Overweight Perception: Associations with Weight Control Goals, Attempts, and Practices among Chinese Female College Students

Abstract

Background Concurrent with the dramatic cultural and economic shifts occurring as Mainland China becomes increasingly “Westernized,” the weight perceptions, ideal body weight, and weight management goals and practices of Chinese females have also undergone significant changes. Objective To investigate relationships between overweight status, weight perception patterns, and weight management goals and practices in Chinese female college students. Design/Participants/Setting A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with data from 902 female subjects aged 18 to 25 years participating in the China Seven Cities Study, a health promotion and smoking prevention study conducted in Mainland China in 2003. Main Outcome Measures/ Statistical Analyses Logistic regression models were used to explore associations between overweight status, weight perception, specific weight management goals and practices, and current levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity and food consumption. Results Based on World Health Organization standards for Asian adults, 16.7% of college females were overweight or obese, although 50.8% considered themselves to be “too heavy.” Among participants perceiving themselves as overweight (n=458), 69.2% (n=371) were inaccurate, and did not meet criteria for overweight or obese. The percentage of participants attempting weight loss was 48.2%, and 33.1% wanted to maintain their current weight. Attempts to lose or maintain weight were related to actual and perceived weight status, but not to increased vigorous-intensity physical activity or fruit and vegetable intake, nor to decreased consumption of sweets, soda, Western fast foods and fried foods. Only 21.5% of participants desiring weight loss or maintenance reported using a combination of vigorous-intensity physical activity and a reduced fat and calorie diet, while 20.2% tried extreme methods such as fasting, using diet pills, vomiting, or smoking. Conclusions Our findings underscore the need to promote healthy weight management practices among Chinese female college students, with an emphasis on diet and physical activity strategies that encourage balance rather than extremes.

Body-related Perspectives and Weight Control Methods of Korean-Chinese Nursing School Students in Yanbian, China: A Pilot Study

“…In addition, although approximately 13% of the participants were either overweight or obese, 50% considered themselves as being slightly fat or very fat. A previous study involving Chinese female college students reported similar results; nearly 17% of the women in that study were overweight or obese but 51% perceived themselves as being too fat [ 2 ]. Additionally, this study reported a relatively lower proportion of Chinese students (20.2%) who used extreme weight control methods (e.g., inducing vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics, and taking diet pills) among participants making an effort to lose or maintain their weight [ 2 ].…”

“…A previous study involving Chinese female college students reported similar results; nearly 17% of the women in that study were overweight or obese but 51% perceived themselves as being too fat [ 2 ]. Additionally, this study reported a relatively lower proportion of Chinese students (20.2%) who used extreme weight control methods (e.g., inducing vomiting, using laxatives or diuretics, and taking diet pills) among participants making an effort to lose or maintain their weight [ 2 ]. Considering the adverse side effects and widespread practice of unhealthy weight control methods among the students in the present study, educating them on healthy weight control methods is an urgent requirement.…”

“…The growing problem of obesity in China has been accompanied by considerable changes in perspectives regarding the ideal body image [ 1 , 2 ]. In particular, more Chinese women than men exhibit body dissatisfaction in their pursuit of an “ideal” thin body under the influence of the media, their peers, and familial pressures [ 3 ].…”

Ideals versus reality: Are weight ideals associated with weight change in the population?

“…The discrepancy between actual weight and subjective weight ideals can be quantified with questions that assess actual versus perceived or desired weight (10,(12)(13)(14)(15), Stunkard silhouettes (16)(17)(18), or a simple calculation. Existing research on the discrepancy between actual and ideal weight has mostly been conducted in special populations, such as college students, migrants, and physically active individuals (12)(13)(14)(15)37). Based on these studies, sociocultural changes and Western media exposure may increase negative body image (14,15), and the discrepancy between actual and ideal body image can be associated with maladaptive eating and exercise patterns (13).…”

Weight Cognition and Weight Loss Behaviors of College Students

“…The university stage is the stage in which ideas and behaviors are formed and developed stably and also the critical period in which diet and wholesome habits are formed. College students generally have a good knowledge of the receiving ability, but the survey finds that the overall cognitive health literacy of college students is relatively low, especially in weight cognition, many college students can't distinguish whether he really fat, think oneself fat college students than the students the actual BMI exceeds bid [1], more than 60% college students cannot rationally judge their own weight, in addition, 78% of participants lost weight for the purpose of being more beautiful rather than healthy [2][3][4][5]. As the main force in the future social development, the health status of college students is attracting mounting number of attention.…”