Chapter-IV

Analysis of Data and Results of the Study

In this chapter, development of questionnaire, questionnaire

refinement, evaluation of questionnaire and result has been presented.

Findings

In section I demographic and socioeconomic characteristic of the

participants were found out. Statements pertaining to each question of

Physical health, mental health, life enjoyment, nutritional awareness and

nutritional enjoyment were analyzed by exploratory factor analysis

(EFA)in section -II. Secondly, in section –III Confirmatory factor

analysis (CFA)was used to find out the validity of the selected items. In

section –IV regression equation was applied with the composite score of

dependent variable (BMI) and independent variable (Nutritional

Enjoyment NE ,Nutritional Assessment NA, Life Enjoyment LE, Mental

Health MH, Physical Health PH) along with the dummy variables (Group

Activity) and Gender (Male and Female) to determine the effect of

Group activity on body composition with respect to health status and

nutritional awareness of college students.

 103

Section-I

Table 1: Mean and Standard deviation of Demographic and socio-economic

characteristics of students (N=125)

Variables Mean Std. Deviation

age 18.24 1.050

bodyweight 48.96 9.17
height 1.61 .083
bmi 18.85 3.02
family members 4.74 1.03
Frequency Percent
sex Female 80 64.0
Male 45 36.0
Marital status unmarried 125 100.0
class PG 3 2.4
UG 122 97.6
Group Activity Lazium 47 37.6
Dumbell 45 36.0
Other activity 33 26.4
Family Income <5000 6 4.8
5000 to 10000 2 1.6
>10000 117 93.6

The above table reveals that the mean age of the boys and girls

were 18.24 years with 1.050 standard deviation. Secondly, the body

weight was 48.96±9.17, height 1.61mts ± .083, Body mass index

18.85±3.02 and number of family members in the family was 4.74±1.03

members respectively.

Secondly, in the present study, 64% females and 36% male took

part in the study who all were unmarried. Maximum students were from

Under graduate (97.6%), Post Graduate (2.4%). 37.6% prefer Lazium,

 104

36% Dumbell whereas 26.4% prefer other activity as their group activity.

93.6% of the students family income was more than ten thousand where

there were 4.8% who family income was less than 5000, 1.6% students

whose family income was between 5000 to 10000 respectively.

 105
Section-II
Factor analysis: Principal components analysis was usedto indicate
which questions examined similar aspects for each component/factor.
Table 2: Exploratory Factor Analysis of Physical Health Status
Communal
ities
Communalities % of
of selected Rotated Cronbac
Stateme Extraction of Variance
Statement items componen h's
nt Code all the Explaine
t matrix Alpha
statements d

Presence of physical pain .551 .701

.507
Pst.1 (neck/back ache, sore
arms/legs, etc
Feeling of tension, stiffness, .537 .813
.660
Pst.2 or lack of flexibility in your
spine
Incidence of fatigue or low .304
Pst.3
energy
Pst.4 Incidence of colds and flu .211
Incidence of headaches (of .360
Pst.5
any kind)
62.708 .702
Incidence of nausea or .334
Pst.6
constipation
Incidence of menstrual .204
Pst.7
discomfort (only for females
Incidence of allergies or .594 .714 .845
Pst.8
eczema or skin rash
Incidence of dizziness or .197
Pst.9
lightheadedness
Incidence of accidents or .094
Pst.10 near accidents or falling or
tripping

The above able reveals that for extraction of one factor (Physical

health) , account for 62.708 % of the total variance. Third column of

above tableshows the communalities of all the statements but only those

statements were selected whose values where more than 0.50. In the

fourth column the communalities value of the items whose values were

more than 0.50 were once again analyzed. In the fifth column only the
 106

strongly loaded items (>.60) were kept for further analysis . Sixth column

explained the total variance of the selected items i.e. 62.708% with a

cronbach‘ alpha of 0.702.

