Mini Project Report

77

Institute Of Home Sciences

BSc (Hons.) Food and Nutrition

Nutritional Survey to check the dietary habits

associated with obesity among young adults (18-30)
Submitted to
Hira Iftikhar
Submitted By
Sabahat Younas
2017-ag-7607

University Of Agriculture Faisalabad

 ABSTRACT
Obesity is undoubtedly one of the biggest medical problems of the 21st century. An excess body
weight can be the consequence of genetic factors, endocrine disorders or certain drugs. However,
‘simple obesity’ is the most common, a consequence of providing too much energy from food
products in comparison to energy expenditure (caloric excess). Today’s lifestyle promotes the
development of obesity. The lack of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and energy-rich diet are
the main causes of an excess body fat accumulation. Because of improper eating behaviors adult
consume an excess amount of energy, and their diet is deficient in elements necessary for proper
development. The examples of such bad eating habits are: snacking highly processed and calorie-
rich foods between meals eating in front of the TV screen, skipping breakfasts, drinking sugar-
sweetened beverages, “eating out” frequently and “emotional eating”. Bad eating behaviors are
crucial factors for the development of obesity. Eating habits are usually formed in early
childhood and parents play a very important role in their development of obesity. A cross-
sectional study will be conducted from May to June 2021. The examine contributors will be 18-
30 age group adults. The structured questionnaire divided into three different sections (General
data, Anthropometric and dietary intake). Online survey (social media) will be performed for
information calculation.
Table of Content

Chapter 1 Introduction................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 2 Literature of Review....................................................................................................................1
Chapter 3 Materials and Methods...............................................................................................................1
3.1. Study Design:....................................................................................................................................1
3.2. Study Sample:...................................................................................................................................1
3.3. Test subject.......................................................................................................................................1
3.4. Data Collection Procedure................................................................................................................1
3.5. Questionnaire:..................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 4 Survey Result..............................................................................................................................2
Chapter 5 Conclusion...................................................................................................................................1
5.1 Eating Large Amounts Of Processed Or Fast Food.............................................................................1
5.2 Eating Out A Lot.................................................................................................................................1
5.3 Eating Larger Portions Than You Need..............................................................................................1
5.4 Drinking Too Many Sugary Drinks......................................................................................................1
5.5 Comfort Eating...................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 6 Recommendation........................................................................................................................1
References...................................................................................................................................................1
Chapter 1 Introduction

Obesity is becoming a worldwide problem affecting all levels of society and is thus being
described as a global epidemic (WHO 2019).

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat caused by the positive energy balance, which
means that more energy is consumed than is expended during metabolism. The most popular
method to assess whether the body mass is adequate is the body mass index (BMI) which is
calculated from a person’s weight and height. The BMI above 25 indicates the presence of
overweight and BMI above 30 is consider as obesity. The BMI for children is calculated the
same way but the results cannot be interpreted according to the rules made for adults because of
the differences in body composition which exist between children and adults. BMI that is above
the 95th percentile points to the presence of obesity. Children with BMI between the 85th and
95th percentile are considered to be overweight. Unfortunately, every year more and more adult
are overweight and obese (Brussels, 2018).

Pakistan is a country where the perception of the healthy diet among the general community is
different. Pakistani diet is typically energy dense with a higher percentage of saturated fats,
Tran’s fatty acid and free sugar contributing to high calories intake. Use of ghee, high intake of
meat, judicious use of sweets in celebrating imperative events of life is common dietary practices
in Pakistan. Due to accelerating prices of staple food like cereal, vegetables, and fruits, mostly
people favor the cheaper ways of energy like fats and sugar. Use of industrially processed food,
fast food, junk food, and sugared fizzy drink are getting very trendy in the younger generation.
Rapid urbanization and modernization are also leading to the constructive high fat diet instead of
traditional low-fat diet (WHO 2020).

Food intake has been associated with obesity not only in terms of the volume of food ingested
but also in terms of the composition and quality of diet. Furthermore, eating habits have also
changed and current habits include low consumption of fruits, green vegetables, and milk;
increasing consumption of snacks, sweets, and soft drinks; and skipping breakfast; these eating
habits result in continuous increase in adiposity among adult ( Hanley JG et al.,2018).
There are several factors that may include weighting gain among adults and youth including
genes, eating habits, physical inactivity, TV, computer, phone and other sleep routine, medical
conditions or medications, and where and how people live (their inhabitation) and their choice of
food (WHO 2021)

Eating habits in addition to environmental differentials represent the most dominant determinant
in increasing the tendency of overweight and obesity among children (Nicklas TA et al., 2018)

Modification in the eating habits may be singleton tactic strategy to a more appropriate weight
control (Triches RM et al, 2016)

Bad eating habits constitute an important risk factor for the development of obesity among
children and adults. According to the psychological terminology, a habit is an automatic way of
behavior, which is learnt by repeating (Fisher JO et al., 2017).

