This document presents the results of a statistical analysis project on public understanding of obesity. A survey was conducted with 250 respondents between the ages of 21-25 and 26-30. The survey aimed to explore common perceptions of obesity and assess knowledge. Statistical analysis found that while respondents were generally aware of their weight and how to prevent obesity, there were also many misconceptions. On average, respondents answered only half of obesity-related questions correctly. This highlights the need for greater public education on obesity as a leading cause of preventable death worldwide.

1. 1
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND
DESIGN
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL AND BUILT
ENVIRONMENTS
MATHEMATICS (MATH0103)
PROJECT 02- STATISTICS
GROUPMEMBERS:
DARSHIINI A/PVIGNESHWARAN PILLAI 0319359
KONG ZHENG CHUNG 0319528
TAN WEN HAO 0319923
TAN YIT FONG 0319133
WELSON LUM WEI JUNN 0319514

2. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENT PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................3
2. OBJECTIVE................................................................................................4
3. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................5
4. QUESTIONNAIRE.....................................................................................6
5. STATISICAL ANALYSIS.........................................................................10
6. CONCLUSION...........................................................................................17
7. APPENDIX.................................................................................................18

3. 3
INTRODUCTION
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released in 2014 a list of preventable causes
of death spanning from 2001 to 2012. Peaking at the top is ischaemic heart diseases followed
by stroke, COPD and trachea bronchus and lung cancers - all caused by obesity. This sudden
peak has been around for more than decade, but do people know that?
We know that obesity is a common disease that affects many within our circle and some
knowledge of preventing this disease has led us to live healthier lives for example say
exercising and eating healthy. Through this survey we wanted to research on whether those of
ages between 21-25 and 26-30, the age groups that are at their physical peak, knew about
obesity and how it could affect them.
Hence, we hope be able to explore the common notions of obesity perceived by the public,
particularly of this age group through the gathering and analysis of the statistical data and
finally presenting it as an infographic for the understanding of the public.
References:
[1] The top ten causes of death (updated 2014) World Health Organization
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/>

4. 4
OBJECTIVE
This project serves to allow us students to collect and organize statistical data and provide the
opportunity to apply the knowledge gained to statistical data and draw a conclusion from the
data. We hope to achieve this objective by dividing it into subsidiary ones as follows:
1. To collect data on the understanding of obesity of those aged 21 to 25 and 26 to 30.
2. To analyse the statistical data based on the survey forms collected, understand the
mathematical principles involved and present he information in a simple, appealing and
understandable way.
3. Solve problems that involve various mathematical principles.

5. 5
METHODOLOGY
The data for this report and the questionnaire survey was gathered from 17 December 2014 to
31st January 2015. The survey forms were distributed in two ways, one in hardcopy print form
and one through an online Google doc. Hardcopies of the questionnaire survey was distributed
throughout Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus particularly at the library, kiosk spaces and
the Student Life Centre. On the other hand, the softcopy link of the questionnaire survey was
shared with our fellow friends from other universities to complete. 250 questionnaires were
distributed among two age groups 21 to 25 and 26 to 30. From those two age groups, each age
group consisted of 50 males and 50 females who completed the survey form. Not to mention,
we garnered 50 online survey questionnaires by 25 males and 25 females.
After separating the survey forms according to their age group, the data for each response was
averaged to find the mean using the following formula:
Charts and diagrams were drawn up according to the statistics
gathered for every question.
By the end of the analysis we conclude that the level of
understanding regarding obesity of those aged between 26 to 30 is higher compared to those
aged 21-25.

6. 6
PROCESS PICTURES
FIGURE 3 & 4: Students filling up the hardcopy survey form at the Taylor’s
University library
FIGURE 1: Group members tabulating the data from the
survey forms
FIGURE 2:Student of the right is
filling up our online survey form
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 3

7. 7
ONLINE SURVEY FORM
Link for the softcopy questionnaire by Google documents:
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cfkarTPqFRVzTWpQdT7U1skPYkU0wHitZRLr_qx8b4/vi
ewform>

8. 8

9. 9

10. 10
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
0
1
2
3
4
5
Excessive food intake
Drinking excessive
water
Hereditary/ genetic
reasons
Lack of exercise
All
The correct answer garnered a close second
majority of 35.2% from the responses.
4. What are the causes of obesity?
Answer Excessive
food intake
Drinking
excessivewater
Hereditary/
genetic
Lack of
exercise
All
No. of responses 14 45 67 34 88
Percentage 5.6% 18% 26.8% 14.4% 35.2%
Total respondents: 250
1. Gender
2. Age group
3. Nationality
Male Female
Gender 125 125
21-25 26-30
Age group 125 125
Malaysian Others
Nationality 189 61

11. 11
Excessive food
intake
Drinking
excessive water
Hereditary/
genetic reasons
Lack of exercise All
21-25 15.7 0.4 8 12.3 10
26-30 24.7 2.4 10.8 18.5 24
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)
Q4: What are the causes of obesity?

