Herbal dietary interventions for weight loss among regularly exercising women in Turkey

Purpose Obesity is a chronic disease that is conjoined with increased mortality. Parallel to rising obesity rates, herbal dietary interventions to lose weight are also increasing. The purpose of this study is to assess and evaluate the use of herbal dietary interventions for weight loss among regularly exercising women. Design/methodology/approach A total of 545 regularly exercising women (aged 19–64 years) were recruited from several local sports centers. A questionnaire form to evaluate demographic characteristics, nutritional habits and herbal dietary intervention habits was administered by a trained dietitian. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, fat mass, total body water and fat free mass were measured using a bioelectrical impedance analysis device. Findings A total of 244 participants (44.8%) used herbal dietary interventions for weight loss within the last year. The most commonly used herbal dietary interventions were green tea (59.4%), lemon juice (27%), herbal tea mix (20.9%) and cinnamon powder (17.6%), respectively. Of the 244 women who used herbal dietary interventions for weight loss, 42.2% claimed that by using these products they experienced weight loss. Herbal dietary interventions were significantly higher among women with obesity (61.9%) than women with a healthy weight (37.5%). The use of herbal supplements increased among women who consider themselves as being overweight (p < 0.001). Furthermore, herbal dietary interventions decreased with more frequent attempts for a weight-loss diet (p < 0.001). Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents a first attempt at assessing the use of herbal dietary supplements for weight loss among regularly exercising Turkish women. With the increase of body mass index and body perception being as overweight, herbal dietary interventions were also increased. In particular, women with obesity (61.9%) used more herbal dietary interventions than women with healthy weight (37.5%). Moreover, women with an overweight body perception used more herbal supplements than those who thought they had a healthy body weight.