ERIC Number: EJ1113743
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1981
EISSN: N/A
Slim by Design: Kitchen Counter Correlates of Obesity
Wansink, Brian; Hanks, Andrew S.; Kaipainen, Kirsikka
Health Education & Behavior, v43 n5 p552-558 Oct 2016
Background: The home is one place where people can control what foods are available and how the environment is arranged. Given the impact of environments on health, the objective of this study is to determine whether the presence of foods on a person's kitchen counter are associated with their body mass index (BMI). Method: In Study 1, a nationwide sample of 500 households was asked to inventory their kitchen and provide their height and weight. In Study 2, researchers photographed and catalogued 210 households in Syracuse, New York, and measured the occupants' height and weight. Main outcome measures for the study were BMI differences between households that had various foods visible on the counter compared with those that did not. Findings: The presence of fruit on the counter was associated with lower BMI in both studies, but the presence of foods such as candy, cereal, soft drinks, and dried fruit were associated with weight differences that ranged from 9.4 to 14.4 kg. Interpretations: Although correlational, the findings from these two studies suggest that when counseling patients regarding their weight, physicians also suggest they clear their kitchen counter of all food except a fruit bowl.
Descriptors: Family Environment, Obesity, Food, Eating Habits, Environmental Influences, Body Weight, Body Height, Photography, Adults, Females, Correlation, Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institutes of Health (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New York (Syracuse)
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1RC1HD06337001