Compliance With Diet and Physical Activity Recommendations Among Obese Patients Seeking Nutritional Therapy: A Hospital-Based Study in Sri Lanka

Aims: This study aimed to identify the adherence of healthy dietary patterns and physical activity among the obese population seeking nutritional therapy.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 123 obese patients, seeking nutritional therapy for the first time. Dietary patterns and physical activity levels were assessed via a 7-day food diary and the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, respectively. Pearson’s Chi-square (χ2) tests and Fisher’s exact tests were used to test the relationship between factors.
Results: The majority of the participants were female (85.3%) and were above 45 years (51.2%). Out of all the patients, 30.7% of patients were morbidly obese and 28.4%, 7.3%, 64.2%, 16.2% and 5.7% of patients had unhealthy dietary patterns of carbohydrates, fats, fruits, salt and sugar respectively. Morbid obesity was associated with unhealthy dietary patterns of carbohydrates, proteins and fruits. A significant proportion (61.0%) of patients did not exercise. In addition, 47.2% of the population had at least one co-morbidity, with dyslipidaemia being the most common. Fast food consumption and reduced fruit intake were significantly associated with the presence of co-morbidities.
Conclusions: Most adults in this study did not adhere to the recommended diet and physical activity levels. there is a need to encourage healthy eating and adequate exercise to prevent the development of obesity and other non-communicable diseases.