The idea that a woman has to watch her weight seems to have become indelibly printed on the minds of college-going women. How else can you explain the fact that more than 80 percent of them go on a diet regardless of their weight?
A survey conducted by a team of reserachers led by Brenda M. Malinauskas from East Carolina University found that a majority of the college girls (83 percent) in the survey reported to be on a diet or having tried to go on a diet. The findings of the survey are published in the Nutrition Journal. The survey quizzed 185 women college students on their weight perception, dieting habits as well as their physical activities. "I was a little bit surprised about the high percentage of women dieting," said Malinauskas.
"We found a large percentage -- 80 percent -- used physical activity to control weight, but only 19 percent exercised to the level they would need to lose weight." Smoking was the most popular measures used by these women to control the urge to eat as was skipping breakfast and using artificial sweeteners. The participants in the study were classified as normal weight, overweight or obese after their height and weight was measured.
44 percent of the women having normal weight reported that they consciously curbed their urge to eat, while 57 percent of the overweight and 5 percent of obese women reported doing so. 32 percent of them skipped breakfast, while 9 percent resorted to smoking. 58 percent said that they felt pressure to maintain a certain weight by media or friends.
"We really didn't find much difference due to body weight. I thought that we would have a higher frequency [of weight-control practices] in the overweight." Malinauskas said. She added that the study was a pointer to the fact that college-going women needed counseling to inform them about the habits that were considered healthy to lose weight and those that were not.
