Rapid changes in economic status and lifestyle have established new paradigms and shifts in food practices and food choices. These changes play an important role in the nutritional status of individuals, especially children and adolescents, due to the increase in nutritional needs generated by rapid growth and development. This makes it necessary to better understand the issues related to the eating habits of this population group. Inadequate consumption is one of the main factors for the emergence of nutritional disorders and chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), although this can be prevented through strategies that promote an adequate and healthy diet, allowing the prevention of complications in the future.

Industries invest heavily in advertisements for ultra-processed foods, rich in fat, sugar, salt, dense in energy and poor in micronutrients, which tend to have lower cost and lower quality of nutrients, impacting the formation of eating habits. This pattern of consumption, in conjunction with lower levels of physical activity, results in sharp increases in obesity, while problems of malnutrition remain unresolved.
WHO data show that more than 340 million children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2016. Showing that, in global terms, there are more obese people than underweight. In Latin America between 42.5 and 51.8 million children and adolescents are overweight or obese, this represents about 20-25% of the population. Many countries in this region are facing the "double burden" of malnutrition. Having to deal with problems of infectious disease and malnutrition, as well as the rapid rise of NCDs and obesity, to epidemic proportions.
In this sense, individual responsibility can only have its full effect when people have access to a healthy lifestyle. And at the societal level, the sustained implementation of evidence-based policies that allow children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean to lead a regularly active life and have healthy food available is of upmost importance.

As part of our journal's mission to address the main aspects related to reflections and discussions on dietary practices, food consumption and the repercussions on the nutritional status of children and adolescents, Frontiers in Public Health is organizing a Research Topic focused on “Food practices, food consumption and nutritional status of children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean”. Led by an expert team of specialists, the Research Topic will accept manuscripts within this area of research, with the aim of giving the reader an overview of the latest discoveries and new findings, analysis of previously published data, new opinions and perspectives, and methods and protocols (when relevant). For that reason, all article types accepted by Frontiers are encouraged.

Sub-themes for this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• Lifestyle, food consumption and nutritional status of children and/or adolescents;
• Dietary practices of children and/or adolescents;
• Food consumption of children and/or adolescents;
• Epidemiology of obesity and other chronic diseases in children and/or adolescents;
• Nutritional status and associated factors in children and/or adolescents;
• Strengthening food systems that protect public health in Latin America and that are rational, adequate and sustainable.
• Interventions and policy measures around this topic.

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