TITLE:
Survey of the Consumption of Energy Drinks and Frequency of Obesity in a Population of Academics from Casablanca
AUTHORS:
Imane M’Touguy, Nadia Iounes, Fatema Zehra Mahfoud, Marwa Chhail, Amine El Khatib, Rachid Saile, Souad El Amrani, Houriya Mestaghanmi
KEYWORDS:
Energy Drinks, Students, Obesity
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.12,
December
22,
2016
ABSTRACT:
Background: An energy drinks supposed to give a boost of energy to the consumer. It usually contains caffeine and lot of sugar. We studied the risks associated with the consumption of these drinks, the conditions in which they are consumed and the frequency of obesity in the determination of body mass index among 195 students of the Faculty of Sciences Ben M’Sik. Methods: This is a survey conducted by students of the Ben M’sik Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II Casablanca University, during the year 2015, using a questionnaire exploring the consumption of energy drinks. Results: Our study shows 195 of surveyed students consuming energy drinks, of which 22.0% are girls and 78.0% are boys, of which 16.5% were overweight, 5.5% moderate and 2% severe obesity. 9.2% of students consume them to quench the thirst, 10.8% to bring their body energy, 7.7% for their taste, 21.5% to mitigate fatigue, 6.2% to stimulate and 44.6% for all the reasons cited. 4.6% say they associate them with tobacco, 4.0% with alcohol and 6.8% with some drugs during review periods. The consequences of poisoning these drinks can be serious health and manifest as tachycardia (3.2%), agitation or confusion (29.3%), abdominal pain (7.9%), hypertension (19.4%). These symptoms experienced are significantly higher among consumers of these drinks compared to controls. Witnesses consume either energy drinks or sugary drinks. Discussion/Conclusion: That frequent consumption of energy drinks may pose a risk and a danger to the health of consumers, hence the need for awareness especially young people against their effects. Public health organizations must also keep a close watch on this new trend.