Buzzacott P, French S, Wood L, Rosenberg M. (2013). Attitudes towards, and methods of, maintaining or losing body weight among adults. Retrieved from URL:
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HANOI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES DEPARTMENT -o0o FIRST-YEAR ESPD STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS ( Word count: 2086 words ) Teacher: Nguyen Minh Hang Students: Vuong Thuy Trang Pham Anh Tu Class: 4D-18 Date : 01/06/2019 ABSTRACT There is no denying that weight management is one of the most common trends in 21 st century As the beauty standards of modern society are prone to slimmer and more athletic appearance, losing weight is considered to be a must in the community, students are no exception to this trend As a consequence, this research is conducted to study the first-year ESPD students’ attitude towards weight loss This study applies a quantitative methodology using questionnaires and interviews Based on the findings gathered from this small-scale research, our project’s team will analyze the students’ point of view regarding weight loss In Addition, its impacts on health are also investigated Importantly, some methods to manage weight effectively are provided for students to discuss With the aim of further understanding towards weight loss, this research is expected to raise awareness among all students in general and first-year ESPD students in particular It is in our confidence that this research can lay a foundation or serves as a foothold for larger and further studies in the future TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract List of Figures Introduction Methods Results Discussion 4.1 The reasons for first-year ESPD students to lose weight 4.2 The impacts of weight loss 4.2.1 The positive impacts 4.2.2 The negative impacts Recommendations Conclusion References Appendices LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The percentage of factors that drive students to lose weight Figure 2: The percentage of students involved in weight-losing programs Figure 3: The percentage of how much weight students want to lose Introduction Beauty standard keeps changing over time; similarly, the attitude concerning weight, especially among women, shifting toward slimmer down and more athletic appearance This explained for exponential increase in the prevalence of diet pills in the US, which was regarded as a magical solution to controlling weight Since its emergence in the US during the 1900s, weight loss pill soon spread internationally, gaining such enormous popularity in VietNam Ironically, along with the real valuable and visible influences from fat-trapping pills, the side-effects of diet supplements should also be taken into consideration Notwithstanding, unrealistically low weight desire does not end up using pills or supplements, fasting as well as simultaneously doing multiple exercise programs is also characterized as weight reducing obsession, resulting in various serious symptoms like diarrhea, constant lethargy, and high blood pressure Henceforth, it is indispensable that a research be carried out to raise the awareness of weight controlling for individuals, especially students In our research, the focus will be on examining the justifications for reducing weight among students Specifically, several measures to manage weight are also mentioned with a view to bettering students’ knowledge on this case As weight management is increasingly popular, numerous studies have been conducted to establish the understanding of weight loss in general In a recent study by Peter et al in 2013 has specified that managing weight is a complex process, involving many decisions, ultimately around when and how much energy to consume Many other journalists share the same view with Peter et al According to David et al (2016) , losing unwanted weight gain from excess body fat is a definite challenge for most individuals , as it has been estimated that the proportion of individuals losing or maintaining lost weight and successfully in good trim is trivial In addition, some articles suggest some reasons for people to lose weight (Jen, 2018) Numerous studies also indicate both merits and demerits of weight losing toward physical and mental states (Sebastijan, 2015) and (Jenn, 2018) Bearing this in mind, this research paper which is based on data from first years students of ESP Department, Hanoi University will focus on answering three main questions First of all, why students want to lose weight ? Secondly, what are the positive and negative effects of weight loss on students? Finally, how can they get control of weight to achieve ideal body shape ? Method The data used in this report is acquired by carrying out a formal survey combining questionnaire and interviews within the range of ESPD first-year students in Hanoi University Initially, a questionnaire consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions designed regarding our research questions Secondly, 50 students were randomly chosen, each of whom is requested to fill in the questionnaire Lastly, 10 of the participants are asked to clarify their view on the effects of losing weight and some useful methods for managing weight were also included in the interviews The main aim is to investigate further on students’ thoughts about stoutness reduction and bring out noteworthy information on it Results The findings of the survey lay the foundation to exploring numerous views from ESPD students on weight loss As expected, the data gathered clearly specifies the differences between their perspectives on this trend With the intention of determining the elements that encourage students to involve in the process of losing weight, main factors that might drive people to reduce weight were mentioned in the question So as to make the data simpler, the answers for “Improve health” and “ Fit into desired clothes” are categorized as “Physical motivations” In the same way, “Feel more attractive”, “Please other people” and “ Boost confidence” are labeled as “Emotional motivations” As can be seen from figure 1, out of the 50 ESPD students who were questioned, more than half (56%) of the participants claimed that their primary factor towards losing weight are emotional motivations Nearly the same proportion (44%) stated that they are motivated by physical factors On the other hand, when being asked directly “Are you currently involved in any type of exercises or diets that related to weight losing?”, a considerable amount (68%) of students reported