A 5-year study of the daily food consumption of South African university students

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Abstract
Food consumption records of 615 male and 170 female university students have been analysed for the period 1959-63. The men showed a mean daily intake of 2780 kcal, 330 carbohydrate, 102 g protein and 108 g fat. Corresponding figures for the women were 1900 kcal, 218 g carbohydrate. 71 g protein and 79 g fat There were considerable individual variations in mean energy intake by both sexes, the men consuming from 1020 to 5130 kcal/day, and the women from 920 to 4360 kcal/day. No linear correlation between calorie intake and body-weight was found for either sex. Of the 40 students who recorded their diets in 2 successive yr., 32 showed a difference in calorie intake between the two recordings of less than 30%. Over the period investigated only small differences in calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fat intakes were observed from year to year. In each year the women students consumed less than the men, but derived a significantly higher percentage of their total calorie intake from fat than did the men. The contribution of carbohydrate to total calorie intake was lower for the women than for the men and that of protein was the same for both sexes. The ratio, carbohydrate: protein: fat in the students'' diets was the same from one year to another. The food consumption levels of the South African students are compared with those reported elsewhere.