The authors compared several health and nutritional characteristics of overwe- ight students (149 men and 102 women) and students with normal body weight (601 men and 1210 women). In addition to differences in anthropometric indicators (BMI, percentage of body fat, WHR), they found also statistically significantly higher values of systolic and diastolic BP, total cholesterol , triacylglycerols, LDL cholesterol and the atherogenity index (CHOL/HDL) in the groups of overweight men and women. Overweight students have poorer dietary habits. They have an irregular eating pattern, a smaller number of daily meals, eat more frequently smoked meat products. Overweight men drink more coffee, alcoholic drinks and eat less fruit as compared with slim men. Comparison of results of 24-hour recalls did not reveal any significant differences between groups of men and women with different body weight. The mean energy output calculated from the reported physical activity was in overweight students significantly higher as compared with non-obese students. From evaluation of the energy balance ensues that students with a higher body weight had a smaller excess energy intake (men) or greater energy deficit (women) than students with a normal body weight. Correlation of dietary data with anthropometric indicators suggested a possible inverse relation between them. Perspectively it will be necessary in dietary surveys to take into account unde- restimation of the dietary intake, particularly in risk groups and validate the results of dietary records by objective laboratory methods.

        Key words: overweight - elevated BP and serum lipid levels - underreporting of dietary intake