Background: Replacing light beverages and foods with ordinary products is a behavioral attitude to balance healthy weight. Body image is one of the driving affect for changing eating habit. Including the low calorie products in diet is one of the methods of lowering energy.
Objective: In present study we aimed to assess perception and consumption of light products by consumers and to evaluate whether the desired body image can be a driving force for light food consumption.
Design: A questionnaire including demographic parameters and body image of consumers, light-food perception, their awareness and consumption of low calorie products were applied to fifty participants participated in the study.
Outcomes Examined: The demographic and anthropometric data collected with a questionnaire. The perception and consumption of light foods were examined. Body images and desired body images were compared and related to light food consumption.
Statistical Analysis: The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 18.0) was used to calculate the means ± standard deviation and percentages.
Results: Among 50 participants, the percent distributions were 12% underweights, 42% normal, 28% overweights and18% obese. Comparison of the current and desired body images of consumers indicated that the most desired body image figure was number 3(56%). The participants declared that light foods were mostly include low calorie and low fat. Limited number of consumers accepted the light foods as healthy foods. The amount and nutritive value of foods were the most important parameters that affected their decision when they bought light products.
Conclusions: The perception and consumption of light foods vary among participated population. Light foods mostly accepted as low calorie and low fat foods. The most controversial issue was whether the low calorie foods are good for health or not. Approximately half of the participants do not seem satisfied with their body images, and desire to be leaner. Consistently, sixtytwo percent declared to consume light products.