Table 3: Exploratory Factor Analysis of Mental Health Status

Cron
Communa % of bach'
Communalities Rotated
Statement lities of Variance s
Statement Extraction of all componen
Code selected Explained Alph
the statements t matrix
items a

If pain is present, how .210

METST.
stressed are you about
1
it?
Presence of negative or .516 .732
MEST.2 critical feelings about .536
yourself
Experience of .379
MEST.3 moodiness or temper or
angry outbursts
Experience of .583 0.646 .804
MEST.4 depression or lack of
interest
Being overly worried .397 59.091 .651
MEST.5
about small things
Difficulty thinking or .267
MEST.6 concentrating or
indecisiveness
Experience vague fears .240
MEST.7
or anxiety
Being fidgety or restless; .515 .591 .769
MEST.8
difficulty sitting still
Difficulty falling or .456
MEST.9
staying asleep
Experience of recurring .319
MEST.10
thoughts or dreams

The above able reveals that for extraction of one factor (mental

health) , account for 59.091 % of the total variance. Third column of

above table shows the communalities of all the statements but only those
 107

statements were selected whose values where more than 0.50. In the

fourth column the communalities value of the items whose values were

more than 0.50 were once again analyzed. In the fifth column only the

strongly loaded items (>.60) were kept for further analysis . Sixth

coloumn explained the total variance of the selected items i.e. 59.091%

with a cronbach‘ alpha of 0.651

 108

Table 4: Exploratory Factor Analysis of Life Enjoyment Status

% of
Communalities Rotated Varianc Cronbach's
Statement Communalities
Statement Extraction of all component e Alpha
Code of selected items
the statements matrix Explain
ed
Openness to .373

LEST. guidance by your

1 ―inner
voice/feelings‖
Experience of .112
LEST.
relation or ease or
2
well-being
Presence of positive .400
LEST.
feelings about
3
yourself
Interest in .378

LEST. maintaining a healthy

4 lifestyle (eg diet,
fitness, etc)
Feeling of openness .252

and
LEST.
awareness/connectio 64.033 .807
5
n when relating to
others
Level of confidence .563 .616 .785
LEST.
in your ability to
6
deal with adversity
Level of compassion .341
LEST.
for, and acceptance
7
of, others
Satisfaction with the .543 .544 .738
LEST.
level of recreation in
8
your life
Incidence of feelings .721 .754 .869
LEST.
of joy and or
9
happiness
LEST. Time devoted to things .588 .646 .804
10 you enjoy

The above able reveals that for extraction of one factor (Life

enjoyment) , account for 64.033 % of the total variance. Third column

of above table shows the communalities of all the statements but only
 109

those statements were selected whose values where more than 0.50. In the

fourth column the communalities value of the items whose values were

more than 0.50 were once again analyzed. In the fifth column only the

strongly loaded items (>.60) were kept for further analysis . Sixth

coloumn explained the total variance of the selected items i.e. 64.003%

with a cronbach‘ alpha of 0.807

 110

Table 5: Exploratory Factor Analysis of Nutritional enjoyment status

% of
Commu
Communalitie Varia
nalities Rotated Cronbach'
Statement s Extraction of nce
Statement of compone s Alpha
Code all the Explai
selected nt matrix
statements ned
items
Fresh fruit (apples, .301
NEST.15A
oranges, pears)
Green leafy vegetables .101
(lettuce,
NEST.15B
cabbage, berbeer, endive,
spinach,)
Other vegetables (carrots, .211
NEST.15.C 77.43
tomatoes, cucumber,..)
NEST.15.D Fish .342 5 .850
NEST.15.E Chicken .551 .920 .959
NEST.15.F Meat .510 .891 .944
NEST.15.G Meat products (sausages, .499
NEST.15.H burgers, shawarma,..) .416
NEST.15.I Eggs .328
Legumes (Lentils, beans, .253
NEST.15.J
peas,...)
NEST.15.K Milk, full fat .173
.269
NEST.15.L
Milk, low fat or skimmed
Milk products(cheese, .110
NEST.15.M
yogurt,
NEST.15.N milk drinks,..) .457
Nuts (pistachio, .410
NEST.15.O
casheonuts,..)
NEST.15.P Bread, white .588 .512 .715
.413
NEST.15.Q
Bread, wholemeal/brown
cereals (corn flakes, .261
NEST.15.R
oatmeal,.)
Pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, .130
NEST.15.S
noodles, grits,..)
NEST.15.T Grains (rice, .129
.329
NEST.15.U Snack foods (potato chips,
popcorn, candies,
chocolates..)
Cakes & Pastries (cakes, .368
NEST.15.V
biscuits, sweet pies,..)
NEST.15.W .335
Soft drinks (cola drinks)
NEST.15.X Fruit Juices .355
NEST.15.Y Fruit drinks .075
NEST.15.Z Coffee/tea .029
NEST.15.Z1 Alcoholic beverages .098
 111

