Background: In modern society, university students are more concerned about their appearance than their health, which leads to excessive dieting. This study investigates the impacting factors on weight control steps according to body mass index (BMI) and diet experiences among university students. Methods: We enrolled 174 college students. A questionnaire was used to collect data on health-related characteristics, dieting experience, BMI, and impacting factors on weight control. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 software. Results: The subjects were divided into 2 groups: students with dieting experience (63.8%) and students without dieting experience (36.2%). Among all the impacting factors on weight-control steps, the 2 groups differed significantly in aspects of ‘dramatic relief’, ‘reinforced care’, ‘helping relation’, ‘conscious raising’, ‘self liberation’, and ‘social liberation’. In comparing the impacting factors in steps of weight control regarding BMI, the main factor among high weight subjects was the ‘dramatic relief’. Conclusion: Impacting factors on weight-control steps with respect to the dieting experience and BMI are important factors of weight control among university students and it should be considered when developing strategies for weight-control health program.

Keywords: Body weight, Body mass index, Universities, Students, Health promotion

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