Objectives: The study aims to determine whether there is an association of perceived weight status with unhealthy diet practices. Method: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted among 625 adult undergraduate students from U.P. Manila. The survey included questions regarding sociodemographic status, habits related to diet and weight management, and perceived body mass index (BMI). Actual BMI were obtained and calculated from actual anthropomorphic measurements. Results: In the population surveyed, it was seen that 53.28% of the students accurately perceived their BMI status, 26.08% overestimated their BMI status, while 17.28% underestimated their BMI status. It was also seen that over-estimating of BMI status is more associated with unhealthy diet practices. Those who over estimated their BMI were 1.95 times more likely to skip meals (p=0.001) and 1.56 times more likely to engage in cutting of food (p=0.034). Physical activity was also seen to be associated with these practices. Conclusion Over-estimation of BMI may be linked to unrealistic goals in weight loss resulting in unhealthier diet-related habits.
Body Mass Index ; Weight Perception ; Feeding Behavior ; Diet ; Exercise

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

PURPOSE: Women's weight perception and obesity-related quality of life were analyzed according to BMI (Body Mass Index). METHODS: A survey was conducted using self-report questionnaires from 178 participants. The data analysis included descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Fisher's exact test and Kendall's tau using the SPSS version 14.0. RESULTS: There were significant differences in BMI according to age (F=8.037, p=<.001), weight perception (F=60.71, p<.001), weight control experience (F=2.504, p=.013), weight control method (F=5.839, p=.001) and weight control success (F=-2.451, p=.016). There was a significant difference in obesity-related quality of life according to weight perception in the low weight group (F=5.587, p=.021) and in the obesity group (t=3.419, p=.003). Higher correlations were found between the women's BMI group, weight perception and obesity-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: A program to provide appropriate information for weight perception is needed for the low weight group. There is a need for a program about weight reduction as well as weight perception for the obesity group.
Body Mass Index ; Obesity ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Statistics as Topic ; Weight Loss ; Weight Perception

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate gender differences in the association between depressive symptoms and weight, weight perception, and body satisfaction among Korean adolescents. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was performed on data from 33,374 adolescents who participated in the 2015 Adolescent Health Behavior Online Survey. They were classified as underweight, normal weight, or overweight/obese; weight perception was classified into perception of being underweight, normal weight, or overweight/obese; and weight satisfaction into desire to gain weight, satisfied, and desire to lose weight. RESULTS: Among boys, perception of being underweight (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07~1.35) and desire to gain weight (AOR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.30~1.62) were associated with depression. Among girls, perception of being overweight or obese (AOR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.07~1.29) and a desire to lose weight (AOR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18~1.42) were associated with depression. CONCLUSION: Gender differences were observed in the association between weight perception and depression in adolescents. The perception of being underweight among boys and the perception of being overweight/overweight among girls were associated with depression. Thus, gender-specific intervention programs to correct weight perception and weight satisfaction are needed in order to relieve depressive symptoms in adolescents.
Adolescent Health ; Adolescent* ; Body Weight ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Ideal Body Weight ; Odds Ratio ; Overweight ; Statistics as Topic ; Thinness ; Weight Perception*

OBJECTIVES: Self perceived body image among women is drawing a lot of attention in Korea due to their unhealthy weight control behaviors. To determine the relationship between self-perceived body image and dietary behaviors among Korean women, the discrepancy between actual body size and body image perception, weight control behaviors were assessed based on age groups using the 2010 KNHANES data. METHODS: A total of 1,747 subjects were selected after eliminating those of likely changing their diet recently using the 2010 KNHANES data. The subjects were divided into 3 groups, self-underweight, self-normal, and self-obese according to their perception of body image. The BMI and weight control behaviors were assessed based on age groups according to the body image perception. RESULTS: The younger, the higher ratio of underweight, women perceived their body size as normal or overweight. Exercise and reduced food intakes were dominant among various weight control methods but unhealthy methods were dominant among self perceived overweight group. CONCLUSIONS: Incorrect body image perception and unhealthy weight control behaviors can cause nutritional problems. Nutritional education should emphasize the importance of healthy weight and proper body image perception for Korean women.
Body Image* ; Body Size ; Diet ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Overweight ; Thinness ; Weight Perception

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the body weight perception of adolescents and to investigate the difference between mental health and weight control behavior according to body weight perception. METHODS: Study data on 12–18 years old adolescents with normal BMI was obtained from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2015). Rao-Scott Chi-square test and ANOVA were used for the analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of adolescents with a misperception of body weight was 43.3%, and their subjective health status (p=.013), stress perception (p=.001), and depression (p=.001) were worse than for adolescents who had the correct perception of their body weight. The percentage of adolescents who were trying to lose weight while perceiving their body weight as normal was 36.9%. Body weight control behavior had significant differences according to dietary intake (frequency of eating dinner (p=.015)), energy intake (p=.004), and carbohydrate intake (p<.001), but there was no significant difference according to exercise. CONCLUSION: Parents, school teachers, and nurses should make efforts to ensure that Korean adolescents perceive their body weight correctly, and prevent unhealthy weight control behaviors.
Adolescent* ; Body Weight* ; Depression ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Eating ; Energy Intake ; Humans ; Korea* ; Meals ; Mental Health* ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Parents ; Weight Perception