The above able reveals that for extraction of one factor (nutritional

enjoyment) , account for 77.435 % of the total variance. Third column

of above table shows the communalities of all the statements but only

those statements were selected whose values where more than 0.50. In the

fourth column the communalities value of the items whose values were

more than 0.50 were once again analyzed. In the fifth column only the

strongly loaded items (>.60) were kept for further analysis . Sixth

coloumn explained the total variance of the selected items i.e. 77.435%

with a cronbach‘ alpha of 0.850

 112
Table 6: Exploratory Factor Analysis of Nutritional Awareness Status
Commun
% of Cron
alities
Communali Varian bach'
Extractio Rotated
Statement ties of ce s
Statement n of all compone
Code selected Explai Alph
the nt matrix
items ned a
statement
s
How often do you eat .013

NA.ST.1 breakfast in the

morning?
Based on three meals per .104

day, how often do you

NA.ST.2
skip at least one meal per
day?
How often do you take .246
NA.ST.3
vitamin supplements
How often do you take .236
NA.ST.4
mineral supplements
How often do you eat .009
73.14
NA.ST.5 three base meals per .816
day? 2
How often do you record .115
NA.ST.6
what you eat?
How often do you drink .015
NA.ST.7
water?
How often do you drink .014
NA.ST.8
carbonated beverages?
How often are you on a .184
NA.ST.9
―diet‖?
How often do you eat .133

NA.ST.10 breads, cereals,

pasta, potatoes, or rice?
How often do you eat .029

NA.ST.11 fruits, such as apples,

bananas, or oranges?
How often do you eat .036

vegetables, such as
NA.ST.12
broccoli, tomatoes,
carrots, or salad?
How often do you eat .055

NA.ST.13 dairy products such as

milk, yogurt, or cheese?
How often do you eat .165

NA.ST.14 berry jams, cookies,

candies, or other sweets?
 113

How often do you snack .041

on foods like potato

NA.ST.15
chips, cakes, candies,
donuts, or soda?
How often do you snack .067

on foods like bagels,

NA.ST.16
yogurt, popcorn,
pretzels, or fruits?
How often do you eat .091
NA.ST.17
fast food?
How often do you seek .171

NA.ST.18 out nutrition

information?
Skipping breakfast can .116

NA.ST.19 negatively affect

athletic performance.
Proteins are the best and .094

NA.ST.20 most efficient source of

energy.
Nutrition affects mental .190
NA.ST.21
performance
The pre-event meal .461

should be eaten 3-4

NA.ST.22
hours prior to
competition.
Calcium excretion from .002

NA.ST.23 the body increases with

alcohol consumption.
According to the Food .337

Guide Pyramid, one

should consume 6-11
NA.ST.24
servings from the bread,
cereal, rice and pasta
group.
According to the Food .413

Guide Pyramid, one

NA.ST.25
should consume 2-4
from the fruit group.
According to the Food .450

Guide Pyramid, one

NA.ST.26 should consume 2-3
servings from the dairy
group.
According to the Food .256

NA.ST.27 Guide Pyramid, one

should consume 2-3
 114

servings from the meat

group.
Eating breakfast can .293
NA.ST.28
improve concentration.
Carbohydrates are less .177

NA.ST.29 fattening than fatty

foods.
60% of total calories .421

NA.ST.30 should come from

carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are easier .550
.656 .810
NA.ST.31 to digest than fats or
poteins.
Excess vitamin 6.043E-05

