1Senior Lecturer, Unit of Biochemistry, AIMST University, Semeling, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia
2Senior Associate Professor, AIMST University, Semeling, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia
3Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, SABA University School of Medicine, Saba, Dutch Caribbean
4Lecturer, Unit of Pharmacology, AIMST University, Semeling, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia
Email id: *veebhas@hotmail.com
Online published on 28 August, 2014.
The objective of this study was to motivate students to increase physical activity and incorporate healthy eating habits as a way to maintain ideal body weight by means of a reward.
Weight, height and body mass index of 11 students who volunteered to participate in the weight loss challenge were recorded every fortnight for 2 months and finally after 4 months.
A significant weight loss was seen from the beginning of the study up to the weight measured every fortnight for 2 months during the weight loss challenge (P<0.05 for first-second, second-third and third-fourth body weights measured) when they were motivated by a reward. However, no significant weight loss was seen after 4 months, rather most of the students gained weight when they were no more in the challenge and they did not have any motivation to lose weight.
The study concludes that students who barely have any time for physical activity attempted to lose weight by exercise, incorporated healthy dietary habits and maintained ideal body weight when motivated by a reward.
BMI, Dietary restriction, Height, Physical activity, Weight
