TY - JOUR
T1 - Weight loss practices and body weight perceptions among US College students
AU - Wharton, Christopher
AU - Adams, Troy
AU - Hampl, Jeffrey S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The? authors? produced? this? work? with? supporting? funding? from? the?US?Department?of? Agriculture?(Grant?03-35200-13445).
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - Objective: The authors assessed associations between body weight perception and weight loss strategies. Participants: They randomly selected male and female college students (N = 38,204). Methods: The authors conducted a secondary data analysis of the rates of weight loss strategies and body weight perception among students who completed the National College Health Assessment survey. Results: Half of respondents (50%) were trying to lose weight, although only 28% of students were overweight or obese. Also, 12% of respondents had inaccurate body weight perception. Women and men with inaccurate body weight perception were significantly more likely to engage in inappropriate weight loss strategies than were those with accurate body weight perception. Of all students attempting to lose weight, 38% used both diet and exercise. Conclusions: These data show that college students are interested in weight loss and that body weight perception plays an important role in the desire to lose weight.
AB - Objective: The authors assessed associations between body weight perception and weight loss strategies. Participants: They randomly selected male and female college students (N = 38,204). Methods: The authors conducted a secondary data analysis of the rates of weight loss strategies and body weight perception among students who completed the National College Health Assessment survey. Results: Half of respondents (50%) were trying to lose weight, although only 28% of students were overweight or obese. Also, 12% of respondents had inaccurate body weight perception. Women and men with inaccurate body weight perception were significantly more likely to engage in inappropriate weight loss strategies than were those with accurate body weight perception. Of all students attempting to lose weight, 38% used both diet and exercise. Conclusions: These data show that college students are interested in weight loss and that body weight perception plays an important role in the desire to lose weight.
KW - Body image distortion
KW - College students
KW - Diet
KW - Exercise
KW - Weight loss
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U2 - 10.3200/JACH.56.5.579-584
DO - 10.3200/JACH.56.5.579-584
M3 - Article
C2 - 18400672
AN - SCOPUS:42349090373
SN - 0744-8481
VL - 56
SP - 579
EP - 584
JO - Journal of American College Health
JF - Journal of American College Health
IS - 5
ER -