OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the glycemic index and glycemic load of diets of obese individuals. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that analyzed the medical records of 80 obese adults attending a private health care service in Fortaleza, Ceará. The glycemic index and load of their diet was determined. The Pearson correlation test was used to verify if there was an association between glycemic index and glycemic load and of these variables with their daily energy intake and body mass index. The Student's "t" test was used to verify the differences between the two indexes and gender. A significance level of p<0.05 was adopted for both tests. RESULTS: Inadequate (moderate or high) glycemic index prevailed at breakfast (82.9%), afternoon snack (60.0%) and dinner (64.6%). The daily glycemic index was inadequate for 78.7% of the group and predominantly moderate according to the mean found (59.23), however it was less inadequate than the daily glycemic load which was high (143.8) and worse among males. The body mass index of the group, in general and according to gender, was not associated with any of the indices. Daily energy intake was associated only with glycemic load, both generally and taking gender into account. CONCLUSION: The results point toward a higher glycemic load in the dietary assessment of obese individuals, suggesting that glycemic load should be routinely determined in this population.
glycemic load; glycemic index; eating; obesity
