PURPOSE: The identification of specific behaviors conducive to overeating or inactivity is the cornerstone of obesity management. The Committee on Nutrition of the Korean Pediatric Society developed parent and self-reporting questionnaires about eating behavior and physical activity in 2006. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the questionnaires in assessing modifiable lifestyle factors related to obesity. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for 177 children (6-11 years old) and 134 adolescents (12-16 years old) from 10 hospitals between May 2006 and January 2007 who had completed parent or self-reporting questionnaires. Cases were divided into normal and overweight groups at or above the age-gender-specific 85th percentile based on 2007 Korean national growth charts. RESULTS: Compared to children, the adolescents tended to have a significantly more sedentary lifestvle and inappropriate dietary behaviors significantly (P<.05). Overweight mothers were significantly associated with overweight children and adolescents (P<.05). Being overweight was significantly associated with a family history of adult diseases for children and adolescents (P<.05). Inappropriate eating behaviors (strong appetite, eating fast, eating until they were full, binge eating, favoring greasy foods) were associated with being overweight in children and adolescents. Sedentary activity such as TV viewing and using a computer were significantly associated with overweight in children and adolescents (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Intervention to modify obesity-related lifestyle factors is needed before adolescence. These questionnaires are useful in identifying modifiable lifestyle factors and in individual counseling for overweight children and adolescents in pediatric clinics.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Appetite ; Bulimia ; Child ; Counseling ; Eating ; Feeding Behavior ; Growth Charts ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Life Style ; Mothers ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Parents ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: In these days the metabolic syndrome threatens many people of Korea. Several studies have suggested that the dietary habits are associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to find out relations between the components of the metabolic syndrome and the dietary habits. METHODS: The subjects of this study included 1,005 non-smoking premenopausal females aged from 20 to 49 years old who visited the health promotion center of a university hospital. Dietary questionnaire was composed of dietary habits and specific food intake frequency during the past 3 months. RESULTS: The subjects who had more than one metabolic components were 361 (36%), and those who had the metabolic syndrome was 35 (3.5%). After multivariate logistic analysis adjusted with age, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake, and exercise, the abdominal obesity risk was significantly increased in those who had irregular meals (P for trend= 0.049), skip meals (P for trend=0.050), faster meal time (P=0.017), and intake of saturated fat more frequently (P=0.043). The abdominal obesity risk was significantly increased in those who overate or binged eating 7gt; or =3 times/week than <1 time/week {OR (95% CI), 2.49 (1.07~5.80)}, intake fruit <1 time/week than 6~7 times/week {OR (95% CI), 4.46 (1.20~16.54)}. A risk for high blood pressure was significantly increased in those who had breakfast 1~2 times/week than those had it 6~7 times/week {OR (95% CI), 1.91 (1.07~3.42)}. The risk for impaired fasting glucose was significantly increased in those had breakfast <1 time/week than those who had 6~7 times/week {OR (95% CI), 2.27 (1.20~4.28), P for trend=0.018}. CONCLUSION: There was a correlation between dietary habits and metabolic syndrome components. Among the dietary habits, irregular meals, skipping breakfast, skipping meals, fast meal time, overeating or binge eating tendency, low intake of fruits and high intake of saturated fat were associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome components.
Aged ; Breakfast ; Bulimia ; Eating ; Fasting ; Female ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Meals ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) as a measure of the night eating syndrome (NES) in a sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The behavioral and psychological symptoms of NES were assessed with the 14-item self-report questionnaire (NEQ). Body weight and height were measured to calculate the body mass index (BMI). Subjective estimates of depression, binge eating patterns, sleep quality and weight-related quality of life were evaluated using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Korean version of Obesity-related Quality of Life (KOQoL) Scale. RESULTS: Among 165 schizophrenic outpatients who completed the NEQ, 15 (9.1%) patients screened as having NES (total NEQ > or =25). The NEQ demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.72), and the item-total correlations (r=0.29-0.75 ; p<0.001, respectively) were acceptable, except for morning anorexia. A principal components analysis revealed five factors (nocturnal ingestions, evening hyperphagia, mood/sleep, morning anorexia, and delayed morning meal), which explained 65.7% of the total variance. Although the NEQ total score was not correlated with BMI, age at onset, duration of illness, or use of atypical antipsychotics, it was significantly correlated with total scores on the BDI, BES, PSQI and KOQoL. Test-retest reliability was also good (r=0.74, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the NEQ appears to be an efficient, valid measure of NES in outpatients with schizophrenia.
Alkanesulfonic Acids ; Anorexia ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Bulimia ; Depression ; Eating ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Outpatients ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Schizophrenia