Eating habits usually develop in early childhood Firstly, it is recommended to plan regular meals.
The adults should eat about five times a day. At least one meal a day must be eaten together with
the other family members. Regularity of meals prevents an unexpected hunger and snacking
between the meals (Moens E et al., 2019)

Eating breakfast also improves ability to concentrate, has an impact on memory and study
results. Breakfast should constitute 20-30 % of the daily calorie intake and consist of dairy
products, carbohydrates, plant fat and simple carbohydrates as an immediate source of energy, it
is advisable to prevent uncontrolled snacking between the meals. The simplest way to
accomplish that is to limit the access to sweets and other snacks (Tanofsky et al., 2019)

Moreover, it is advisable to restrict the amount of sweetened beverages. They can be drank only
occasionally. It is recommended not to accustom children to sweet beverages. Adult should drink
water, fruit teas and dairy beverages (Druce M et al., 019).

A balanced diet provides a basis for healthy growth and development of children and youth. In
terms of eating, the kind of products, the method of their preparation, the number of meals and
the length of intervals between them appears to be of importance. The basic factors contributing
to the incidence of overweight and obesity are increased intake of high-energy foods, foods poor
in nutrients and rich in fats, sugar and salt, as well as insufficient physical activity, which
altogether lead to energetic imbalance of the whole organism (Leech et al.,2018).

The objectives of this study to find a possible association between obesity/overweight and
dietary habits. Understanding the relationship between the nutritional condition and lifestyle,
including nutritional habits, is necessary for effective prophylaxis and treatment of youth obesity.

Objectives:

 To check the possible association between obesity and dietary habits.

 To determine the dietary pattern of obese people
Chapter 2 Literature of Review
(Majewska K et al., 2020) The medical consequences of obesity are well known. An excess of
body fat accumulation usually leads to the development of hypertension, dyslipidemia and
disturbed glucose metabolism which all together lead to the development of cardiovascular
diseases. Moreover obese children are at higher risk of cholelithiasis, orthopedic complications,
precocious puberty, dermatological problems such as stretch marks, as well as a variety of
psychological issues such as low self-esteem and depression. They are also at risk of developing
type 2 diabetes as the impaired glucose tolerance was observed very early in obese which
signifies failing beta-cell function.

(Inadera H, 2018) An excess body weight can be the consequence of genetic factors, endocrine
disorders or certain drugs.

(Lobstein Tet al., 2019)However, ‘simple obesity’ is the most common of them, which usually is
due to the lack of physical activity and bad eating behaviors, which altogether lead to constant
overfeeding. Consumption of foods rich in calories and sedentary lifestyle, cause positive energy
balance and, as a consequence, lead to obesity. Lack of physical activity additionally reduces the
basal metabolic rate as the fatty tissue uses much less energy than the muscles.

(Bryl W et al 2010) Because of bad eating habits, diet is rich in calories, at the same time being
deficient in elements necessary for proper development such as: vitamins, macro- and
microelements, fiber and unsaturated fatty acids. The examples of such bad eating behaviors are:
eating in front of the TV, snacking between meals, most often highly processed and calorie-rich
foods, skipping breakfasts, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, insufficient consumption of
dairy products, “eating out” frequently and “emotional eating”.

(Utter J et al., 2019) the growing body mass discourages children from any forms of physical
activities such as playing games and physical education lessons. First of all such a child has
problems with keeping pace with its peers and in addition it is ashamed of its physique. The
more pleasant alternatives become long hours spent in front of the TV and the computer
accompanied by favorite snacks. This way the excess of energy is consumed. Watching TV
while eating increases the amount of food consumed by a adult, especially soft drinks, fried
foods, and snacks.
(Crespo CJ et al., 2019)Girls watching TV five or more hours per day consumed on average 175
kcal more than girls watching TV one hour or less. The prevalence of obesity was also shown to
be higher in a group of adult who watched television for more hours per day.

(Matheson DM et al., 2019)It is possible that children who are given opportunities to eat while
watching TV may become less sensitive to the internal satiety signals and thus continue eating
throughout the whole TV programmed. Moreover, watching TV is an opportunity to follow all
the advertisements of highly processed foods rich in fat and sugars.

(Folta SC, et al., 2019) Which are usually broadcasted during programs intended for children.

