Weight-related Problems Research Articles

Energy drinks and waterpipe smoking associated with disordered eating habits among male Palestinian refugees

This cross-sectional study highlights the concerning relationship between stimulants, alcohol use, and weight-related problems among Palestinian refugee men in the West Bank. Self-administered questionnaires were used to gather data on stimulants and alcohol use and eating attitudes and behaviors (EAT-26). The findings revealed that many refugee men were daily cigarette (61.4%) and waterpipe smokers (15.5%), while 30.6% and 2.3% were daily energy drink and alcohol users, respectively. Moreover, most refugee men (67.3%) were obese, and 23.5% were terrified about being obese. They had disordered eating habits, including the impulse to vomit after meals (63.3%). Moreover, 30.7% scored ≥20 using EAT-26 scale, and 44.4% scored at least one positive behavior, including binge eating (40.4%), purging (10.0%), using laxatives or diet pills (8.3%), excessive exercise (30.9%), and losing weight (24.6%). The results of the adjusted binary logistic regression indicated that risk factors associated with self-induced vomiting were daily (OR = 2.71, p-value = 0.004) and weekly energy drink intake (OR = 2.41, p-value = 0.023), weekly alcohol intake (OR = 10.83, p-value = 0.036), and obesity (OR = 2.57, p-value = 0.002), while inversely associated with weekly waterpipe smoking (OR = 0.297, p-value = 0.007). Obesity was inversely associated with daily (OR = 0.146, p-value < 0.01) and weekly waterpipe smoking (OR = 0.259, p-value = 0.002), and weekly cigarette smoking (OR = 0.251, p-value < 0.01). The study underscores the urgent need for community awareness, professional evaluation, and treatment for obesity and disordered eating habits among Palestinian refugee men. It is essential to address the detrimental effects of alcohol and energy drink intake and tobacco smoking to improve the health outcomes of this vulnerable population.

Yoga for managing Anthropometric Measures in Adult Obese: A review based on RCTs

Excessive eating of energy-dense, nutrient less foods and inactive lifestyle has led to a pandemic of obesity worldwide. More than underweight, world’s population died due to overweight and obesity. There are many factors like stress, environmental pressure, sedentary lifestyle, genetic factors etc causes obesity. This review assesses the effectiveness of Yoga as an intervention for weight related problems and as a management strategy of obesity and its related symptoms. This review is specifically to evaluate the effect of Yoga program on various anthropometric measures related to overweight and obesity. This review conducted in wide range of databases including PubMed and Google scholar using key terms Yoga, obesity and overweight. Randomized control trials and experimental researches are included based on the relevance of this study. The study excluded inappropriate researches with no quantitative measures. Overall, the studies showed the Yoga program significantly effective as a therapy for managing obesity. For management and prevention of obesity there are very limited strategies having several adverse effects. Yoga has been used as an effective therapeutic tool to attain positive health and to enhance satisfaction towards own body. It gives a best means to attain full potential of individual’s body, mind and soul and plays a very considerable role in reducing anthropometric measures and body weight.

MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD PRESSURE AND BMI AMONG OVERWEIGHT, UNDERWEIGHT AND NORMAL WEIGHT MEDICAL STUDENTS OF AMU ALIGARH, U.P, INDIA: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: Hypertension is known as a silent killer. Early detection is the key to successful management and treatment of hypertension. In maximum studies, higher BMI has been associated with an increased risk of elevated blood pressure. Weight-related problems have been detected in various university students in earlier studies. Themedical students were found to be at a higher risk due to their sedentary lifestyle and other factors. The present study was undertaken to measure the blood pressure and BMI of undergraduate medical students and to detect the correlation between them.Methods: 230 undergraduate Unani medical students were enrolled in the current study, and their information was evaluated. The subsequent variables were measured: height (m), weight (kg), and BMI (kg/m2).Results: 68 males and 82 females had normal BMIs of 22.29 ± 2.03 and 21.50 ± 1.97 kg/m2, respectively (p = 0.001). 13.04% and 21.73% of participants were found to be overweight and underweight, respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of subjects in the normal weight category were determined to be 120.13 ± 7.53/ 79.71 ± 4.17 respectively in males and 112.80±5.76/75.54±5.34 females (p = 0.05). Students were found to be normotensive, pre- hypertensive, and hypertensive in males 66.66%, 27.77%, and 5.55% and 75.71%, 21.42% and 2.85% of female cases, respectively. Both in males and females, a significant positive correlation of BMI was discovered with SBP and DBP. In the current survey, a higher percentage of men (5.55%) were determined to be obese as compared to women (2.85%).Conclusion: There are weight-related concerns and associated complications like elevated blood pressure in medical students having elevated levels of BMI.