NA.ST.32 consumption can be

toxic
Anemia is a deficiency in .170
NA.ST.33
iron
Average percentage of .235

NA.ST.34 body fat in

females is 20-25%
Cereal, bread, bagels, .480

NA.ST.35 and pasta are good

sources of carbohydrates.
Tofu, nuts and beans are .156
NA.ST.36
good sources of proteins
Athletes tend to consume .129

NA.ST.37 twice as much protein as

recommended.
Over consumption of .115

NA.ST.38 protein is beneficial for

athletes.
The best sources of iron .416

NA.ST.39 come from animal

products and fish.
Eating cereals or breads .428

enriched with iron

should be eaten with a
NA.ST.40
source of vitamin C to
enhance absorption of
iron
Proteins act to repair and .116

build muscle tissue and

NA.ST.41
make hormones to boost
the immune system.
 115

Fats are essential in all .083

NA.ST.42
diets.
If a diet is lacking in .009

NA.ST.43 carbohydrates, proteins

are then used for energy.
Oatmeal, legumes, and .231

NA.ST.44 fruits are sources of

soluble fiber.
The recommended .588
.760 .872
NA.ST.45 amount of fiber is 25
grams per day.
Vitamin C is also known .372
NA.ST.46
as ascorbic acid.
If you are not thirsty, .615
.779 .883
NA.ST.47 then you must not be
dehydrated.

The above able reveals that for extraction of one factor (mental

health) , account for 73.142 % of the total variance. Third column of

above table shows the communalities of all the statements but only those

statements were selected whose values where more than 0.50. In the

fourth column the communalities value of the items whose values were

more than 0.50 were once again analyzed. In the fifth column only the

strongly loaded items (>.60) were kept for further analysis . Sixth

coloumn explained the total variance of the selected items i.e. 73.142%

with a cronbach‘ alpha of .816

 116

Section-II: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)was used to determine the

effect of Group activity on body composition with respect to health status and
nutritional awareness of college students.

Figure 1: CFA for the factors that assist in Health status and Nutritional
Enjoyment

Table 7: Convergent and Discriminant validity measure of various constructs

Nutritional Nutritional Life Mental Physical

CR AVE MSV ASV Enjoyment Assessment Enjoyment Health Health
Nutritional
Enjoyment 0.879 0.722 0.058 0.015 0.850
Nutritional
Health 0.821 0.606 0.062 0.041 0.010 0.778
Life
Enjoyment 0.815 0.528 0.129 0.068 -0.025 -0.202 0.727
Mental
Health 0.757 0.593 0.558 0.220 0.240 -0.245 0.322 0.627
Physical
Health 0.714 0.659 0.458 0.213 0.051 -0.249 0.359 0.811 0.677
 117

The above table reveals that the convergent and discriminant

validity measures of various constructs taken together in CFA. As shown

in the results the composite reliability (CR) of each constructs is more

than 0.7 as well as greater than the average variance extracted. This

insures the existence of convergent validity in the instrument. In addition

to this average variance extracted of each construct is greater than MSV

and ASV statistics which ensure the existence of discriminant validity of

the instrument. The correlation between the various constructs is also

shown in the results.

Section-III

In section –III regression equation was applied with the composite

score of dependent variable (BMI) and independent variable (Nutritional

Enjoyment NE ,Nutritional Assessment NA, Life EnjoymentLE, Mental

Health MH, Physical Health PH) along with the dummy variables (Group

Activity) and Gender (Male and Female) to determine the effect of Group

activity on body composition with respect to health status and nutritional

awareness of college students.

 118

Table 8: Multiple
Correlation between the composite score of dependent variable
(BMI) and independent variable (Nutritional Enjoyment NE ,Nutritional
Assessment NA, Life Enjoyment LE, Mental Health MH, Physical Health PH)
along with the dummy variables (Group Activity ie. Lazium) and Gender (Male
and Female)
R2 R% Sig. Coefficient Coding
(ANOVA) Group Gender
F Activity
Independent Standardized 1=Lazium 0=Male
Variables Coefficients
0=Dumbell+ 1=Female
other group
Beta t Sig.
activity
Physical Health -.076 -.371 .712
Mental Health -.209 -1.018 .311
Life Enjoyment .120 1.151 .252
0.122 12.2 2.238 .029
Nutritional -.094 -.953 .342
Assessment
Nutritional .243 2.510 .013
Enjoyment
GA_Lazium .005 .058 .954
GENDER_C -.142 -1.409 .161