12. 12
0
1
2
3
4
5
1
23
Yes
74%
No
26%
Yes No
Answer 1 2 3
No. of responses 70 103 81
Percentage 28% 41.2% 32.4%
5. How many types of obesity are
there?
The correct answer
was that there were 3
types of obesity and it
is the second most
answered score.
6. Can obesity lead to death?
Answer Yes No
No. of responses 185 65
Percentage 74% 26%
The correct answer is yes, obesity
can cause death which majority of
the public manage to score well.

13. 13
1 2 3
21-25 13 23.2 16.2
26-30 15 18 16.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
%
Q5: How many types of obesity arethere? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)
Yes No
21-25 35.5 8
26-30 38.5 18
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
%
Q6: Can obesity lead to death? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)

14. 14
Yes
83%
No
17%
Yes No
0
1
2
3
4
<1000
10001-1500
1501-2000>2000
Not sure
7. What is your daily intake of calories?
Answer <1000 1001-1500 1501-2000 >2000 Not sure
No. of responses 14 45 67 34 88
Percentage 5.6% 18% 26.8% 14.4% 35.2%
There is no right or wrong answer and this question is
put to measure the public’s knowledge of their own
health in which the majority, 35.2%, proved they were
not.
8. Are you aware of your own weight?
Answer Yes No
No. of
responses
207 43
Percentage 82.8% 17.2%
This question is also meant to evaluate the level of
personal knowledge regarding their health which has
shown to be the majority of the public’s concern.

15. 15
<1000 1001-1500 1501-2000 >2000 Not sure
21-25 4.3 6 8 5.2 10
26-30 1.3 12 18.8 9.2 25.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
Q7: What is your daily intake of calories? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)
Yes No
21-25 25.03 13.2
26-30 22.5 4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
Q8: Awareof your own weight? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)

16. 16
0
1
2
3
4
5
50%
80%
200%
500%
0
2
4
6
8
China
America
India
Malaysia
9. Obesity increases death rate by?
Answer 50% 80% 200% 500%
No. of responses 73 125 43 8
Percentage 29.2% 50% 17.2% 3.2%
Majority of the public
believed that obesity
increases death rate by
80% (50%) followed by
the correct answer, 50%
(29.2%)
10. Which country has the highest rate
of obesity?
Answer China America India Malaysia
No. of responses 15 181 15 39
Percentage 6% 72.4% 6% 15.6%
Majority of the public got this
question right with 181 responses
out of 250, making up a 72.4%.

17. 17
50% 80% 200% 500%
21-25 23.2 43 8.2 1.6
26-30 26.8 37 9 1.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
%
Q9: Obesity increases death rateby? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)
China America India Malaysia Not sure
21-25 7 20.9 8.2 18.1 10
26-30 4 51.5 4.9 4.9 25.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
%
Q10: Which country has the highestrate of obesity? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)

18. 18
65%
35%
Yes No
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Cancer
Conjunctivitis
High blood pressureBreathing problems
All of the above
11. Could lack of sleep be causing you to
gain weight?
Answer Yes No
No. of
responses
163 87
Percentage 65.2% 34.8%
Majority of the public also got this question right with 163
responses out of 250, making up a 65.2 percentage.
12. Of the following medical
problems, what do you think are
associated with obesity?
Answer Cancer Conjunctivitis HBP Breathing All
No. of responses 19 9 128 75 19
Percentage 7.6% 3.6% 51.2% 30% 7.6%
There were three correct
answers and most, 51.2 %,
believed that obesity only
caused high blood pressure
even though cancer, 7.6%,
was a much more serious
disease.

