Graduate Program

Kinesiology and Sports Studies

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2007

Thesis Director

Unknown

Thesis Committee Member

Unknown

Thesis Committee Member

Unknown

Abstract

Childhood obesity is becoming a more serious problem as time goes by. A large part of the problem is adolescent children are less active, have poor eating habits, and have negative feelings regarding their body shape. PURPOSE: In order to identify those factors most closely associated with obesity. This study compared the eating patterns, activity patterns, and social physique anxiety in non-obese to over weight and obese adolescent females. Also, this study investigated the relationships between eating patterns, activity patterns, and social physique anxiety to body mass index in adolescent females in order to identify those factors most closely associated with obesity. METHODS: Forty students in either a health class or a physical education class in two rural central Illinois communities had their BMI measured and were classified as either obese or non-obese students. A survey that included questions about the students eating habits, exercise habits, along with how long they watch television, play video games, and play games on the computer per day, as well as questions to determine the subject's level of social physique anxiety (SPA) was given to all subjects. RESULTS: The one significant relationship was between BMI and the consumption of cans of diet soda. This relationship could be present because the subjects could have realized that they were overweight/obese and were trying to lose weight so therefore they started consuming more diet soda rather than the calorie laden regular soda. There were no significant differences in these variables between normal weight subjects and those categorized as overweight/obese based upon BMІ.

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