The above table shows that R2 was 0.122 when all seven

predictors were included . This mean that 12.2% of the variation in DV

(BMI ) was explained by the variable of Nutritional enjoyment. ANOVA

tests the null hypothesis that there is no linear relationship between the

predictor and the DV. For this model when all seven predictors were

entered , the significance level associated with observed value of F is

.029.Thus the null hypothesis can be rejected and we may conclude that

there is a significant linear relationship between the set of independent

variable (IVs) and dependent variable (DVs). Fifth coloumn displays the

value of the coefficient. In this column ‗Beta‘ is the slope of the line i.e
 119

standardized regression coefficient . ‗sig‘ is the significance level for the

test of the null hypothesis that the value of a coefficient is zero in the

population. In this model , the significance value for physical health,

mental health, life enjoyment, nutritional assessment, group activity

lazium and gender is greater than 0.05 except nutritional enjoyment

whose sig. value is .013. Thus, nutritional enjoyment had a effect on body

mass index.

Table 9: Multiple
Correlation between the composite score of dependent variable
(BMI) and independent variable (Nutritional Enjoyment NE ,Nutritional
Assessment NA, Life Enjoyment LE, Mental Health MH, Physical Health PH)
along with the dummy variables (Group Activity ie. Dumbell) and Gender
(Male and Female)
Coding
R2 R% F Sig. Coefficient Group Gende
Activity r
Independent Standardized
1=Dum 0=Ma
Variables Coefficients
bell le
0=Lazi 1=Fe
Beta t Sig.
um+ male
Physical Health -.059 -.288 .774 other
Mental Health -.230 -1.125 .263 group
Life Enjoyment .104 .992 .323 activity
.131 13.1 2.510 .019
Nutritional -.093 -.958 .340
Assessment
Nutritional .252 2.632 .010
Enjoyment
GA_Lazium -.132 -1.308 .194

GENDER_C .093 1.058 .292

The above table shows that R2 was .131 when all seven predictors

were included . This mean that 13.1% of the variation in DV (BMI ) was

explained by the variable of Nutritional enjoyment. ANOVA tests the

 120

null hypothesis that there is no linear relationship between the predictor

and the DV. For this model when all seven predictors were entered , the

significance level associated with observed value of F is .019.Thus the

null hypothesis can be rejected and we may conclude that there is a

significant linear relationship between the set of independent variable

(IVs) and dependent variable (DVs). Fifth coloumn displays the value of

the coefficient. In this column ‗Beta‘ is the slope of the line i.e

standardized regression coefficient . ‗sig‘ is the significance level for the

test of the null hypothesis that the value of a coefficient is zero in the

population. In this model , the significance value for physical health,

mental health, life enjoyment, nutritional assessment, group activity

dumbell and gender is greater than 0.05 except nutritional enjoyment

whose sig. value is .010. Thus, nutritional enjoyment had a effect on body

mass index.
 121

Table 10: Multiple

Correlation between the composite score of dependent variable
(BMI) and independent variable (Nutritional Enjoyment NE ,Nutritional
Assessment NA, Life Enjoyment LE, Mental Health MH, Physical Health PH)
along with the dummy variables (Group Activity Other activities) and Gender
(Male and Female)
Coding
R2 R% F Sig. Coefficient Group Gende
Activity r
Independent Standardized
1=Othe 0=Ma
Variables Coefficients
r le
activity 1=Fe
Beta t Sig.
0=Dum male
Physical Health -.090 -.444 .658 bell+
Mental Health -.203 -.998 .320 Lazium
Life Enjoyment .106 1.018 .311
.133 13.3 2.566 .017
Nutritional -.103 -1.058 .292
Assessment
Nutritional .237 2.473 .015
Enjoyment
GA_Lazium -.135 -1.345 .181

