PERCEPTION OF UNDERGRADUATES TOWARDS OBESITY AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Obesity is spreading at an alarming rate all across the world. It is believed that there are over 300 million obese persons worldwide today. Obesity is described as an excess of body fat that is related with a wide range of debilitating and life-threatening illnesses. Obesity is one of the world's most serious health risks, according to the World Health Organization (2018). Obesity, according to most experts, Latner and Stunkard (2000), is a result of persistent energy imbalance.

Obesity is becoming more common in various regions of the world, including Nigeria, impacting men, women, and children. Different treatment options for this ailment have been developed in many parts of the world, including Nigeria. Pharmacotherapy, physical exercise, nutrition, and surgery are some of these treatments. Body weight is a major factor of health and illness, and both obesity and underweight have been linked to disease. Obesity has been linked to a number of noncommunicable illnesses, including hypertension, diabetes, and lipid disorders, as well as increased morbidity and mortality in adults, according to WHO (2013). There is a concerning trend in Nigeria toward increased obesity (Treblay & Wilms, 2022).

This has been related to the so-called nutritional shift in emerging nations. Flegal and Carol (2018) discovered that a double burden of obesity (suggesting over-nutrition) on the one hand and underweight (suggesting under-nutrition) on the other is not uncommon in developing nations.

Many nations have launched local and national public health efforts to improve physical activity and minimize calorie intake (Tremblay & Wilms, 2022). Care must be taken to ensure that the target of such initiatives to reduce overweight and obese levels is a realistic and healthy body weight (Flegal & Carol, 2018). This is especially crucial to avoid an increase in weight concern and constrained eating when the number of initiatives targeted at improving activity levels and lowering excessive food consumption increases.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Studies addressing perspectives of pediatric obesity and its prevention have been conducted very recently, and the evaluation of the opinions and attitudes of the general population regarding obesity is quite new. As established by Adesoji (2018), there are not many studies that record the opinions of the general population (especially in the Nigeria), particularly in regard to the obesity pandemic that affects adults and children, as well as the strategies for prevention and management. There is a growing epidemic of students who are overweight or obese in Nigerian institutions, and the majority of these individuals are undergraduates. The prevalence of obesity makes it a threat to public health; yet, a review of the relevant literature revealed that several obesity and weight management solutions are currently being put into practice all over the world as a potential solution to this threat. A number of these approaches to weight control have been demonstrated to be ineffectual and to be fraught with a variety of dangerous side effects, some of which can be deadly. For this reason, it is essential for individuals to have access to correct information on methods of weight management and the risks associated with them. The purpose of this research is to determine what first-year students at the Faculty of Education already know about these tactics and how they evaluate them.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The broad objective of this study borders on perception of undergraduates towards obesity and weight management strategies and its effectiveness in tertiary institution. Other specific objectives includes:

i.          To investigate students’ views regarding the use of diet as an effective weight management strategy

ii.        To describe students’ knowledge regarding the use of physical activity as an effective weight management strategy

iii.      To describe students’ views  regarding o pharmacotherapy (the use of drug) as an effective weight management strategy.

iv.      To describe determinants of support for the use of surgery as an effective weight management strategy.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions will be answered in this study.

i.          What are students’ views regarding the use of diet as an effective weight management strategy?

ii.        What is the depth of students’ knowledge regarding the use of physical activity as an effective weight management strategy?

iii.      What are students’ views  regarding o pharmacotherapy (the use of drug) as an effective weight management strategy?

iv.      Does undergraduate support the use of surgery as an effective weight management strategy?                                                                                

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is hoped that curriculum planners and school administrators may be better equipped to include knowledge about obesity and weight management strategy in the curriculum to all students by considering such information when making curricular, pedagogical or program decisions. The findings of this research may serve as a basis for research work in the area of obesity and weight management strategy thus provide data base for further research reference material to scholars who wishes to conduct further studies in related field.

1.6   SCOPE OF STUDY

This scope of this study borders on perception of undergraduates towards obesity and weight management strategies and its effectiveness in tertiary institution. . The study is however delimited to  University of Benin,  in Edo State.

1.7LIMITATION OF STUDY

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering undergraduates of University of Benin,  in Edo State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other private schools in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Obesity: is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health.

Pharmacotherapy: is the treatment of obesity through the administration of drugs.

Diet: modifying a healthful food intake.

Physical activity: is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that require energy expenditure.

Surgery: the branch of medicine that treats diseases, injuries, and deformities by manual or operative method. e.g gastro bypass surgery.

Weight management: involves various methods of keeping body weight at a healthy level.

Strategy: practice necessary to keep one’s weight at a healthy level.

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