eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 2333-1240 2019-09-12 7 9 639 645 10.12691/jfnr-7-9-3 JFNR2019793 article Isabel Medina-Vera 1 Héctor Infante-Sierra 2 Alejandro Gabriel González-Garay 2 Martha Guevara-Cruz 3 Carlos Pérez-Monter 4 Aurora Elizabeth Serralde-Zúñiga aurozabeth@yahoo.com.mx 5 Depto. de Metodología de la Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, CP 04530 CDMX, Mexico Depto. de Medicina Interna, Hospital de Especialidades de la CDMX “Dr. Belisario Domínguez”, CP 09790 CDMX, Mexico Depto. de Fisiología de la Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, CP 14080 CDMX, Mexico Depto. de Gastroenterología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, CP 14080 CDMX, Mexico Servicio de Nutriología Clínica, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, CP 14080 CDMX, Mexico Aim: To evaluate the association between obesity and lifestyle factors, eating behaviors related to emotional eating, and body perception. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with individuals of both sexes by taking anthropometric, biochemical and clinical measurements. Questionnaires were used to evaluate lifestyle, eating habits, emotional eating behavior and self-perception of body image. The participants were stratified according to body mass index (BMI). Results: A total of 318 subjects were evaluated (44% women), with an average age of 34 ± 8 years. Regarding the lifestyle questionnaire, the normal BMI group obtained a higher score [ 78.5 (71-82)] than did the overweight [76 (69-80)] and obesity groups [73 (65-79)], (p=0.005); this finding indicated that the normal BMI group had a healthier lifestyle. Conversely, the questionnaire on emotional behaviors related to emotional eating showed that the normal BMI group had lower scores [7 (3-13)] than the overweight [8 (3-15)] and obesity groups [12 (5 -21)], (p=0.008). Being a very emotional eater significantly increases the risk of obesity (OR= 3.83 (95% CI, 1.67-8.7) (p=0.002). Overall, 51.1% of the participants had a self-perception that was incorrect according to their BMI. Conclusion: Individuals frequently have a misperception of their body shape. People with obesity had lifestyle factors that were less favorable for their health as well as higher rates of emotional eating, both of which are risk factors for obesity. http://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/7/9/3/jfnr-7-9-3.pdf body perception lifestyle eating behaviors BMI emotional eating obesity