The Use of Diet Practices, Herbs, and Supplementations for Weight Loss among Adults in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a global health pandemic; several studies have indicated that people commonly seek claim diets and herbal supplementations Aim: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of herbs and supplementation use and other weight-loss strategies among adults in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 689 adults (≥18 years) using a structured validated online questionnaire. Data about sociodemographic, anthropometric data, weight-loss strategies, diets, and herbs used were collected. A frequency descriptive statistic test was used to describe the sample. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 28.9% of the participants reported the most common source of diets they followed to either by themselves or dietitians (26.0%). Also, 23.4% reported that they followed more than one diet. Almost three-quarters of participants (74.7%) reported that they think that weight-loss diets are unsafe to be decided by a dietitian. The majority of participants (83.5%) reported that they do not believe in the role of using herbs, and supplementations alone to reduce weight. The most commonly used single herb was green tea (43.1%). 38.2% of total participants think that using herbal supplements for weight reduction is safe. Slightly less than one-third of the participants suffered from side effects after using herbs. Conclusions: The obese and overweight adults in Jordan seek different weight-reducing strategies, including the of use diet practices, herbs, and supplementations. More national studies with different designs are required. Also, strategies may be needed to increase national population awareness about different weight loss practices (cons and pros).