Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
17. Nutrition Education for a Group of Overweight and Obese Girls and its Effect
on Body Weight (1995)
Manal Ghalib Qadri\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Hamed R. Takruri
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Sa1ma K. Tukan
The effect of nutrition education on the weight of obese female students aged 16-
22 years was studied. The study extended over a 24 week period which was divided
into 2 stages: The nutrition education stage (the first 12 weeks) and the follow-up stage
(the second 12 weeks).
Nutrition education for weight reduction was performed by two different
methods: a nutrition leaflet alone, or the combination of the leaflet with individual
counseling.
Stepwise energy restriction, based on a balanced diet, was applied: The first step
provided 75% of individual energy requirements, and the second step provided 65% of
individual energy requirements. The later step was not made until slowing down of
weight loss was reached. An overall weight loss was achieved at week 12 with
significant differences between the group on nutrition education through the leaflet
alone (-1.5kg ± 0.59) and that given the leaflet combined with individual counseling (
4.3 kg ± 0.83).
The reduction in the rate of weight loss due to adaptive metabolic changes was
overcome by the second 5% energy restriction; this was especially true among subjects
who complied to the program.
At follow-up, weight was gained by subjects who received individual counseling
after the break of communication with the nutrition counselor (-3.0±1.02 from initial),
whereas weight continued to be lost among the group who received the leaflet alone (-
1.9±0.76 from initial). This would indicate a more lasting effect of the leaflet.
Waist, hip and mid-upper arm circumferences showed statistical changes
concurrent with weight changes, but fat percent, as estimated from skinfold
measurements, did not indicate weight loss unless the loss reaches a certain point.
It is concluded that nutrition education can he successfully done by well-studied
simplified leaflets however, in order to obtain more tangible results, individual
counseling is preferred. In addition, it seems that the use of body circumferences for
monitoring changes in weight are better than the use of body fat percent, as the
circumferences were more sensitive to minor changes in body weight, than fat percent.
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Volume 163 11, No. 25, 2011