Stress has been known to change dietary behaviors and food intakes in individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stress level on the frequency and the amount of snack consumption. The high stress group (HS) showed significantly higher frequency of consumption for bread, chips, cookies, ramyeon, and frozen snacks (p<0.05) compared to low stress group (LS) with higher frequency of snack consumption (p<0.01), and increased intakes of energy, carbohydrates, and sodium from snacks (p<0.01) than LS. As the stress level became higher, the proportions of students with irregular meals, overeating, and night snacking increased (p<0.01). Also, 33.0% of the subjects answered that they consumed an increased amount of snacks when they were feeling stressed. Our results indicated that stress has negative influence on snack consumption in middle school girls.
Bread ; Carbohydrates ; Female* ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Meals ; Snacks* ; Sodium

Transverse ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Hyperphagia ; Case Report

This study investigated the association between the weight status of middle school students and the various weightrelated characteristics including desired weight, weight perception, weight-related practice, physical activity, and overeating behavior. Questionnaires were administered to 473 middle school students (178 boys and 295 girls) in Daejeon. Boys and girls were divided into three groups respectively; (1) underweight (BMI < 5th percentile) (2)normal weight (5th percentile < or = BMI < 85th percentile) (3) overweight (BMI > or = 85th percentile). Using BMI calculated from measured height and weight, 14.0% of boys and 6.8% of girls were underweight, and 16.3% of boys and 14.2% of girls were overweight. However, among this sample of students, 38.4% of boys and 13.6% of girls perceived themselves as underweight and 29.4% of boys and 44.9% of girls perceived themselves as overweight. We found that overweight students reported their body weights lower and their heights higher compared to nonoverweight students, resulting in an underestimation of BMI. Based on desired BMI, 79.9% of the girls desired to be underweight and 73.0% of the boys desired to be normal weight. Overweight or normal weight students were less satisfied with their body weights than underweight students. Girls had more weight control experience and concern compared to boys. Overweight girls spent longer times in watching TV compared to non-overweight girls (p < 0.001) and had more overeating behaviors (p < 0.05). Overweight students reported that they ate snacks less frequently than non-overweight students, which may be due to their tendency to report less eating. In conclusion, significant gender differences and weight status differences existed in weight perception, weight satisfaction, and weight control experience and concern. Because perception of overweight is likely to lead to unhealthy eating behaviors and weight control, efforts for adolescents to improve accuracy of weight perceptions and to understand the benefits of being healthier are needed.
Adolescent ; Body Weight ; Eating ; Feeding Behavior ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Motor Activity ; Overweight ; Snacks ; Thinness ; Weight Perception