19. 19
Yes No
21-25 30.4 82.8
26-30 34.8 58.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
%
Q11: Could a lack of sleep causeyou to gain weight? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)
Cancer Conjunctivitis
High blood
pressure
Breathing All
21-25 4.4 1.3 15.6 10.8 4.4
26-30 3.2 2.3 35.6 19.2 3.2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
%
Q12: Of the following medical problems, which do you
think are associated with obesity?
21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)

20. 20
0
1
2
3
4
1st
2nd
5th
10th
0
2
4
6
8
Measuring waist size
Using Body Mass
Index (BMI)
When medical
problems start to
arise
Not sure
13. The only way to know if you are
overweight is to?
Answer Measuring BMI Medical
problems
Not sure
No. of responses 20 181 22 27
Percentage 8% 72.4% 8.8% 10.8%
This question garnered the
highest range of percentage
on the right answer at 72.4%
compared to the 27.6% of the
combined wrong answers.
14. The World Health Organization (WHO)
came up with the top 10 causes of death in
2014. Which placing do you think obesity is
at?
Answer 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
No. of responses 30 98 86 36
Percentage 12% 39.2% 34.4% 14.4%
Most voted for 2nd and 3rd
placing with 39.2% and
34.4% of the responses
respectively. The least voted
answer, 1st placing, which is
the correct answer only
gathered 12 % of the
responses.

21. 21
Measuring waist size BMI Medical problems Not sure
21-25 2.7 19.6 5.7 3.5
26-30 5.3 52.8 3.1 7.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
%
Q13: The only way to know if you'reoverweightis to..? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
21-25 3.7 13.6 14.1 5.9
26-30 8.3 25.6 20.3 8.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
Q14: Whatplacing do you think obesity is at? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)

22. 22
0
1
2
3
4
5
Height x Weight
(Height+ Weight) / 100
Weight/ Height²
(Height x 0.3) / Weight
15. What is the method to calculate the
Body Mass Index (BMI)?
Answer Height x
Weight
(Height+ Weight)
/ 100
Weight/
Height²
(Height x 0.3) /
Weight
No. of responses 21 116 78 35
Percentage 8.4% 46.4% 31.2% 14%
There have been many campaigns to promote the BMI
formula to keep our weight in check. The correct
formula had the second majority of votes with 78
responses out of 250, proving that the public still has
much to learn about obesity.

23. 23
Height x Weight
(Height+ Weight) /
100
Weight/ Height²
(Height x0.3) /
Weight
21-25 3 13.6 10.8 5.3
26-30 5.4 32.8 20.4 8.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
%
Q15: Whatis the method to calculate BMI? 21-25
26-30
Linear (21-25)

24. 24
CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, our major purposeof conducting the survey and tabulating the
data is assess the level of understanding the general public has of the number
one disease in the world-obesity. Overall as a whole, the general public has
some sort of grasp on what is obesity and how to prevent it from happening
to themselves as shown in question 8 (Are you aware of your own weight?)
with a 82.8% majority and question 13 (The only way to know if you are
overweight is to?) with a 72.4 % majority.
However, there are also many misconceptions about obesity. Out of the 12
questions asked in the survey itself concerning obesity, the overall average
scorewas 6/12.This was shocking news for the number one disease that kills
yearly for more than a decade. Forexample in question 14 (The World
Health Organization (WHO) came up with the top 10 causes of death in
2014. Which placing do you think obesity is at?), only a mere 12% got it
right with the answer that it is the number one killer. This meant only 30
people out of 250 knew about this important information which is almost
1/8th of the people surveyed.
Although, on average, the age group between 26 and 30 (Group B) scored
higher with an average of 9/12 while the age group 21 to 25 (Group A) only
scored 3/12. This is probably due to the fact that as people get older, they
tend to keep themselves in the know of diseases that could posea threat to
their health which in this case is obesity. Forexample in question 8 (Are you
aware of your own weight?), 53.2% of those of aged 26 to 30 are aware
compared to the 24.5 % of those aged 21 to 25 which is a notable 28.7%
difference.
Even when those of Group A scored higher than those in Group B, it was
only by a small mark. This can be clearly seen in question 9 (Obesity
increases death rate by?) whereby only a 6% difference occurred between
group A’s 43% and group B’s 37% correctly answering the question.
Eventhough the age group that we interviewed, 21 to 25 and 26-30, were
people we believed to scorethe beston this survey due to their physical peak
in their lives, the level of understanding was disappointing.

25. 25
APPENDIX-
COMPILATION OF SURVERY
FORMS