Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Kuwaiti adolescents and the perception of body weight by parents or friends

Objective Recently, the State of Kuwait has witnessed a steady rise in the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents. The present study aims to provide an update on the rate of overweight or obesity among Kuwaiti adolescents and examines the associations between adolescents’ overweight/obesity levels and their perception of body weight as seen by parents or friends. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kuwaiti secondary schools and included adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 years, using a multistage stratified random sampling method. Body weight and height were measured. A specifically designed self-report questionnaire was used to assess parents’ and friends’ perceptions of an adolescent’s body weight. Results A total of 706 adolescents were included the study. The prevalence of overweight or obesity among Kuwaiti adolescents reached nearly 50%, with males (54.3%) having a significantly higher overweight or obesity percentage than females (44.6%). No significant difference in the prevalence of obesity relative to age, from 15 to 18 years, was found. In addition, logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age and gender, revealed that adolescents perceived their parents (p = 0.011 and p < 0.001) or friends (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001) as more likely to classify their weight as overweight or obese, respectively. Conclusion Overweight or obesity levels appear to be high among Kuwaiti adolescents, and appears to have reached a plateau recently. Efforts to combat obesity and promote physical activity and healthy nutrition are needed. Future studies should seek to identify important moderators of parental and social underestimation/overestimation of children’s overweight or obesity.

Comment on “The association between carotenoids and subjects with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis” by N. Yao, S. Yan, Y. Guo, H. Wang, X. Li, L. Wang, W. Hu, B. Li and W. Cui, Food Funct., 2021, 12, 4768.

The association between carotenoids and subjects with overweight or obesity: reanalysis is needed.

Reply to the ‘Comment on “The association between carotenoids and subjects with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis”’ by N. Shokri-mashhadi and S. Saadat, Food Funct., 2021, 12, DOI: 10.1039/D1FO01617B

Here, we re-emphasise the purpose of the meta-analysis of the association between carotenoids and overweight individuals and respond to some of the points raised in the review of this work by Nafiseh Shokri-mashhadi et al.

Weight-based stereotype threat in the workplace: consequences for employees with overweight or obesity

Background/Objectives Employees with overweight or obesity are often stereotyped as lazy, unmotivated, and less competent than employees with normal weight. As a consequence, employees with overweight or obesity are susceptible to stereotype threat, or the concern about confirming, or being reduced to, a stereotype about their group. This survey study examined whether employees with overweight or obesity experience stereotype threat in the workplace, whether it is associated with their perceived ability to meet their work demands (i.e., work ability), and whether high levels of knowledge about one’s self (i.e., authentic self-awareness) can offset a potential negative association. Subjects/Methods Using a correlational study design, survey data were collected from N = 758 full-time employees at three measurement points across 3 months. Employees’ average body mass index (BMI) was 26.36 kg/m² (SD = 5.45); 34% of participants were employees with overweight (BMI between 25 and <30), and 18% of participants were employees with obesity (BMI > 30). Results Employees with higher weight and higher BMI reported more weight-based stereotype threat (rs between 0.17 and 0.19, p < 0.001). Employees who experienced higher levels of weight-based stereotype threat reported lower work ability, while controlling for weight, height, and subjective weight (β = −0.27, p < 0.001). Authentic self-awareness moderated the relationship between weight-based stereotype threat and work ability (β = 0.14, p < 0.001), such that the relationship between stereotype threat and work ability was negative among employees with low authentic self-awareness (β = −0.25, p < 0.001), and non-significant among employees with high authentic self-awareness (β = 0.08, p = 0.315). Conclusions The findings of this study contribute to the literature by showing that weight-based stereotype threat is negatively associated with employees’ perceived ability to meet their work demands, particularly among those employees with low authentic self-awareness.