Differences in Body Weight Perception Among Nutrition and Non-nutrition Students Enrolled in a General Nutrition Course at the University of Rhode Island

摘要

Research shows that students in healthcare fields have distorted perceptions of their bodies, specifically regarding their weight status. Nutrition majors are important to consider, given their future careers require them to assess others’ weight statuses and provide relevant diet recommendations. The main aims of this secondary analysis were to compare accuracy of nutrition versus non-nutrition majors’ body weight perception to their measured body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP). It was hypothesized that nutrition majors will more accurately classify their weight relative to their BMI and BFP compared to non-nutrition majors due to their knowledge of weight classifications.