Abstract:

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of overweight associated with risk factors and the lifestyle of university students at the time of their entry and graduation on university. Materials and Methods: A transversal study was carried out with 34 students from a public university in Ituiutaba-MG, Brazil, who answered a semi-structured questionnaire about healthy eating and physical activity practice. Anthropometric measures of weight, height and hip and abdominal circumference were measured, in addition to lipid profile analysis. Results: The data obtained showed an increase in the overweight profile (+14,7%) of university students at the end of the course, but there was a reduction in the number of individuals with increased waist circumference (-17,7%) and a relation with waist/hip inadequacy (-13.2%). Regarding risk factors, there was an increase in the number of students who considered their diet unhealthy (+23,5%) and did not practice physical activity (+17,7%). The lipid profile analysis showed a decrease in the risk of triglycerides (-4,4%), total cholesterol (-8,9%) and its fractions HDLc (-45,7%) and LDLc (-17,7%). Conclusion: It is concluded that the population of university students investigated presents risk factors for overweight, and that diet patterns should be modified and the sedentary lifestyle should be avoided, aiming to prevent chronic noncommunicable diseases and to improve quality of life.

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