| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2018 | Volume
: 2
| Issue : 2 | Page : 47-52 |
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Diet and exercise among students of a WellReputed Dental College in Chennai: A questionnaire-based survey
PK Uma, Pratibha Ramani, Herald J Sherlin, S Gheena, Abilasha Ramasubramanian, KR Don, Gifrina Jayaraj, Archana Santhanam
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Saveetha Institute of Technical and Medical Sciences, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Correspondence Address:
P K Uma
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Saveetha Institute of Technical and Medical Sciences, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijofb.ijofb_1_19
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Background: With the busy lifestyle, there is little or no time to look after oneself, both physically and mentally. A balanced diet along with a healthy diet and regular physical exercise can help us combat various nutrition problems andachieve healthy weight goals. Obesity has become one among us. It is one of the most omnipresent, chronic diseases in need of new better strategies for prevention. Children are equipped with smartphones which makes them less active physically. It is the need of the day to have a check on the lifestyle of students, especially in the professional field, since everyday is tedious, and this is the time where tend to inculcate good or bad eating and exercising habits. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the diet and exercise pattern of students of a well-reputed dental college. Materials and Methods: A structured questionnaire was prepared and given to the dental students of a reputed institution in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The study was conducted from October 2016 to January 2017. A total of 197 responses were obtained. The obtained data were tabulated and analyzed. Results: This study showed that the diet and exercise habits of the students in majority are not very healthy. 36% of students had their breakfast on time, 42% had their lunch on time, and 51% had their dinner on time. 22.84% always ate more when stressed. A total of 54.3% had the habit of snackingduring studying, 52.1% when they were bored, 34% at parties, and 7.4% due to other reasons which were not stated. Nearly 50% of them exercise 0–1 time/week with light intensity exercises such as walking. A majority of 66.7% did not have the habit even before joining the college. With regard to the level of intensity, 33.3% of them did light workout, and 42% did moderate workout and 7% had the habit of doing heavy workout. The reason for exercising was mainly to maintain or lose weight (45%). 29% for general health, 14% for enjoyment, 9% stated that they worked out to relieve stress, and 3% for other reasons. Conclusion: This study concludes that the students, if given enough guidance, will be able to choose proper diet and exercise patterns, maintain good fitness and follow it regularly. This will prevent obesity and thus, in turn, various chronic diseases.
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