"But without Therapeutic Support, I wouldn't Succeed" - Exploration of Subjective Experiences of People with Mental Illness Regarding Support with Diet-Related Problems

In this study we explored the subjective experiences and needs of people with severe mental illness regarding dietary and weight-related support within routine care. For this purpose, a total of 16 interviews with adults living with mental illness were conducted in Ulm (Germany) and Graz (Austria) using a semi-structured topic guide and were analysed in a qualitative approach. Several participants criticized the limited support by professionals regarding diet- and weight-related problems and wished for greater awareness of these issues in mental health care. The implementation of health-promoting services in mental health care is important to ensure needs-oriented care from the patients' point of view. Interdisciplinary care concepts could be used to share responsibilities among several professional groups.

Body Mass Index Categories of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth: Clinical Associations and Predictors.

Background: Transgender/gender diverse (TGD) youth are at risk for weight-related problems. We describe factors associated with their body mass index (BMI) category. Methods: Chart review of 228 TGD patients, 12-20 years (u = 15.7, standard deviation 1.3), 72% female assigned at birth. BMI percentile was calculated using CDC growth charts. We examined bivariate relationships of 18 clinically derived factors, utilizing analysis of variance (ANOVA) for continuous variables and chi-squared/Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Nonparametric Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analyses were used to predict BMI category. Results: Almost half (49.6%) of TGD youth presenting for their initial visit for pediatric gender-affirming care fell in the healthy weight range, 4.4% in the underweight range, 16.7% in the overweight range, and 29.4% in the obese range. Self-described weight, weight management intentions, unhealthy weight management, prescription of psychiatric medications, and medications associated with weight gain were associated with BMI category. Use of psychiatric medications (54.8%) and medications associated with weight gain (39.5%) was associated with BMI in the overweight/obese categories. Youth with obesity most often reported unhealthy weight management. In CART models, self-described weight was the strongest predictor of BMI category. Conclusion: TGD youth have high rates of underweight and overweight/obesity. Unhealthy BMI should be treated as part of gender-affirming care. Self-described body weight is associated with weight category. More than half of TGD youth were prescribed psychiatric medications; those with overweight and obesity were more likely prescribed psychiatric and medications with associated weight gain. Youth with obesity were most likely to use unhealthy weight management.

Associations of Psychological Inflexibility with Exercise Self-Efficacy and Fatigue Severity among Individuals Seeking Treatment for Weight-Related Behaviors.

Rates of obesity are continuing to rise, contributing to several negative health outcomes and economic burden. Past work suggests that individuals with greater body mass index (BMI) are more likely to report feeling fatigue and are less likely to follow an exercise regimen, which may lead to weight-related problems. Psychological inflexibility, a rigid thinking style in which individuals attempt to over-control psychological reactions to discomfort, may be an underrecognized explanatory factor underlying greater fatigue and lower rates of exercise among individuals with weight-related concerns. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between psychological inflexibility and both exercise self-efficacy and fatigue severity among adults seeking treatment for weight-related behaviors. The current study is a secondary analysis and included 162 treatment-seeking adults who attended a baseline appointment for a larger randomized-controlled trial for weight-related behaviors. Results indicated that greater psychological inflexibility was significantly related to greater fatigue severity and lower exercise self-efficacy. These results provide initial empirical evidence that psychological inflexibility may be an important individual difference factor in terms of fatigue and exercise beliefs among adults seeking treatment for weight-related behaviors.

Cancer-Related Fatigue and Daily Living Activities in Pediatric Cancer Survivors.

