Background: A better understanding of the factors involved in health and wellness among college students can aid in the design of interventions that can reduce the rate of weight gain during young adulthood. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the gender differences in weight status, dietary habits, and health attitudes in a sample of college students at Kuwait University (KU). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 615 students were recruited from KU between November 2013 and March 2014. Components of the study included a self-report questionnaire, assessment of body mass index, and calculation of Healthy Eating Score (HES) to assess eating habits and attitudes. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the gender differences among these domains. Results: The findings revealed that a greater proportion of men were overweight and obese compared to women (28.7% and 23.8% vs. 19.9% and 12.1%, respectively). Both genders show equally unhealthy dietary habits, marked by low mean HES scores. Gender-specific dietary patterns were noted, with more men reporting eating >6 oz (168 g) of animal protein per day as compared to women (48.4% vs. 28.9%, p < 0.001). A higher proportion of female students reported regular consumption of potato chips and fatty salty snacks (51.3% and 40.4%, respectively, p = 0.12) and that they ate sweets more than twice a day (52.5% and 39.9%, respectively, p = 0.041). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for evidence-based gender-specific strategies to reduce the number of overweight and obese college students and promote healthy dietary habits and eating attitudes among this population.

The high proportion of disordered eating attitudes among Kuwaiti college women could not be attributed to obesity alone as the type of disordered eating behavior varied more by weight perception than by weight status. The high levels of eating disorder related symptoms could be due to a combination of the social influences, diet, and lifestyle of college students. Such factors need to be considered by healthcare professionals as early as possible with more focused programs towards promotion of healthy weight for college students.

Serum oxysterol concentrations increase with obesity, insulin, and ApoB, which are established derangements associated with the metabolic syndrome.

BackgroundThe prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction based on muscularity and body fat was investigated among male college students in Kuwait with a range of body mass index values including underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese participants.MethodsData were collected, using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Bodybuilder Image Grid (BIG), from 400 male undergraduate students (84.8% Kuwaiti nationals) recruited from both public and private universities in Kuwait. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of symptomatology indicative of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and to examine the associations between body dissatisfaction and muscularity and body fat.ResultsMost participants were dissatisfied with their current muscle mass and body fat (67.3 and 69%, respectively). Logistic regression analyses produced odds ratios (ORs) demonstrating that students dissatisfied with their muscularity and body fat and those who indicated a desire to decrease both muscularity and body fat had significantly higher odds of being at risk of disordered eating attitudes (OR = 2.241, 95% CI [1.17, 3.6], p = .032, and OR = 1.898, 95% CI [1.214, 2.967], p = .005, respectively). Obese participants also had higher odds of exhibiting disordered eating attitudes (OR = 2.06, 95% CI [1.17, 3.60], p = .011).ConclusionThe high proportion of disordered eating attitudes among Kuwaiti college men was associated with high levels of body image dissatisfaction in relation to both body fat and muscularity. High levels of eating disorder symptoms were also linked to obesity.

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