Published Paper Details:

Introduction: Body image can greatly impact a person's daily life and health. This study investigates the influence of desired body image on the pattern of food consumption among female students in selected tertiary institutions in Ogun state. Methods: A multistage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and eighty-seven (187) students from the selected schools. A pre-tested, structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-economic characteristics; a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to obtain the consumption pattern; and anthropometric measurements were taken using standard procedures. Data was analyzed using frequency counts, means, standard deviations, correlation, and Chi-Square. Results: It showed that 79.8% of the students wanted a thinner body, while 52.3% of the obese replied that they had tried dieting and 45.7% were afraid of becoming fat or even gaining a small amount of weight. However, 32.7% did engage in exercise to control weight, and 21.2% induced vomiting after meals. It also showed that 22.4% and 10.6% of the students were overweight and obese, respectively. The correlation revealed a significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics and BMI because age and lifestyle were significantly correlated with being overweight (r = 0.312) and obese (r = 0.201) respectively. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, there is a significant relationship between body image and the student's lifestyle. Hence, the study recommended that public health advice should not only centre on weight loss but also promote broader health and lifestyle messages for all people, regardless of body size and weight.