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disorder and is diagnosed by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia, hyperphagia, and neurobehavioral dysfunctions. We present a case of a male 19 year-old with seven episodes of the above symptoms. All episodes occurred after a respiratory infectious illness and spontaneously resolved after a few days or a few weeks. A polysomnography showed prolonged sleep latency and decreased REM sleep (14.6%). A multiple sleep latency test revealed a slightly short mean sleep latency (8min 7sec) and three sleep-onset REM episodes in a series of four sleep latency tests across a one day period. The electrophysiological features of previously reported were reviewed.
Disorders of Excessive Somnolence ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Kleine-Levin Syndrome* ; Male ; Polysomnography ; Sleep, REM ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Dyspepsia is a common symptom and bacause functional dyspepsia is a heterogeneous disorder its pathophysiology is not well established. We need to conceptualize in a so called "biopsychosocial model". Many Koreans tend to consider the importance of dietary habits in causes and treatment of diseases and actually many physicians recommend dietary modification for patients of functional dyspepsia. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine if dietary habits was associated with functional dyspepsia. METHODS: Functional dyspepsia was defined and classified by Rome II criteria. This study was performed by case and control method at the outpatient department of family medicine of six university hospitals in Seoul. Self-administered questionnaire for the demographic characteristics and dietary habits were performed in 472 functional dyspeptic patients and 236 normal controls. RESULTS: Only the economic status among the demographic factors was associated with functional dyspepsia and on the dietary factors. The functional dyspeptic patients reported less than 2 days regular eating for one week (OR=2.01, P=0.019, 95% CI: 1.12~3.60) and more than 3 days overeating for one week (OR= 2.01, P=0.020, 95% CI: 1.12~3.63), but no significant difference was found in the daily eating frequency, meal duration, frequency of spicy food comsumption, and breakfast. CONCLUSIONS: Functional dyspepsia was associated with irregular eating patterns and overeating behavior for one week. To prevent functional dyspepsia behavioral modification such as eating regularly and avoiding overeating should be advised.
Breakfast ; Case-Control Studies ; Demography ; Dyspepsia* ; Eating ; Food Habits* ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Meals ; Outpatients ; Seoul

The study purpose was to examine weight control status and related factors among 370 high school girls in Seoul. Factors examined included interest toward weight control, body satisfaction, body image, beliefs regarding weight control and self-efficacy. 65.1% had attempted to control weight and were categorized into attempt group. Those in the attempt group had higher body weight (p<0.001) and BMI (p<0.001) than the counterparts. They tried to control weight 2.9 times on average (22.4 days each time). The major information sources for weight control were internet (62.8%), and TV/ radio (17.1%). Exercise was most commonly used for weight control, followed by reducing meal amount and skipping dinner. The attempt group was less satisfied with body size (p<0.001) and perceived their body sizs as heavier than the counterparts (p<0.001), but they showed more interest toward weight control (p<0.001). The ideal body size of society or the body size that they want was very thin in both groups. Twelve out of 20 beliefs regarding weight control were significantly different between the two groups. The attempt group believed more strongly on the advantages such as increased self-confidence, appearance, attractiveness (p<0.001) and 'good for making friends' (p<0.01). In contrast, the attempt group believed less strongly about the disadvantages including harmful effects on health (p<0.001), parents' dislike, feelings of discouragement (p<0.01) and becoming (p<0.05). The attempt group showed lower overall self-efficacy to control overeating (p<0.05) than the counterparts. Especially, the attempt group felt less control of overeating in situations such as eating-out, after school, when they are with family (p<0.01) or with friends, when they feel hungry, during examination periods and when others offer food (p<0.05). This study suggested that weight management education for adolescents include strategies for changing body image and beliefs regarding weight control, as well as increasing self-efficacy to control overeating.
Adolescent ; Body Image ; Body Size ; Body Weight ; Education ; Female* ; Friends ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Internet ; Meals ; Seoul

This study was carried out with 343(161 male, 182 female) elementary school children to investigate the relationship between 5th and 6th grade males and females of living in Chuncheon city. The degrees of going without a meal and overeating showed high in breakfast and dinner respectively. Also most children responded that they eat more than usual when they are under stress. After having dinner, 52.8% of the children ate snacks. 64.7% of the children have unbalanced diets with the main reason being they don't like the peculiar smell that some foods have. Most children sleep 8 hours and go to school on foot, and 74.3% of the children enjoy indoor activities in their spare time. The regularity of exercise shows a low level of 39.1%. In weight control, 51.0% of the children take no interest in it. Thirty percent of the children get their nutrition knowledge from school and the order of average mark of their nutrition knowledge is poor(40.5%), fair(36.4%), and excellent(23.0%). Most children like sweet taste. It is prevalent that the children think instant food is not good for their health, and their preference for instant food is on a fair level. The most popular instant food is in the order of ddogbbokki, ice-cream, kimbap, fried chicken and pork cutlet.
Breakfast ; Chickens ; Child* ; Diet ; Female ; Food Habits* ; Foot ; Gangwon-do ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Male ; Meals ; Smell ; Snacks