Perception of Body Weight Gain among First-Year Kuwait University Students.
Excess body weight is mainly because of storage of fat and this heavier weight is a risk factor for some diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases – among many others. The status of body weight of an individual is a reflection of the overall effects of influencing factors, such as genetics, environment and nutritional status – among others that can be cultural.
University students constitute a segment of the population in any society. They are young and able to acquire knowledge. Promoting a healthy pattern for their nutrition and physical activity would be beneficial to them, their peers and members of their immediate family circle and those whom they may relate to and interact with. First-year university students are those who have just come out of high school with different scholarly interests – thus, they may choose to join either a theoretical-type or scientific-type colleges accordingly.
A study across 7 European countries showed that between 32-68% of student populations were satisfied about their body weight, while large proportions were dissatisfied and were trying to lose weight. Their perceived weight did not always reflect actual weight status based on the BMI. Females, in particular, perceived themselves as being overweight, despite low rates of obesity among them. Perception of body image by Italian university students showed that greater dissatisfaction and higher weight status perception consistency in females than in males among those examined. Percentages of 29 and 26% of both female and male Korean adolescents misperceived their body weight status, respectively. Within each misperception, overestimation was higher than underestimation.
Obes Res Open J. 2016; 3(1): 10-17. doi: 10.17140/OROJ-3-122