2015 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 63-68
Summary: Educating people about nutrition may increase their knowledge of what to eat but understanding eating behaviors is necessary to develop a healthy eating lifestyle. However, there is little information on eating behavior in nutrition education due to a lack of evidence. Here, we examined coping strategies for dealing with temptations in weight management using a qualitative and scale development study. These studies identified five coping strategies such as “counter-conditioning”, “eating style”, “stimulus control”, “social support”, and “cognitive coping”. We then implemented a weight management program focused on these coping strategies in a company. The program increased the number of participants who were actively losing weight or in a maintenance stage and decreased those with a body mass index >25 kg/m2. The five coping strategies were also used to develop educational material. The feasibility of this material was examined by health professionals and adults who attended a health program. The study using the material was widely regarded as fun, although some improvements were suggested and the material revised accordingly. The data gathered from these studies provides evidence on eating behavior that supports shifting nutrition education away from focusing on nutrition and towards promoting healthy eating behaviors.