that they are not participating in any sort of weight-losing plans whereas a moderate proportion (32%) claimed that they are currently taking part in weight-losing programs In addition, the participants are given some options to clarify the reason why they are not participating in weight-losing programs, an overwhelming proportion (81%) stated that the university’s schedule is the main reason Other factors are given as 19% Regarding to the benefits of losing weight, a significant proportion (88%) of the students reported that by losing weight means decreasing the risk of getting diseases (diabetes, heart failure, cancers…) Over a tenth (12%) stated that losing weight can improve their appearances As for the drawbacks of weight losing, a major proportion (64%) claimed that weight losing can contain certain risks of diseases 24% stated that they have to buy new wardrobe multiple times Other factors are implied as 12% Turning to the challenges of weight losing programs, 30% of participants claimed that it is difficult to keep the weight off Nearly the same proportion (40%) stated that they are not able to stick to the programs A moderate amount (30%) of students reported that they dislike the diet’s menu or distracted by their favourite food In terms of losing weight, the participants were asked “What is your goal in losing weight?”, half of the poll samples were sighted to lose 1-4 kg while 26% claimed their goal to be 5-8 kg A minority (10%) are confidently set their goal to lose kg or more whereas 14% said they have different goals or not wish to lose weight but to gain During the interview, the participants were asked to provide their opinion on the impacts that losing weight might bring Of all 10 participants asked, all of them stated losing weight can be both beneficial and harmful However, none could provide justifiable evidence and specific reason why they believed that In addition, some reasonable methods are given to manage weight effectively which will be mentioned in the Discussion section Discussion 4.1 The reasons for first-year ESPD students to lose weight In general, most first-year ESPD students not think themselves as fat or obese, they choose to lose weight so as to feel healthier and slimmer Specifically, according to the results shown in Figure 1, page 3, a majority of the students consider health improvement to be the number one reason to lose weight Additionally, out of 10 students participated in the interview also share the same thought It indicates that the findings of the questionnaire and the interviews have proven to be genuine It appears that students are conscious of their physical well-beings, encouraging them to pursue weight loss programs Secondly, the feeling of attractiveness is cited by a considerable number of participants as one of the key motivation in losing weight According to the interview with 10 students, half of whom claimed that they are not satisfied their appearance and believed that losing weight is the solution to make them feel more appealing Lastly, the students state that confidence is also the prime reason to engage in weight losing This is understandable, providing that overweight and obesity are probable to cause social shame and embarrassment This can lead to insecurities that impact self-esteem and confidence, which could lead to depression and anxiety (Keri, 2016) With those facts, first-year ESPD students are making efforts to avoid being overweight, therefore boost their confidence Despite all the participants were actively contributed the reasons to participate in weight-losing programs mentioned above, there is still some discrepancy between the results of the questions regarding the reasons to take part in weight-losing programs and whether or not to participate in the programs According to the latter question, most students are not currently involved in any type of weight-losing plans, which demonstrates that they provided the reasons to lose weight subconsciously However, they justify that the tight schedule in the university is mainly the reason that is holding them back in weight loss and a majority claim that they have planned to participate in weight-losing programs in the future Overall, though most of first-year ESPD students claim that they are not experiencing overweight issues and not involved in weight-losing programs, weight management is still considered vital to their lives 4.2 The impacts of weight loss 4.2.1 The negatve impacts First-year ESPD students are not thoroughly understand and recognize the downsides of weight losing, especially in a rapid way In general, this trend becomes negative when it is out of control According to questionnaire and interviews, students pointed out both physical and psychological drawbacks of reducing weight uncontrollably Im terms of physical one, these involved sagging skin, hair loss , acne breakouts and even worse as the body suddenly lost a variety of essential nutrients Additionally, the pressure to lose and maintain a certain goal weight comes at an extremely high psychological cost including depression, eating disorder, anxiety and stress 4.2.2 The positive impacts On the other hand, there is a general agreement among ESPDs freshmen that reducing weight is moderately vital to help them boost confidence and enrich their knowledge about healthy lifestyle The healthier you get, the fewer chances you have heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, and the like A number of interviewees affirmed that being naturally thin is possible with or without guidance, and weight loss is not harmful at all if it is carefully followed and properly applied If students can have a better understanding about their own bodies and knowledge of a healthy lifestyle Recommendation As stated in the result section, despite the fact that a large number of participants are not currently in weight loss or weight management programs, they are sharing the interest to participate in these programs However, most of the students not know or understand the process of weight management in a vague perspective Based on this issue, some useful suggestions are discussed with the aim to support students to maintain and lose their weight in a safe, healthy and effective way Predictably, the first and most fundamental step is the long-term commitment to a healthy lifestyle and have the self-confidence to achieve the desired goal Secondly, plan the diet and exercise schedule properly is also recommended Additionally, the schedule must be followed in discipline and