Obesity: is it a common health problem among faculty members at the university? A cross-sectional study

Academic professionals are notably vulnerable to weight gain, often due to sedentary lifestyles, high-stress levels and irregular eating patterns, which exacerbate the risk of obesity and related health complications. This study aimed to evaluate weight status using anthropometric and dietary intake of academics at Jerash Private University. A cross-sectional study involved 103 faculty members from Jerash Private University in Jordan, selected randomly. Socio-demographic information and anthropometric measurements were collected, and dietary intake using a 24-hour recall and food frequency questionnaire was assessed. Of the total, 76.7% were males and 23.3% were females. The mean age was 47.85 ± 10.46 years, weight was 84.32 ± 16.06 kg, height was 171.04 ± 7.92 cm, waist circumference (wc) was 99.95 ± 16.05 cm and body mass index (BMI) was 28.73 ± 4.69 kg/m^2. Overweight was observed in 48.1% of males and 50.0% of females. There were no significant differences in macronutrient intake (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, and fiber) among the participants across the different BMI groups. Similarly, there were no significant differences in food groups intake among the participants across the different BMI groups, except for grain, where overweight participants had significantly the highest percent intake from recommended grain intake (38.12 ± 3.13; p = 0.037). The average recommended intake of food groups based on MyPyramid for normal, overweight and obese participants respectively were 8.06 ± 0.39 oz, 9.14 ± 0.16 oz and 9.83 ± 0.08 oz, from grain, 3.24 ± 0.14 cup, 3.57 ± 0.06 cup and 3.82 ± 0.05 cup from vegetables, 2.09 ± 0.08 cup, 2.27 ± 0.04 cup, and 2.44 ± 0.03 from fruit, 3.00 ± 0.00 cup from dairy (for all participants) and 6.26 ± 0.17oz, 6.70 ± 0.05 oz, and 6.94 ± 0.03 oz from protein. The academics had a high prevalence of obesity. Further studies investigating the actual cause of obesity in this category of population are needed. Key words: Food group intake, Faculty members, Nutritional status, BMI, Overweight, Obesity