Good nutrition is the cornerstone for survival, health and development for current and succeeding generations. A key factor in the progressive increase in the prevalence of obesity is poor dietary habits. The treatment of obesity with regular diets often fail, so knowing the specific habits of these patients can be very useful to individualize treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary habits of obese subjects residing in coimbatore city. A well-structured interview schedule was formulated to elicit information on the dietary pattern followed by the selected subjects by using a pretested questionnaire. The data collected were systematically consolidated and statistically analyzed. Although dietary education improves eating habits of obese individual, a high percentage remain with inadequate dietetic customs, which could be a key factor in the failure of obesity treatment. Education on food intakes of this group is therefore needed along with further large scale studies.