Cancer-related long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, fatigue, weight-related problems, and emotional disturbances are found to be increased in pediatric cancer survivors (PCSs). The relationship between daily living activities (DLAs) and such complications is still being investigated. Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship between the cancer-related fatigue and DLA in PCS. Cancer-related fatigue was assessed by "PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS)" and "visual analog scale (VAS)." The DLA was evaluated by WeeFIM. There were 77 PCS (44 boys) with a mean age of 10.76 years. The mean value of fatigue scales were VAS 2.48, and MFS total score 71.14. WeeFIM total result was 118.64. While there was a statistically significant relationship between VAS fatigue score and WeeFIM total score ( r=- 0.387; P =0.007), there was no such correlation between WeeFIM total score with MFS total score ( r =0.250; P =0.080). It is established that there is a relationship between level of fatigue and DLA. Risk factors like tumor type or treatment modalities for fatigue should be investigated in larger samples of specific survivor groups. Fatigue and its association with DLA should be screened clinically as a routine surveillance in PCS and treatment options be planned.

Assessing parents\u2019 self-efficacy to handle child obesity-related behaviors: validation of the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist in Iran

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to validate the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist (LBC) questionnaire, to measure Iranian parents' perceptions of their children's weight-related behaviors and their self-efficacy in dealing with those behaviors.MethodsThe LBC was translated into Farsi. Face and content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by an expert panel. A total of 213 mothers of 3–12-year-old children responded to the questionnaire. Criterion validity of the questionnaire was evaluated through comparing its result with a parenting style questionnaire. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were used to evaluate construct validity of the questionnaire. Reproducibility was measured by twice administration of LBC, one month apart and using Spearman's rho correlation test. The questionnaire's internal consistency was assessed by calculating Cronbach's α.ResultsLBC Problem scale was significantly correlated with authoritarian parenting style score, while the Confidence scale was significantly correlated with authoritative and negatively with permissive and authoritarian parenting styles. PCA suggested a six-factor construct, including, fussy eating, food-related problem behaviors, overeating behaviors, low interest in physical activity, poor self-image and sedentary behaviors. The results of CFA indicated acceptable fit indices for the proposed models. Both, Problem scale (Cronbach's α = 0.8) and Confidence scale (Cronbach's α = 0.95) had high internal consistency. Spearman correlation coefficients indicated acceptable reproducibility for both the Problem scale (r = 0.74) and the Confidence scale (r = 0.70).ConclusionsThe Farsi version of LBC questionnaire is reliable and reasonably valid to measure Iranian mothers' perception of their children's weight-related problem behavior.

The Effects of Diaphragmatic Mobilization Techniques on Respiratory Functions, Sleep Quality, Anxiety and Depression in Persons: Application in Obese Persons

Aim: The effects of mobilization approaches in weight-related respiratory problems in people diagnosed with obesity are not clearly known. In this study, the effects of dia-phragmatic mobilization methods on respiratory functions, fatigue, sleep quality, anxiety and depression in obese individuals were emphasized. Methods: Within the scope of our study, people aged between 18-65 years and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 and above were included in the process, sociodemographic information was recorded, and randomized diaphragmatic mobilization group (n=20) and control group (n=20) were included. The study was continued by dividing into two groups. Diaphragmatic mobilization approaches (diaphragmatic translation technique, di-aphragm stretching technique, diaphragm eight technique) were applied to the treated group for an average of 15-20 minutes, 2 sessions per week, for a total of 4 weeks. No effects were seen in obese subjects in the control group. Necessary evaluations were made within the group before and after the study. Result: In the comparison of the difference values of both groups within the scope of our study, spirometric measurements were FEF (25-75%), MVV (%), (L) parameters, respir-atory muscle strength measurement in all parameters, fatigue, sleep quality, depression, SF-36; A statistically significant difference was found in physical function and energy sub-parameters (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: As a result, it has been seen that diaphragm mobilization techniques are a safe and feasible approach that can improve the respiratory functions, sleep and quality of life of obese individuals and minimize the symptoms of fatigue. Summary Statement What is already known about this topic? • Respiratory functions, sleep and quality of life of obese individuals are not good and they experience fatigue very often. What this paper adds? • Demonstrated the effect of diaphragm mobilization techniques. The implications of this paper: • As a result, it has been revealed that diaphragm mobilization techniques are a good indication in obese individuals.