This study was conducted to compare body shape satisfaction, body image perception, weight control status, and dietary habits of Korean and Chinese female high school students in order to provide information for proper body image perception of adolescents. 221 students in Yongin, a city in Korea, and 227 students in Weihai, a city in China, were surveyed using questionnaires. Body shape satisfaction was significantly higher in Chinese students (P < 0.001) compared to Korean students. 76.2% of Korean students and 72.7% of Chinese students wanted a thinner body shape than their present body shapes. Experiences of weight control, laxative or diuretics uses, eating during weight control, and vomiting after eating were significantly higher in Korean students (P < 0.05-P < 0.001) compared to Chinese students. The score for dietary habits was significantly higher in Chinese students (P < 0.001) compared to Korean students, suggesting a more desirable dietary habit among Chinese students. Students of both countries showed a significantly positive correlation between body shape satisfaction and dietary habits, suggesting that as body shape satisfaction increases, dietary habits become more desirable. In conclusion, Korean female students showed a more distorted body image perception and had more poor dietary habits than Chinese students. Nutritional education for the establishment of normal body weight, proper body image perception, and healthy dietary habits are needed.
Adolescent ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Body Image ; Body Weight ; China ; Diuretics ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Ideal Body Weight ; Korea ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vomiting ; Weight Perception

BACKGROUND: Adolescent girls are interested in weight reduction, but effective and adequate education for weight reduction is not done in Korea. And so much information is accepted via mass media. We investigated body image perception, weight control activities and their side effects among adolescent girls. METHODS: We used questionnaire about body image and weight control activities of middle and high school girls in Seoul in Sep. 1995. RESULTS: 88.6% of girls were not satisfied with their own height and 85.1% of girls with their own weight. 66.3% underweight students(BMI<20kg/m2) thought they were too fat and 98% acceptable weight students(20kg/m2<_KBMI<25kg/m2) thought they were too fat. So most girls had body image disturbance. 42.4% of girls were trying to lose weight and 85.1% were trying to lose weight reason for attractiveness and 16.6% were trying to lose for health. Self reported weight reduction methods were exercise(31.6%), fasting(21.9%), diet(21.5%), monodiet(10.8 %), laxatives(2.3%), very low calorie diet(1.8%) etc. Students who tr ied to lose weight for attractiveness selected more undesirable methods than who tried to lose weight for health(P<0.01). Most common route is via magazine, TV and newspaper. 43.4% of girls who tried to lose weight experienced side effects after weight reduction, those were dizziness(71.3%), general weakness(51%), apathy(26.S%) etc. CONCLUSIONS: Most girls had body image distortions. Useless weight reduction activities were done or planned and most of information was accepted via mass media. It is important to educate the girls to get adequate body image and effective weight reduction program is needed for health in adolescent girls.
Adolescent* ; Body Image* ; Education ; Female* ; Humans ; Korea ; Mass Media ; Periodicals ; Periodicals as Topic ; Self Report ; Seoul ; Thinness ; Weight Loss ; Weight Perception ; Weight Reduction Programs ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents globally, and body weight is also a recognized reason for adolescent suicide. Therefore, we investigated the association between weight control behaviors (WCB) and suicide ideation and attempt, focusing on inappropriate weight control measures. We used data from the 2014 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, representing a total of 35,224 boys and 34,361 girls aged 12 to 18 years. Adolescents were classified into groups based on WCB: appropriate WCB, inappropriate WCB, and no WCB. We performed logistic regression models to examine associations between WCB and suicide ideation and attempt, controlling for covariates. Both boys and girls with inappropriate WCB were more likely to report suicide ideation and attempt. Underweight and normal weight boys with inappropriate WCB were more likely to think or attempt suicide, and underweight girls with inappropriate WCB were also more likely to attempt suicide. Among five common WCB combinations, the combination of "regular exercise, fasting, eating less" was highly associated with suicide ideation and attempt. We confirmed that inappropriate WCB is associated with suicide ideation and attempt among Korean adolescents. Given the high incidence rate of suicide among adolescents and the adverse effect of inappropriate WCB, encouraging adolescents to control their weight in healthy ways is imperative.
Adolescent* ; Body Weight ; Body Weight Changes ; Cause of Death ; Eating ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Risk-Taking ; Suicide* ; Thinness ; Weight Perception

PURPOSE: This study were to assess the relationships among BMI, body weight perception, and efforts to lose weight in a public sample of Korean women who are overweight and obese and to examine the mediating role of body weight perception on the relationship between BMI and weight loss efforts. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2008 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The sample was 1,739 Korean women 20 years old or older with body mass index (BMI) > or = 23 kg/m2. Bivariate relationships among variables of interests were assessed. Three separate regressions were used to test the mediating role of body weight perception on the relationship between BMI and weight loss efforts. RESULTS: BMI and body weight perception were significant correlates of weight loss efforts. BMI was significantly associated with weight perception, but a large proportion of women underestimated their weight. Weight perception partially mediated the relationship between BMI and weight loss efforts in Korean women. CONCLUSION: In light of the high prevalence of overweight or obesity and the many health consequences associated with obesity, Korean women should be aware of a healthy body weight and try to achieve that weight. Nursing interventions should consider body weight perception to effectively motivate overweight and obese Korean women to lose weight, as necessary.
Body Mass Index* ; Body Weight* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Negotiating* ; Nursing ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Overweight* ; Prevalence ; Weight Loss* ; Weight Perception