Sport activity and eating habits of people who were attending special obesity treatment programme

The aims of the study were to analyse the sport activity and eating habits of obese people in their childhood and adulthood. The research was underpinned by a survey questionnaire containing 37 variables which was completed by 71 people attending the obesity programme. The frequencies and contingency tables were calculated, whereas statistical significance was established at a 5% significance level. The analysis of the results showed that more than one-half of the survey respondents joined the obesity programme primarily for reasons of health and well-being. Most obese people did not engage in any organised sport activity in their childhood, nor did most of their parents. The respondents practiced sport in their childhood to a greater extent if their parents were also physically active and if they guided and encouraged their children. No less than one-third of the respondents were overweight in their childhood, of whom two-thirds did not participate in any organised sport activity. The majority of the respondents (85.9%) are currently engaged in an organised sport activity in their adulthood, mainly due to their participation in the weight reduction programme; most of them practice sport twice a week. Their eating habits are encouraging; the share of skipped meals is considerably lower and practically negligible compared to that in childhood. It has to be emphasized that most of them are of opinion that obese people have difficulties finding expert information on obesity, nutrition and sport activities as well as weight management centers and institutions.