Association between Eating Habits and Body Mass Index in a Sample of Medical College Students in Wasit University

The prevalence of overweigh and obesity is increasing worldwide, patterns and habit of eating in terms of frequency and timing of eating have been shown to be important factors affect the body mass index (BMI) of individuals. The objective of this study to assess the nutritional status of group of Iraqi medical college students in Wasit, and to assess their eating habits and behavior to find the association between their eating habits and bMI. Therefore, 320 students of both genders were recruited. Students with chronic diseases were excluded. Data collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire collecting the demographic and the eating habits data. Findings revealed that 60.3% of the students had normal BMI, 15% overweight and only 3.1% were obese.. Eating snacks frequently, Red meat, Fried food, Processed food Sweets and consumption of beverages are associated with larger bMI of the students while eating with the family, taking the breakfast, and lower number of meals were significantly associated with lower BMI. In conclusion BMI of the medical college students in Wasit was affected by their eating habits