Obesity years: clinical variation by age pre/post biliopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch (BPD/DS)

Objective: To identify clinical variation by age, pre/post BPD/DS. Methods: 1673 BPD/DS patients from the Surgical Review Corporation’s BOLD database were analyzed retrospectively by age: &lt;30(177), 30-40(456), 40-50(486), 50-60(407), 60-70(138), &gt;70(9). Data: Demographics, BMI and 33 obesity co-morbidities. Statistics: ANOVA and General Linear Models including pre- and post-operative data modified for binomial distribution of dichotomous variables. Results: Pre-op BMI varied inversely by age and continued through to 12 months post operatively. Gout varied directly and tobacco abuse inversely by age at baseline. The incidence of 12 of the 33 obesity-co-morbidities increased directly with age up to 12 months post operatively. In &gt;60 patients, angina, MS pain, LEE and SUI increased from baseline after undergoing BPD/DS. Conclusion: Despite lower pre-operative and 12-month BMI in older BPD/DS patients, baseline co-morbidities varied directly with age, and post-operative resolution of 12 weight-related problems was inversely proportional to age. Only diabetes resolved better among older patients. These findings suggest the concept of “obesity years”, wherein patients carrying obesity the longest accumulate more co-morbidities and resolve them less.

PAAUGLIŲ KŪNO FIZINĖS SANDAROS ĮSIVERTINIMAS

The article highlights that a modern society focuses on exclusive body care along with appearance of individuals and especially adolescents. Physical exterior of a person seems to be receiving an increasingly growing attention in everyday life situations, as beauty ideals shift in social environments along with requirements to comply with and pursue them. Research, analyzing body dissatisfaction, has received wide attention in a scholarly environment. Body related dissatisfaction has become a highly relevant issue, as it links to eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa and others, however there is a gap in research analyzing the pedagogical side of such issue. It is highly relevant to be aware of and understand body and body weight related problems because difficulties emerged during the early adolescence might persist during adulthood as well. Research aim – to reveal how adolescents perceive their physique and individual parts of their body and compare these self-assessments based on a gender. In 2012, using a research method of an anonymous survey a total of 1347 adolescents from 8th grades were surveyed. The research uses a questionnaire to study physique related self-assessment, designed by the author. Results obtained from the conducted research allow to conclude that research participants feel more dissatisfied with individual phenotype-dependent morphological and functional features of a body, which can be altered through well-chosen physical exercising. It was identified that research participants are more satisfied with individual morphological and functional features of a body, inherited from parents, i.e. genotype-dependent, which cannot be altered through exercising. Findings also reveal that respondents are mostly dissatisfied with shape, largeness and size of individual body parts as well as muscle weakness. Results also allow to conclude that significance attributed to certain elements of physique is gender-dependent.

Eating habits and sleep patterns of adolescents with depression symptoms in Mumbai, India.

Adolescents with depression engage in unhealthy eating habits and irregular sleep patterns and are often at an increased risk for weight‐related problems. Improvement in these lifestyle behaviours may help to prevent depression, but knowledge about the associations between depression, sleep, eating habits and body weight among adolescents in India is limited. This cross‐sectional study investigated the prevalence of depression and its association with sleep patterns, eating habits and body weight status among a convenience sample of 527 adolescents, ages 10–17 years in Mumbai, India. Participants completed a survey on sleep patterns such as sleep duration, daytime sleepiness and sleep problems and eating habits such as frequency of breakfast consumption, eating family meals and eating out. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire modified for Adolescents (PHQ‐A). Anthropometric measurements were also taken. Within this sample, 25% had moderate to severe depression (PHQ‐A ≥ 10) and 46% reported sleeping less than 6 h > thrice a week. Adolescents with moderate to severe depression had significantly higher body mass index than those with minimal depression (26.2 ± 6.6 vs. 20.2 ± 4.8 kg/m2). The odds of having clinically significant depression (PHQ‐A ≥ 10) was 4.5 times higher in adolescents who had family meals ≤ once a week, 1.6 times higher among those who were sleeping <6 h and 2.3 times higher among participants having trouble falling to sleep more than thrice a week. The findings indicated that a significant proportion of adolescents had depression symptoms; improving sleep and eating habits may present potential targets for interventions.

Assessing the Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions That Simultaneously Prevent High Body Mass Index and Eating Disorders.

