%0 Journal Article %T Body weight perception and weight loss practices among a group of Sri Lankan university students %J - %D 2018 %R 10.4038/cjms.v55i2.4937 %X Background: The increasing trends in overweight and obesity is a public health issue globally. Self-perception of a person¡¯s weight may influence the action taken by the individual in his/her weight management. Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the association between self-perception of body weight, weight management practices and calculated body mass index (BMI) among a group of Sri Lankan university students. Method: A sample of 384 students was selected from the Eastern University, Sri Lanka by using a systematic sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire assessed the socio-demographic characters, weight management practices and perception of existing body weight. Weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were measured and compared with Asian anthropometric cut-offs for BMI and WC. Chi-squire test was used to find out the association between selected variables and calculated BMI. Results: The response rate was 87.5%. Out of 336 participants, the percentages of those overweight, obese and underweight were 35.2%, 10.7% and 8.6% respectively. Two- thirds of overweight males and a third of overweight females considered themselves as ¡®about right weight¡¯ or ¡®underweight¡¯. In the obese subjects, 5.3% and 23.5% men and women respectively perceived themselves as ¡®about right weight¡¯. Over two thirds of all obese subjects perceived themselves as being overweight. Of those who perceived themselves as overweight or very overweight, 71.2% tried to lose their weight. In the perceived ¡®normal weight category, 6.4% tried to lose weight. Conclusions %K Weight perception %K University Students %K Overweight %K Obesity %K Sri Lanka %U https://cjms.sljol.info/articles/10.4038/cjms.v55i2.4937/