ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effects of nutrition education focused on personalized daily energy requirement and food units using Food Exchange System on anthropometric, biochemical characteristics, nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude and nutrient intakes for overweight and obese in a public health center. METHODS: The subjects were 60 overweight/obese women based on BMI (educated 30 vs. noneducated 30, 50~64 years). Educated group was provided individual and/or group lessons (40 min/ lesson/week, 5 week), ‘Introduction: obese & health’, ‘6 nutrients and 6 food groups’, ‘My obesity & daily needed energy’, ‘Meal planning for personalized daily energy and food units using Food Exchange Systems’, and ‘Smart food choices’. After education, we examined the differences in anthropometric/biochemical characteristics, nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude and nutrient intakes between educated group and non-educated group. RESULTS: After nutrition education, in the educated group, there were improvements on anthropometric/biochemical characteristics, nutrition knowledge, dietary attitude and nutrient intakes in the educated group compared to the non-educated group. We observed a decrease in the mean weight, total cholesterol (TC) and the incidence of overweight/obesity and hypercholesterolemia and an increase in the mean lean body mass. The scores of nutrition knowledge, ‘Function of carbohydrate, protein, vitamin, mineral’ and ‘Food Sources of fat, vitamin, mineral’ were increased. The scores of dietary attitudes, ‘Taking a joyful meal, a leisurely meal, a balanced meal, a meal with sufficient vegetables, a meal with diversity, a meal with spicy foods, a meal with overeating’ were increased. The intakes of energy, carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamin A, thiamin, Zn and cholesterol were decreased. The scores of INQ, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, Ca, P, Fe, Zn were increased. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition education focused on personalized daily energy requirement and food exchange unit using Food Exchange System for overweight and obese may improve food behavior, dietary intakes and symptoms of overweight and obese, even in a community health center.