A cafeteria in Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology in the southern city of Jinju is seen in this photo provided by the school.
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — University students have a substantial difference in favorite foods by gender — female students showed more preference for dairy products and sugary foods, while male students ate seaweed and greasy foods more frequently, a survey said Thursday.
A research team led by Song Kyung-hee, a food and nutrition professor at at Myongji University, conducted a survey of 566 university students living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, consisting of 269 male students and 297 female students.
The share of those with normal weight stood at 67.7 percent for female students, higher than 46.1 percent for male students.
The share of those who were classified as underweight stood at 13.5 percent for female students, more than 10 times higher than the 1.1 percent reported for male students.
The share of those who were classified as overweight or obese stood at 22.7 percent and 30.1 percent for male students, about two to four times higher than the 11.1 percent and 7.7 percent reported for female students.
Female students marked higher scores than their male counterparts in the survey items, including ‘adjustment of diet for weight control,’ ‘concern about obesity,’ and ‘careful selection of food for health management.’
Male students, however, recorded higher scores than their female counterparts in the survey item ‘daily exercise.’
Female students marked higher scores in the survey items asking if they enjoy eating fruits, dairy products such as milk and yogurt, and sugary foods, while male students recorded higher scores in the survey items asking if they enjoy seaweed such as sea mustard and laver and greasy foods.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