GENDER_C -.106 -1.210 .229

The above table shows that R2 was .133 when all seven predictors

were included . This mean that 13.3% of the variation in DV (BMI ) was

explained by the variable of Nutritional enjoyment. ANOVA tests the

null hypothesis that there is no linear relationship between the predictor

and the DV. For this model when all seven predictors were entered , the

significance level associated with observed value of F is .017.Thus the

null hypothesis can be rejected and we may conclude that there is a

significant linear relationship between the set of independent variable

(IVs) and dependent variable (DVs). Fifth coloumn displays the value of

the coefficient. In this column ‗Beta‘ is the slope of the line i.e

standardized regression coefficient . ‗sig‘ is the significance level for the

 122

test of the null hypothesis that the value of a coefficient is zero in the

population. In this model , the significance value for physical health,

mental health, life enjoyment, nutritional assessment, other group activity

and gender is greater than 0.05 except nutritional enjoyment whose sig.

value is .015. Thus, nutritional enjoyment had a effect on body mass

index.
 123

Discussion for Findings

There are several reasons why exercise has been emphasized as

anational priority. One of the key reasons is the risk of cardiovascular

disease(CVD) or coronary artery disease (CAD) from the combined

effects of physicalinactivity / obesity. In the decade prior to year 2000,

the number of deathsattributable to poor nutrition/physical inactivity

increased substantially more thanthe other causes of death (CDC, 2005;

Mokdad, Marks, Stroup, & Gerberding,2004). Mokdad et al. calculated

the number of deaths attributable to poornutrition/physical inactivity from

the percentage of persons who were overweightor obese; using this

method, 400,000 (16.6%) of deaths in year 2000 wereattributed to poor

diet and physical inactivity, which was an increase from the300,000

(14%) in year 1990. Mokdad et al. were able to use obesity as a proxyfor

poor physical inactivity because of the high correlation between the

obesityand poor physical fitness. Recent evidence showed that the effect

of body massindex (BMI) on predicting physical fitness was strong

among healthy youth (p <0.0001) with a decrease of 0.069 minutes

treadmill endurance for each unitincrease in BMI (Chatrath, Shenoy,

Serratto, & Thoele, 2002).Youth‘s physical activity indices can predict

BMI and adult waistcircumferences as well. X. Yang et al. (2006) tested a

model of physical activityand obesity longitudinally from 1980 through

2001 in four cohorts of youth (ages9, 12, 15, and 18). After following
 124

these cohorts for 21 years, X. Yang et al. founda significant total effect

that youthful physical activity had on adult waistcircumference (_ = - .07,

t =4.54, p < .05). Furthermore, youthful BMI accountedfor 13% of the

variance in the adulthood waist circumference.Interestingly, Wessel et al.

(2004) found that among 906 women (meanage 58, SD 12 years) referred

for clinically indicated coronary angiography, thosewho were found to

have higher BMI were likely to have a history of hypertension, diabetes,

dyslipidemia, and higher IL-6 levels and prevalence of

metabolicsyndrome (Wessel et al.). However, despite having these CAD

risk factorsassociated with higher BMI, neither BMI nor anthropometric

measures (waistcircumference, waist/hip ratio, and waist/height ratio)

were associated with therisk of mortality or major adverse events (p

>.10). Instead, Wessel et al. foundthe risk of mortality was associated

with poor physical fitness from physicalinactivity, not higher BMI. To

summarize, BMI and CAD risk factors areassociated with each other, but

it is the physical inactivity leading to poorphysical fitness that is

associated with mortality risk, and as noted by X. Yang etal. (2006),

youthful physical activity can deter adulthood obesity significantly. A

second reason for the emphasis on engaging in physical activity is

theeffect that physical inactivity/low cardiorespiratory fitness has on

chronicdiseases and prodromal conditions such as metabolic syndrome.