with the guidance of health experts and professional trainers Lastly, having a positive thought and determination is also a main contributor to the success at weight management Interestingly, some of the interviewees have brought several contributive measures to manage and lose weight better based on their experience, studying online and through health articles It is suggested that creating a healthy dieting routine, combining rest and exercise schedule is a crucial factor in managing weight efficiently Additionally, students should be flexible with their schedule in the university and in the weight management programs According to Lam, 4D-18, students should focus on training properly, having a strict diet, and most importantly, not depend yourselves on weight loss pills as they might contain dangerous side effects like skin rash, illness, allergic to the substances of the pills,… He strongly emphasises that students should follow traditional weight management plan, which is straightfoward, safe and most significantly healthy Conclusion All things considered, it is recognizable that first-year ESPD students share deep interest in weight loss, despite the time restrictions in their academic life Furthermore, our project’s team manage to provide an adequate answer to our research question regarding weight management The findings of the surveys indicate the reasons for first-year ESPD students to engage in weight loss programs are affected by physical and emotional factors equally The results also demonstrate that weight loss plan can be both beneficial and disadvantageous, especially to the state of healthiness So as to encourage students to participate in weight management programs, specific steps are suggested, consisting of emotional stability, hard work and self-confidence to reach success As opposed to the relatively positive results, this research still has shortcomings regarding the limitation in scale of this study and the method of this paper is inadequate, leading to the lack of details and deeper understanding of weight loss Hopefully that in the future, our research may prove valuable for larger studies to analyze further into this topic in terms of the hypothetical aspects of this intriguing subject REFERENCES Rogerson D, Soltani H, Copeland R (2016) The weight-loss experience: a qualitative exploration Retrieved from URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855339/ Buzzacott P, French S, Wood L, Rosenberg M (2013) Attitudes towards, and methods of, maintaining or losing body weight among adults Retrieved from URL: http://file.scirp.org/Html/5-8201985_28585.htm Veselic S (2015) Psychological Effects of Weight Loss Retrieved from URL: https://healthyeatingharbor.com/psychological-effects-weight-loss Savedge J (2018) 13 surprising side effects of weight loss Retrieved from URL: https://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/side-effects-weight-loss-surprise-you Peterson K (2016) What’s Your Why? The Top Reasons Why Americans Want to Lose Weight Retrieved from URL: https://caloriecontrol.org/whats-your-why-the-top-reasons-why-americans-want-to-loseweight/ APPENDICES APPENDIX A QUESTIONNAIRE FIRST-YEAR ESPD STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS WEIGHT LOSS We are Vuong Thuy Trang and Pham Anh Tu, students of 4D-18, Hanoi University We are conducting this survey in order to study your point of view regarding to weight losing Based on the data you have given, we would be able to get our research project done perfectively We are truly grateful for the time and effort you have provided, your cooperation will be fundamental for our survey to reach maximum efficiency Please answer all the questions with honesty, we can guarantee that all your answers will be strictly in confidence Thank you so much for your cooperation 1 What is your gender? A Male B Female C Other What is your current weight ? What is your height ? Please choose your best answer by circling Please specify the answer if you can not choose any What are your primary motivators to lose weight ? A Feel attractive B Boost confidence C Please other people D Improve physical outlook E Fit into desired clothes G Improve health Are you currently involved in any type of exercises that related to weight loss? A Yes B No If you do, can you specify your weight loss program? A Weight Watchers B Low carbs C Low fat D Paleo E Other (please specify) If you not, please answer these additional questions 2.1 Why don’t you participate in weight loss program? A Busy with all the university’s schedule B Financial issues C Cannot follow the programs D Other (Please specify) 2.2 In the future, you wish to participate in weight loss program? A Yes B No C Not sure What things are important to you in a diet? A Healthy food plan B Quick weight loss C Eat foods I love D Great support group E Not feeling hungry F Not feeling like I am dieting G Losing at a slow, healthy pace H Learning how to maintain the weight loss I Other (please specify) What have been your greatest difficulties in dieting (check all that apply)? A Keeping the weight off B Not being able to stick with it C Hating the food D Missing my favorite foods E Binging after I go off my diet F Too expensive G Other ( please describe) What is your goal in losing weight? A 1-4 kg B 5-8 kg C 9-12 kg D Different set of goal (Specify) How often you exercises? A Sometimes (1-3 days/week) B Quite often (3-5 days/week) C On a daily basis D Never How long is your exercise per session ? A None B 1 hour Do you believe living a naturally thin life is…? A The impossible dream B Possible, but highly unlikely C In my future, if I'm shown the way D A sure thing because I control it What are the benefits of weight losing in your opinion? A Decreased risk of diabetes B Lowered blood pressure C Improved cholesterol levels D Decreased risk of heart disease E Decreased risk of certain cancers F Other ( Please specify) 10 What are the drawbacks of weight losing in your opinion? A You have to buy a whole new wardrobe Multiple times B You live in constant fear of putting it all back on C Missed period D Fatigue or lack of energy E Other ( please specify) APPENDIX B INTERVIEW QUESTIONS In your opinion being thin and slim is a must to everyone ? Do you believe that weight loss is beneficial or disadvantageous? Does it seem that the harder you try to lose weight the more difficult your effort becomes? Can you suggest some ways to lose weight effectively which you find from reading , from reading, from friends or your own experience ?