USAF Food Habits Study. Part 3. Weight Gain and Food Preferences of the Overweight

Abstract

Abstract : Based upon self-reported descriptions and using the height-weight tables of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, a sample of Air Force enlisted personnel, broken down by race and sex, were classified as either overweight (OW), average weight (AW), or underweight (UW), and weights upon entrance into the service were compared with weights after entrance into the service. Further, food preferences were assessed. The majority of the male respondents were OW while the majority of female respondents were AW, and more females than males were concerned about their weight. Approximately 25% of the OW males became OW within the first 2 years of service, and OW respondents with a meal card tended to have gained more weight than OW respondents without a card. Meat items were among the high preference foods of the OW while fruits were among the high preference foods of the AW and UW. Seventeen of the foods for which significant preference differences were obtained were preferred more by the OW than the UW, and 13 of these were meat or entree items. Overweight females as well as OW males exhibited a greater preference than did the UW for meats and entrees. Overweight respondents also indicated a greater preference for low calorie soda. Other preference differences indicated that lighter weight respondents preferred fruits and desserts more than did the OW. Females were the most likely to report using dieting methods to lose weight.