Introduction:

Eating habits vary among individuals, affecting their health. Knowing the Body Mass Index (BMI) in university students is key to designing strategies that promote healthy lifestyles.

Materials and methods:

A descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 with 250 medical students from the Universidad Privada del Valle. A questionnaire from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was used to assess BMI and eating habits.

Results:

59.2% were women and 40.8% were men, aged between 19 and 37 years. 66.4% had a normal BMI (mean 22.11 ± 1.75), 23.2% were overweight (26.82 ± 1.36), 4.8% had grade I obesity (31.94 ± 1.4), 3.6% were underweight (17.6 ± 0.42), and 2% had grade II obesity (37.19 ± 1.65). No significant association was found between BMI and physical activity. Overweight and obese men consumed more protein and fat, while women with grade II obesity had a high carbohydrate intake. Light physical activity predominated, although 41.67% of those with grade I obesity and 20% of those with grade II obesity were sedentary.

Discussion:

Although most participants had a normal BMI, a considerable proportion were overweight or had grade I obesity, mainly men. However, gender and physical activity did not show a significant relationship with BMI. Diet appears to have a greater impact, highlighting the need to implement educational strategies to improve student health.