Addressing the problem of obesity requires a complex - holistic approach, respecting its biological, psycho-social and health-related elements. Only 2 - 5% of all cases of overweight or obesity arise from objective medical reasons. The others are clearly a result of inappropriate lifestyle. The transition from secondary school to university represents one of the milestones for lifestyle changes in adolescents. In our research, which is part of the VEGA grant "Selected obesity risk factors and their physical prevention", No. 1/1343/12, we focused on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in male and female undergraduates, with respect on their study programme, lifestyle satisfaction and physical activity. We investigated overweight and obesity using the Body Mass Index (BMI) method. The results obtained, via the questionnaire method, from a sample of 939 female and 691 male students of two universities showed negative correlation between increased BMI values and undergraduate lifestyle satisfaction. The negative relation with physical activity, particularly with doing exercise and sports, was not significant. Diet, physical activity and sleep regime are reported to be the most frequent items that undergraduates would like to change to live a healthier lifestyle.

Institute of physical education of sport Pavol Jozef Šafárik University of Košice Slovakia

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