The Effect of Nutrition Education on Weight Control in Male Workers by the Community Health Center

ABSTRACT

The principal objective of this study was to determine the importance of obesity management nutrition programs for obese male workers after performing a 10-week nutrition program and to compare changes in the obesity index, health behavior, meal intake, and blood constituents. The study subjects included 44 individuals, all without chronic disease. After the program, the weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist-hip ratio (WHR) of the subjects dropped. Dietary life behavior scores increased. In particular, more than 30% increases were detected in self-control of surfeit, control of eating speed, temperance, and regular exercise items. Total caloric intake and average drinking intake dropped. Though insignificant, systolic pressure, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and sGPT all dropped as compared to the levels measured prior to the program. Fasting blood sucrose, triglyceride, g-GTP, and atherogenic index dropped significantly. HDL-cholesterol, though insignificant, increased. As the result of examining correlations between the subjects' health life behavior, caloric intake, and improvement in obesity, we noted a significant correlation between self-control of surfeit and temperance in the health life behavior item, along with significant correlations among total calorie intake, surfeit percentage, and daily average drinking intake. These results demonstrated that nutrition program for obese workers performed at the Community Health Center had the effect of reducing obesity, improving health behavior, and improving clinical levels. Thus, it is advisable that obesity management programs be achieved, linking the center of local societies' health promotion projects, community health centers, and workplaces, and various programs should be developed to maintain and continue changes in workers' behaviors, such that the positive effects of improvement in obesity could be maintained, even after the program.