Study on the status in body weight loss practice according to age and gender of subjects with experiences of attempting to lose weight in Seoul

Among current health-related problems, the issue of over-weight is considered one of the most important, fostering a national interest in body weight loss. In this study, an awareness of one's current body weight and previous experiences of body weight loss were analyzed according to age and gender. The subjects of the study were 720 people (male: 360 and female: 360) aged 10∼60 years with previous experiences of attempting to lose weight 1 year prior to this study. Anthropometrics, general characteristics, awareness of one's current body weight, and the body weight loss practice were analyzed through a questionnaire. Approximately 73.2% of the subjects recognized themselves as obese, and 83.5% wished to lose weight. The older the subjects were, the frequency of attempting to lose weight was lower, and those who succeeded in losing weight maintained their reduced body weight for a longer period. Compared to male subjects, more female reported attempts of losing weight, but the period of maintaining their reduced weight was shorter. The older subjects reported a higher satisfaction rate of the weight loss methods they used, and few of them gained back the weight they lost. This phenomenon was especially more stronger among male than female subjects. From our studies, it may be concluded that attitudes concerning a person's current body weight and body weight loss practice vary according to age and gender.