Overweight and Obesity, Weight Perception, and Weight Management Practices among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP‐Ed) Participants in Georgia

Under the Healthy, Hunger‐Free Kids Act of 2010, the SNAP‐Ed program has been reestablished as the nutrition education and obesity prevention program; however, little is known about weight perception and weight‐related practices among SNAP‐Ed eligible individuals, who are disproportionately affected by obesity. This study examined overweight and obesity, weight perception, and weight management strategies in a sample of SNAP‐Ed participants in Georgia (southeastern United States) (n=261, mean age 54.9±20.8, 76.6% female, 70.9% non‐Hispanic black). Body weight, height, and weight‐related practices were assessed based on data from self‐administered paper surveys collected by trained paraprofessionals at program entry. Almost three‐quarters of the sample was overweight (31.4%) or obese (42.2%), and 54.8% reported at least one diagnosis of selected diet‐related chronic conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Among those who reported overweight and obese body weight status, only 60.1% perceived themselves as being overweight. Overweight and obese participants who accurately perceived their weight were more likely to desire weight loss and to have attempted to lose weight than those who did not perceive themselves as overweight. In particular, overweight/obese participants reporting at least one of the selected diagnoses were more likely to desire weight loss than those who reported none (OR 3.5; CI 1.9, 6.6; p<0.0001). About 43% of the study sample reported having attempted weight loss within the previous 12 months, and the most common weight loss strategies were eating less food (61.2%), eating less junk food (59.5%), exercising (59.5%), drinking a lot of water (57.7%), and eating more fruits, vegetables, and salads (54.6%). The findings from this study show a much higher burden of obesity among SNAP‐Ed participants in Georgia than in the general population and highlight the importance and urgency of developing a culturally tailored obesity prevention program to meet their unique needs as part of SNAP‐Ed programming. Support or Funding Information This study was funded by USDA SNAP‐Ed.