Weight Management Practices, Food Choice Behaviors, and Physical Activity of Thai High School Students by Type of Body Dissatisfaction

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare food choices, physical activity, and weight management practices used by adolescents with different types of body dissatisfaction. Height, weight, body image perception, food choice behaviors, physical activity level, and weight management practices were obtained by questionnaire from high schools students in 9 schools in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Participants chose the figure that looked most like their current and ideal body using Stunkard's figure rating scale. Participants were categorized by the difference between current and ideal figures into no dissatisfaction (ND: n = 406), wanted bigger figure (BF: n = 539), or wanted thinner figure (TF: n= 1177) groups. The current BMI of the ND, BF, and TF groups were 19.4, 17.7, and 23.0 kg/m2, respectively. The TF group reported the highest use of weight management practices. The ND group reported higher use of weight management practices than the BF group but lower than the TF group. The top 3 weight management practices used by participants in the TF groups were to eat less food, less fat, and more fruits and vegetables. In the BF group, they reported using exercise, more protein, and lots of water to increase their muscle size. Physical activity was significantly lower in the TF group than the ND and BF groups. Overall food choice behaviors between the 3 groups were not significantly different, however, the BF group consumed soda and snacks more frequently than the ND and TF group. In conclusion, participants who wanted thinner figures had higher BMI, used more weight management practices, were less physically active, but had similar food choices as the participants who did not report body dissatisfaction.