Weight loss behaviour and its perceived barriers: Findings from in-depth interviews with overweight adolescents
Unhealthy weight loss behaviors among adolescents such as maladaptive eating to be thin and practicing dietary restrain has become a significant public health concern. These harmful ways in losing weight may cause disturbance in adolescent’s physical growth, cognitive development and social we...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nutrition Society of Malaysia
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/62248/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/62248/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/62248/7/62248-Weight%20loss%20behaviour.pdf |
| Summary: | Unhealthy weight loss behaviors among
adolescents such as maladaptive eating to be
thin and practicing dietary restrain has become a
significant public health concern. These harmful
ways in losing weight may cause disturbance
in adolescent’s physical growth, cognitive
development and social well-being. Therefore, this
qualitative study aimed to explore the weight loss
behavior among 33 overweight adolescent males
(N = 15) and females (N = 18). Based on a thematic
analysis on data from in-depth interviews, the
present study found that adolescents engaged
in various types of weight loss behaviour and
these include attempts at dieting, engaging
in physical activity and consuming slimming
products. Even though overweight adolescents
believe that a combination of balanced diet and
exercise are the pivotal keys to effective weight
reduction and lead to a healthy lifestyle, they
were more likely to involve in dieting compared
to any other approaches, particularly engaging
in skipping meals. However, their preferences
of weight loss behaviour are influenced by
sources of information obtained from the family members and the media, parents modelling in
eating pattern, and are limited by some of the
barriers that include laziness, desire for foods
and inconvenience to exercise. Weight reduction
intervention targeting overweight adolescents is
therefore urgently required. |
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