Eating disorders (ED) are among the top three most common debilitating illnesses in adolescent females, while high Body Mass Index (BMI) is one of the five leading modifiable risk factors for preventable disease burden. The high prevalence of eating and weight-related problems in adolescence is of great concern, particularly since this is a period of rapid growth and development. Here, we comment on the current evidence for the prevention of EDs and high BMI and the importance of assessing the cost-effectiveness of interventions that integrate the prevention of EDs and high BMI in this population. There is evidence that there are effective interventions targeted at children, adolescents and young adults that can reduce the prevalence of risk factors associated with the development of EDs and high BMI concurrently. However, optimal decision-making for the health of younger generations involves considering the value for money of these effective interventions. Further research investigating the cost-effectiveness of potent and sustainable integrated preventive interventions for EDs and high BMI will provide decision makers with the necessary information to inform investment choices.

Universal prevention program of eating, weight and body image problems in adolescents: A 12-month follow-up.

In recent years, the broad spectrum of weight-related problems has increased considerably among both teenage boys and girls. This makes it fundamental to create programs that are more efficient. The objective of this study was to evaluate the short-, mid- and long-term efficacy of the current prevention program applied to 14-year-old teenagers. For this study, 73 girls and 83 boys were assigned to an experimental condition (n=156), while 68 girls and 84 boys were assigned to a control condition (n=152). We used a mixed 2 (control and experimental condition) x 3 (Time: post-test, 6 month-follow-up and 12- month-follow-up) factorial design. Those participants who belonged to the experimental condition exhibited significantly higher scores of body satisfaction, self-esteem, emotional repair and clarity, lower scores of self-oriented perfectionism, and internalization of thinness and ideal muscularity compared to the control group in post-intervention assessments and in both follow-ups. No statistically significant gender differences were found regarding the effectiveness of the program. Universal, ecological programs may be effective in reducing risk factors and/or maximizing protective factors, which could in turn reduce concerns about body image, eating and weight.

Contribution of executive functions to eating behaviours in obesity and eating disorders.

Patients with eating disorders (ED) or obesity show difficulties in tasks assessing decision-making, set-shifting abilities and central coherence. The aim of this study was to explore executive functions in eating and weight-related problems, ranging from restricting types of ED to obesity. Two hundred and eighty-eight female participants (75 with obesity; 149 with ED: 76 with restrictive eating, 73 with bingeing-purging symptoms; and 64 healthy controls) were administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Iowa Gambling Task, and the Group Embedded Figures Test to assess set-shifting, decision-making and central coherence, respectively. Participants with either obesity or ED performed poorly on tests measuring executive functioning compared with healthy controls, even after controlling for age and intelligence. Both participants with obesity and participants with ED showed a preference for global information processing. The findings suggest that treatments for obesity and ED would benefit from addressing difficulties in cognitive functioning, in addition to the more evident clinical symptoms related to eating, body weight and shape.

The Direct and Indirect Effects of Online Social Support, Neuroticism, and Web Content Internalization on the Drive for Thinness among Women Visiting Health-Oriented Websites.

One of the debates about media usage is the potential harmful effect that it has on body image and related eating disturbances because of its representations of the “ideal body”. This study focuses on the drive for thinness among the visitors of various health-oriented websites and online platforms because neither has yet been sufficiently studied in this context. Specifically, this study aims to bring more insight to the risk factors which can increase the drive for thinness in the users of these websites. We tested the presumption that web content internalization is a key factor in this process, and we considered the effects of selected individual factors, specifically the perceived online social support and neuroticism. We utilized survey data from 445 Czech women (aged 18–29, M = 23.5, SD = 3.1) who visited nutrition, weight loss, and exercise websites. The results showed a positive indirect link between both perceived online social support and neuroticism to the drive for thinness via web content internalization. The results are discussed with regard to the dual role of online support as both risk and protective factor. Moreover, we consider the practical implications for eating behavior and weight-related problems with regard to prevention and intervention.

