title: Disparities in overweight and obesity among US college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine social disparities and behavioral correlates of overweight and obesity over time among college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multilevel analyses of BMI, physical activity, and television viewing from 2 representative surveys of US college students (n=24,613).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight and obesity increased over time and were higher among males, African Americans, and students of lower socioeconomic position and lower among Asians. Television viewing and in activity were associated with obesity, and disparities in these behaviors partially accounted for excess weight among African Americans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social disparities in overweight and obesity exist among college students. Promoting physical activity and reducing television viewing may counteract increasing trends.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. tnelson@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Toben F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gortmaker
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Subramanian
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wechsler
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*