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Influence of the desire to lose weight on food habits, and knowledge of the characteristics of a balanced diet, in a group of Madrid university students
This 2003 study investigated 234 university students in Madrid, Spain on their desires to lose weight with the aim of determining the factors that influence their dietary wants. The subjects were aged 22.3 on average and were questioned on what they consider a balanced diet, their regular food intake frequencies, and their desire to lose weight. Around half of the sample size (47.9%), including both males and females, wanted to lose weight although the proportion of overweight students was low (11.1% overall: 39.6% among males; 3.8% among females). Even though the majority of the respondents’ BMIs were within the normal range, the BMIs of those participants who wanted to lose weight were higher than those who did not express desire to shed some weight. Furthermore, the level of sweets consumption reported by those who wish to lose weight was lower than those who did not. Yet, these subjects believed they should further reduce their intakes of sweets, as well as eggs (although no difference was observed between those who wished to lose weight and those who did not). This study highlighted the high level of concern these university students have over their body weight, although food habits and nutrition knowledge did not significantly differ between those who were interested in losing weight and those who were not. [NPID: diet, emotional eating, eating disorders, Spain, food frequency, sweets consumption, sweets, eggs, food habits, nutrition knowledge]
Year: 2003