Physicalinactivity has been shown to impact the risk of diabetes mellitus

 125

and certaincancers (Warburton, Nicol, & Bredin, 2006) as well as to

exacerbate the risk ofmortality from any cause whether or not a chronic

disease is present (Wessel etal., 2004). One such condition is the

metabolic syndrome which is a phenotype that links insulin resistance,

hypertension, dyslipidemia, type II diabetes, andother metabolic

abnormalities with an increased risk of atheroscleroticcardiovascular

disease (R. Weiss et al., 2004). A third reason for advocating physical

activity is that physical inactivity/overweight in youth contributes to an

increased risk for musculoskeletal disorderssuch as slipped capital

femoral epiphysis, adolescent tibia vara, joint painespecially in the knees,

and fractures (Taylor et al., 2006).Group activity (dumbbell, lazium, both

or walking) is one of the most relaxing refreshing and enlivening form of

exercise which reaps numerous physical, emotional and psychological

benefits to stay fit and healthy one does not need to spend a bounty on

gym facilities as the natural way of remaining healthy can be achieved by

indulging in the healthy practice of brisk Group activity (dumbbell,

lazium, both or walking). Brisk Group activity (dumbbell, lazium, both or

walking) can reap numerous health benefits which range from keeping

one‘s heart in a healthy shape to helping in the process of weight

management. Further, Group activity (dumbbell, lazium, both or walking)

helps in refreshing and rejuvenating the mind along with reducing stress

and fatigue. In the present study no significant effect of group activity

 126

was found on body mass index in relation to health status . But, there was

an effect of nutritional enjoyment in the BMI.

Nutritional psychologist Marc David’s most recent book is The

Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy and Weight Loss (Healing

Arts Press, 2005)., says we are all programmed to seek pleasure and

avoid pain. It‘s the most primitive part of the human nervous system. So,

when you eat, you are seeking the pleasure of food, and you are avoiding

the pain of hunger. But here‘s the trick: You can‘t receive pleasure unless

you are aware that you are engaging in it. So, if you‘re eating food and

you‘re not paying attention — if you‘re watching TV, talking too much,

rushing or reading — you will potentially miss the experience of

pleasure. And, if you do not get the pleasure that you seek, the brain often

interprets that missed experience of pleasure as hunger. You‘ll want more

food, so then you‘ll be wondering: Do I have a willpower problem? But

there‘s no willpower problem — the problem is we are not entirely there

when we eat. We‘re not getting the full experience, and so we are left

feeling hungry. So, what we think of as overeating is actually about

underappreciating? Yes, this thing we‘ve called overeating is really a

product of our culture, which has us moving too fast. And the faster you

go, the less your brain and digestive physiology can actually experience

what‘s going on with food. It takes the brain about 20 minutes to realize
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when we‘re full. This raises a simple but very important point: When it

comes to properly registering both the nutrition and satisfaction inherent

in the food we‘re taking in, the body needs time and focus to figure out

what‘s going on. That‘s just how we‘re wired. And the link between

pleasure and your metabolism? Pleasure catalyzes a relaxation

response, and the same switch in your brain that turns on relaxation —

the parasympathetic nervous system — also turns on full, healthy

digestion and assimilation. Conversely, the same switch in your brain that

turns on stress, anxiety and fear — the sympathetic nervous system —

turns off digestion and assimilation. So, there is a direct biochemical

connection between eating with pleasure and our digestion and long-term

calorie-burning metabolism.

You could be eating your favorite ice cream cone, but if you‘re

miserable and stressed-out and guilty while you‘re eating it, you are not

receiving that pleasure. Also, you‘re actually shifting yourself into a

stress response, which will put you in a mild degree of digestive

shutdown, which means you‘re excreting nutrients and not absorbing

them fully, and you‘re increasing your output of cortisol and of insulin,

which will signal your body to store fat. How can we learn to eat with

more pleasure and awareness? First and foremost, we need to slow

down and notice, as well as savor and receive. The only way to eat with
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pleasure is to notice if there‘s any pleasure to be had. So be attentive, take

your time, and delight in your food. You may find you don‘t actually

enjoy certain foods as much as you think you do, or that it doesn‘t take

nearly as much to satisfy you. I once asked a client to slow down and

really savor the Big Macs he felt compelled to eat daily, and when he

started fully experiencing them — flavor, aroma, texture — he found

himself completely repulsed.

Discussion of Hypothesis

Hypothesis that their shall not be any effect of group activity on

body composition with respect to health status and nutritional awareness

of college students was not accepted in case of nutritional enjoyment.