(Borzekowski DL et al., 2019)It has been proven that the adults who are exposed to food
advertisements are more likely to consume them

(Wang Y et al., 2019)Additionally, who are eating while watching TV are less willing to eat
fruits and vegetables. As eating in front of the TV screen favors consuming high amount of
calorie dense foods, it is advisable to eliminate this eating behavior as a preventive strategy
against the development of obesity

(Ma Y, Bertone ER et al., 2020) Skipping breakfast is regrettably one of most frequent improper
eating behavior. People who regularly skipped breakfast had 4.5 times higher risk of obesity than
those who regularly ate breakfast.

(Vanelli M et al., 2020) Adults usually skip breakfasts due to lack of time and not being hungry.
Very often the lack of appetite in the morning is caused by eating a snack just before going to
bed. Consuming breakfast regularly has a positive influence on body mass as well as on child’s
concentration, memory and school achievements. Eating breakfast helps to stabilize the blood
sugar levels, especially in the morning when the child is very active.

(Resnicow K et al., 2020) Moreover, both the presence of breakfast and type of breakfast
influence serum lipids. It has been also shown that children and adolescents who skipped
breakfast had higher levels of cholesterol compared to those who didn’t. Participants who ate
breakfast rich in fats (meat and eggs) had higher cholesterol level than those who ate breakfast
rich in carbohydrates (cereals).
Chapter 3 Materials and Methods

3.1. Study Design:

A cross-sectional study will be conducted from May to June 2021. The study participants
will be 18-30 age group adults.

3.2. Study Sample:

A total Sample of 30 population will be analyzed. Study will be conducted through online
questionnaire.

3.3. Test subject

Males and females of different ages were selected for the study

3.4. Data Collection Procedure

Data collection will be conducted through online survey. Different social media sites
(Facebook, whatsapp etc.) will be used in this survey. Participants will be asked to fill the
questionnaire

3.5. Questionnaire:

The structured questionnaire is divided into three different section: general data
(including age, gender, information on region and province of residence, level of education, and
cohabitation situation at home), anthropometrics information (including 2 questions reported as
weight and height), lifestyle, eating habits changes, psychological and emotional aspects caused
by the social isolation during the pandemic period.
Questionnaire
Chapter 4 Survey Result
Chapter 5 Conclusion

5.1 Eating Large Amounts Of Processed Or Fast Food

Most of the fast food contains a large amount of sugar, fats and carbs and less minerals and
vitamins. This means that you are taking in large amount of unhealthy calories in the shape of
fast food which leads to weight gain and ultimately obesity. Most of the fast foods have
exceeding levels of sugar and fats which are directly associated with increasing weight.

5.2 Eating Out A Lot

Consumption of food eaten away from home has also risen alarmingly. It is well known that
eating out may lead to excess calorie intake and increases the risk of obesity because of large
portion sizes and increased energy density of foods.
5.3 Eating Larger Portions Than You Need

Can affect weight by providing an excess of calories for the body at one time, larger food portion
can also result in overeating or a higher daily intake

5.4 Drinking Too Many Sugary Drinks

May help to contribute to obesity because these beverages are high added sugar and incomplete
composition of total energy

5.5 Comfort Eating

When food is eaten to satisfy one's feelings instead of satisfying hunger, it

might result in emotional eating, which increases the risk of obesity.
Chapter 6 Recommendation
Eat Right Number of Calories
Balancing the energy you put into your body with the energy you use. The amount of calories
people eat and drink has a direct impact on their weight: Consume the same number of calories
that the body burns over time, and weight stays stable. Consume more than the body burns,
weight goes up. Less, weight goes down.

Eat More Servings Of Vegetables, Fruits And Whole Grain

Filling your plate vegies and fruit can help keep the calories reasonable and reduce the risk of
overeating.

Focus On Eating Low–Glycemic Index Foods

GI is a scale used to measure how quickly a food item raise your blood focus on low glycemic
index can help keep blood sugar level steadier .Keeping your blood glucose level steady help
with weight management.

Stop Eating Fast Food And Sugary Food

Because these food are high in fat, salt and sugar which can encourage overeating.

Limit Sugared Beverages

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is high in many parts of the world and is suggestive of
poor dietary quality, as sugar-sweetened beverages contain sugars such as sucrose or fructose,
often in large amounts, which contribute to the overall energy density of diets. The calories
provided by sugar-sweetened beverages have little nutritional value and may not provide the
same feeling of fullness that solid food provides. As a result, total energy intake may increase
which can lead to unhealthy weight gain

Engage In Regular Physical Activity

Can help them to stay in energy balance. Physical activity increases people’s total energy
expenditure, which can help them stay in energy balance or even lose weight, as long as they
don’t eat more to compensate for the extra calories they burn. Physical activity decreases fat
around the waist and total body fat, slowing the development of abdominal obesity.
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