EFFECTIVENESS OF A GROUP NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAM AS A STRATEGY FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY CONTROL

Abstract

This study was aimed at verifying the effectiveness of a group nutrition education program in improving the nutritional status of overweight/obese individuals who were assessed as participants in a multidisciplinary university extension project entitled "Interdisciplinary Treatment of Eating Disorders and Obesity - TITAO". The project is linked to a community university in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, who participated in the meetings. To check the effectiveness of the intervention, anthropometric variables (weight, height and waist circumference) were collected before and after the intervention. The sample consisted of 25 participants, predominantly females (92%), with a mean age of 49 years. After three months of participation in the project, it was found that 88% of the sample lost weight: 2 kg on average, and 96% of the sample had an average reduction of 3.5 cm in waist circumference. Health education and group nutritional counseling are effective strategies for weight loss, thus improving the participants' quality of life. DOI: 10.12957/demetra.2017.28677

Keywords

• sobrepeso, obesidade, perda de peso, educação alimentar e nutricional.sobrepeso. obesidade. perda de peso. educação alimentar e nutricional.