficiency, respectively, an absolute majority (62%) having normal levels. The distributions of serum folate, serum vitaminB12, and RBC folate levels were not statistically different between boys and girls. Similarly, no associations were observed between the RBC folate level, serum folate level, or serum vitamin B12 level and age, weight, height, family size, birth order, or head of the family. There were positive significant correlations between serum folate on the one hand and RBC folate (r=0.4, p<0.001) and serum vitamin B12 (r=0.8, p<0.001) on the other hand. Furthermore, folate, RBC folate, and serum vitamin B12 were all positively related to father’s education (p=0.01), mother's education (p=0.008) and father’s job status (p<0.027). In addition, the vitamin levels were higher in children of the working mothers, as compared to those of non-working mothers (p<0.036). There were no differences between the 2 groups with regard to other variables. Folate deficiency is highly prevalent, while the deficiency of vitamin B12 is low, among Tehrani preschoolers. It is recommended to design and implement suitable intervention programs. Major components of such programs should be mothers’ nutrition education and improving family food consumption patterns with particular emphasis on optimum utilization of folate sources, particularly vegetables.

The overweight and obesity epidemic in Iran started in about 2001. Obesity in the early decades of life is a strong predictor of adult obesity. Some of the most important risk factors of overweight and obesity in childhood are related to infant feeding pattern, parents obesity, family socioeconomic status, birth weight, physical activity, and diet. Breastfeeding is a good strategy for reducing childhood overweight and obesity. In this study the association between overweight and obesity with birth weight and breastfeeding pattern in 7 year-old children in Shiraz was investigated. Subject and This case-control study included a total of 400 Shirazin first-year primary school children (200 obese children as case and 200 normal-weight ones as control) selected by multistage sampling. The schools were selected by stratified random sampling and then all of the overweight and obese children (case group) were selected by cluster sampling. Overweight and obesity were defined as 85  BMI  95 and BMI ≥ 95 percentile of CDC 2000, respectively. For each case subject a control child was chosen matched for age, sex, school and grade. Data were collected by a nutritionist on demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, breastfeeding pattern, birth weight, physical activity, and food consumption (24-hour diet recall) by interviewing mothers, using appropriate questionnaires. Weights and heights of the mothers were also measured. The SPSS software was used for data analysis. The length of breastfeeding, mothers’ BMI, and obesity in first-degree family members were statistically significantly different between the case and control groups (P = 0.005). On the other hand, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the family socio-economic status. Further analysis of the data showed no association between birth weight and overweight and obesity in the case group. The results of this study show that overweight and obesity in 7- year old children in Shiraz city are related to breastfeeding pattern, although the relationship may not be an independent one.

Considering the important role of nutrition in health, attaining a high nutritional knowledge is essential for physicians. So, this study was performed with the aim of determining the level of resident's and intern's knowledge about nutrition in Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. Sixty six interns and 70 residents were selected randomly out of the total target population in this descriptive cross-sectional study and received the nutritional knowledge questionnaire in hospitals affiliated to the medical university. They all filled and returned the questionnaires before the end of official working hour. Data was analyzed by SPSS software using ANOVA, and chi². The level of nutritional knowledge was weak in 25.3%, average in 61.3%, and good in 13.4% of the participants. But none of the participants had a very good level of nutritional knowledge. The mean score for correct answers was 50.28. Ninety three point seven percent of residents and interns had no idea about the relationship between overconsumption of Vitamin C in pregnancy and infant’s dependency to this Vitamin and 80.3% were also not aware of the relationship between overconsumption of Protein and Calcium excrete. Among the participants, 96.5% knew no comprehensive reference on nutrition and no one identified any website or journal in the field of nutrition. This study affirmed the results of preceding studies implicating the necessity of enhancing nutritional knowledge in medical universitie's curriculum and during clinical activities.

Prevalence of early and juvenile myopia has been increased recently scientists suggest that early life style including breastfeeding may play a role. Hence we tried to investigate the association between breastfeeding pattern and likelihood of myopia in 6-7 year old children. 245 new myopic cases and 245 controls were recruited. Anthropometric measurements and Raven IQ test were administered. Parents filled Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and two other questionnaires assessing breastfeeding pattern and myopia risk factors. Odds ratios for breastfeeding pattern and other potential risk factors were estimated. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months (OR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.03- 0.96) and breastfeeding for 12 months or more (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03-0.74) were independently related to myopia after adjusting for other potential risk factors. Refined carbohydrate consumption (OR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.02-4.21), Being overweight (OR:2.20 95% CI: 1.05-4.64), number of siblings (OR:0.28, 95% CI: 0.13-0.59), distance between child and TV (OR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.06- 0.29) or computer (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.14- 0.76) before awareness of myopia, myopia at least in one of parents (OR: 6.91, 95% CI: 3.33- 14.34), mother’s education (OR: 2.65, 95% CI: 1.26-5.56) and maternal age at birth (OR: 0.24, 95% CI:0.09-0.64) were independently related to myopia in childhood. Our findings suggest that Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and breastfeeding for 12 months or more are independently associated with decreased risk of myopia in 6-7y children and further studies to investigate the effect of long-term breastfeeding on early myopia is recommended.

Adolescence is a critical period of growth and development, and inadequate nutrition during this period may increase the incidence of obesity, sexual maturation delay, high blood pressure and osteoporosis in adulthood. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity and some dietary factors associated with it in adolescent high school girls in Lahijan, north of Iran. In this descriptive-analytical study, 400 students were selected by random stratified sampling from 12 schools. Data collected were demographics status, 24-hour dietary recall, food habits and food frequency questionnaires were completed for all samples. Weight and height were measured and BMI was calculated. BMIs at or above the 85th and 95th percentiles for age and sex (based on WHO standard) were classified as overweight or obese, respectively. Data were analyzed by the SPSS program and ANOVA, chi-square and pearson correlation tests. The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity were 4. 7%, 14. 8% and 5. 3%, respectively. Mean energy, carbohydrate and fat intakes were significantly higher for overweight/obese girls than for under weight and normal weight ones (P<0. 0001). A significant positive correlation was observed between consumption frequencies of fried and fast foods with BMI (respectively: r=0. 24, P<0. 0001 and r=0. 19, P<0. 0001). High energy, fat and carbohydrate intakes as well as consumption of fast and fried foods were associated with BMI in adolescent girls. Hence, more attention must be given to improving the nutritional status and dietary patterns of adolescents through policy making, nutritional education and implementing changes in nutritional styles.