Weight-Related Status and Associated Predictors with Psychological Well-being among First-Year University Students in Bangladesh: A Pilot Study

University students (especially first-years) not only have to cope with their academic curriculum but also issues such as being away from the home environment and living independently for the first time. Those who do not adapt quickly to these new conditions are likely to be susceptible to physical and psychological vulnerabilities. The present study surveyed first-year Bangladeshi undergraduate students to investigate their weight status (i.e., the prevalence of being normal weight, underweight, overweight, and obese) and the prevalence of depression and associated risk factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 404 first-year university students (aged 18–23 years) residing at a Bangladeshi university. The participants completed a survey examining socio-demographic and behavioral variables, alongside the WHO-5 Well-Being Index. Binary logistic regression was performed to determine significant associations between the variables under examination. Prevalence rates of being normal weight, underweight, overweight, and obese were 66.8%, 20.3%, 9.7%, and 3.2% respectively. Associated predictors of weight-related problems were being female and lack of physical exercise. The prevalence rate of depression was 68.1%. There were no significant gender differences and associated predictors of depression were lack of physical exercise, unsatisfactory sleep quality, excessive internet use, and excessive reading hours. Being underweight, overweight, or being obese alongside the prevalence of depression among first-year university students were high. Findings indicate that first-year university students are a vulnerable group for some physical and psychological problems. Findings recommend the need for intervention programs, alongside adequate and appropriate supportive services for first-year Bangladeshi university students.

Sex and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Suicidal Consideration and Suicide Attempts among US College Students, 2011-2015.

Objectives: In this study, we examined sex and racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence and predictors of suicide consideration and attempts among US college students. Methods: We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate suicide consideration and attempts by sex and race/ethnicity among students (N = 319,342) who completed the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment from fall 2011 to spring 2015. Results: Overall, the prevalence of suicide consideration and attempts was higher in spring 2015 than fall 2011 (p < .05). Men had higher odds of suicide consideration and attempts than women (p < .001). Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians had higher odds of suicide consideration and attempts compared with Whites (p < .001). Weight-related problems (unhealthy weight, body weight overestimation, and lack of physical activity), sleep problems (insufficient sleep and sleep difficulties), and lower levels of academic performance were associated with both suicide consideration and attempts (p < .05). Conclusions: Our findings indicate a need for sex- and race/ethnicity-specific suicide prevention strategies for college students, specifically men and racial/ethnic minority groups. Furthermore, appropriate weight and sleep management could be considered to help prevent suicide among US college students.

The Symptom-Checklist-K-9 (SCL-K-9) Discriminates between Overweight/Obese Patients with and without Significant Binge Eating Pathology: Psychometric Properties of an Italian Version.

A general personality and psychopathology evaluation is considered to be crucial part of the multidisciplinary assessment for weight-related problems. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) is commonly used to assess general psychopathology in both overweight and obese patients seeking weight-loss treatment. The main purpose of the present research was to investigate the psychometric properties of the brief form of the SCL-90-R (i.e., the SCL-K-9) in a clinical sample (N = 397) of patients seeking weight-loss treatment (i.e., bariatric surgery and a nutritional weight-loss program). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor solution of the SCL-K-9, with all nine items loading significantly on the common latent factor (lambdas ≥ 0.587). The ordinal α (= 0.91), the inter-item mean indices of correlation (rii = 0.53), and the convergent validity were also satisfactory. A receiver operating characteristic curves procedure showed that both SCL-90-R and SCL-K-9 were able to classify patients with and without significant binge eating pathology according to the Binge Eating Scale (BES) total score. Overall, our results suggest that the SCL-K-9 has adequate psychometric properties and can be applied as a short screening tool to assess general psychopathology in overweight/obese individuals seeking weight-loss treatment and at follow-up interviews when time restraints preclude the use of the full-length form.

A controlled study of an integrated prevention program for improving disordered eating and body image among Mexican university students: A 3-month follow-up.

Obesity and eating disorders are currently two significant health problems in Mexico. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an integrated prevention program on university students through an exploratory controlled study that targeted specific predisposing factors of disordered eating and obesity related to healthy eating, physical activity, body image satisfaction and perceived pressure to be thin. A total of 388 university students participated (264 females and 124 males) and were assigned either to an intervention condition or one of the two control conditions (study skills vs. nonintervention); each comprised of a total of eight workshops lasting 90min. The program did not have any effect on the male students. In contrast, there was an interaction effect for time and group in thin-ideal internalization (η2 =0.04) and in disordered eating attitudes/behaviours (η2 =0.03); both showed improvements over time only among the female sample. Though, the effect size was insignificant, which means that the effectiveness of this integrated prevention program was limited. Integrated prevention approaches to eating and weight-related problems are still nascent in Mexico, and further research in this field is warranted so as to fine tune future prevention programs.