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Weight Perceptions, Weight Control Practices and Prevalence of Obesity among Adolescent Girls

Ramesh Kubanaik, and Pavan Kumar K.

Adolescents becoming over conscious of their body image and exhibiting strange eating behaviors is no longer a myth but a harsh reality. False preoccupation about the body has become a major concern since it has led to several unhealthy dietary practices. It has been reported that adolescent girls feeling overweight were more likely to engage in unhealthy weight control practices than those who reported feeling that they were of normal weight or underweight. A cross sectional study was conducted among 150 adolescent girls aged 17 -19 years at polytechnic college of Bellary. A pretested semi structured questionnaire was used as a study tool. Anthropometric measurements like weight and height were recorded using standard techniques. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and was analysed using SPSS. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 22%. 80% of subjects had false perception about their body weight. There was a distinct difference between actual and perceived weight. Body weight perception and dissatisfaction are correlates for weight control practices. Overweight adolescents should be better informed and empowered to follow recommended weight loss strategies.