Table 2. Distribution of scores and factor loadings on the initial 50-item weight literacy scale (note: items 44 and 45 contain multiple questions; each question counted as an item).
| Item | Responses, % Correct | Round 1 Factor Loading | Round 2 Factor Loading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. People can lose weight without exercising.* | 65.5% | 0.36 | — |
| 2. Drinking water instead of juice can help a person lose weight. | 83.0% | 0.43 | 0.45 |
| 3. Certain moods can make people want to eat high-calorie foods. | 82.5% | 0.54 | 0.61 |
| 4. Any physical activity burns calories. | 86.0% | 0.52 | 0.62 |
| 5. Having friends that are physical active can help a person be more active. | 88.5% | 0.53 | 0.47 |
| 6. A person can lose weight by eating the same foods, but in smaller portions.* | 80.0% | 0.41 | 0.37 |
| 7. In equal amounts, fried foods have fewer calories than grilled foods. | 73.0% | 0.47 | 0.60 |
| 8. Alcoholic beverages have few calories. | 72.5% | 0.71 | 0.71 |
| 9. Regular meats have fewer calories than lean meats. | 58.5% | 0.52 | 0.67 |
| 10. The only way to lose weight is eating healthy foods. | 49.0% | 0.62 | 0.51 |
| 11. Tracking what we eat can help us understand how to cut calories. | 86.0% | 0.64 | 0.75 |
| 12. People who fast tend to eat more calories.* | 48.0% | 0.38 | — |
| 13. To keep their weight stable, some people need to eat more calories than other people. | 65.0% | 0.41 | 0.52 |
| 14. Adults who are trying to lose weight should weigh themselves at least once a week.* | 65.5% | 0.51 | 0.25 |
| 15. In equal amounts, whole milk has fewer calories than 2% milk.* | 65.0% | 0.32 | — |
| 16. Some salad dressings and vinaigrettes can add many calories to a salad.* | 79.0% | 0.66 | 0.72 |
| 17. In equal amounts, mustard has fewer calories than mayonnaise. | 52.0% | 0.49 | 0.62 |
| 18. A small glass of orange juice has about the same number of calories as an orange.* | 33.5% | 0.48 | 0.36 |
| 19. The recommended serving size of cheese for a sandwich is a thin slice.* | 57.5% | 0.56 | 0.41 |
| 20. One tablespoon of most oils has about 120 calories.* | 29.0% | 0.63 | 0.26 |
| 21. A brisk 20-minute walk can burn the calories from eating a medium order of French fries.* | 29.0% | 0.59 | 0.34 |
| 22. A packet (1 teaspoon) of sugar has 40 calories.* | 13.0% | 0.46 | 0.22 |
| 23. A lunch that has 1,500 calories is healthy for most adults. | 52.0% | 0.41 | 0.56 |
| 24. An overweight adult who does not exercise needs to eat about 500 fewer calories a day to lose one pound per week. | 35.5% | 0.51 | 0.54 |
| 25. Exercising one time per day for 30 minutes or exercising three times per day for 10 minutes have the same effect for weight loss.* | 37.5% | 0.30 | — |
| 26. A regular can of non-diet soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar.* | 40.5% | 0.42 | 0.31 |
| 27. One teaspoon of sugar has twice the calories of a teaspoon of honey.* | 17.5% | 0.38 | — |
| 28. A cup of any fruit has about 60 calories.* | 14.0% | 0.55 | 0.10 |
| 29. The recommended serving size of rice (cooked) is one cup.* | 16.0% | 0.38 | — |
| 30. A weight loss goal of 1–2 pounds per week is commonly recommended. | 68.5% | 0.66 | 0.55 |
| 31. A healthy snack should contain at least 300 calories. | 39.0% | 0.57 | 0.49 |
| 32. 100% fruit juice contains very few calories. | 45.5% | 0.59 | 0.61 |
| 33. Healthy snacks can have many calories.* | 54.0% | 0.36 | — |
| 34. A calorie tells us how healthy a food is. | 45.5% | 0.64 | 0.62 |
| 35. Regular energy drinks contain few calories. | 66.5% | 0.52 | 0.59 |
| 36. People tend to overeat when there is a lot of food around them. | 81.5% | 0.69 | 0.69 |
| 37. Setting goals for changing diet and physical activity can help people lose weight. | 89.0% | 0.66 | 0.75 |
| 38. Eating fried foods less often can help a person lose weight. | 66.5% | 0.48 | 0.66 |
| 39. Eating smaller portions can help people lose weight. | 90.0% | 0.71 | 0.81 |
| 40. How many calories a day should an active man eat to have a healthy weight? (An example of an active man is someone who walks briskly for 30 minutes on most days of the week). | 57.0% | 0.46 | 0.57 |
| 41. How many calories a day should an active woman eat to have a healthy weight? (An example of an active man is someone who walks briskly for 30 minutes on most days of the week). | 59.0% | 0.53 | 0.68 |
| 42. How many calories a day should an active child aged 5–11 eat to have a healthy weight? (An example of an active child is a girl or boy who plays sports for 60 minutes a day).* | 22.0% | 0.28 | — |
| 43. How many calories a day should an active child aged 12–18 eat to have a healthy weight? (An example of an active adolescent is someone who plays sports for 60 minutes a day).* | 12.5% | 0.31 | — |
| 44a. Based on this pizza label, one serving has 380 calories. | 68.0% | 0.50 | 0.46 |
| 44b. Based on this pizza label, the entire pizza has 3 servings. | 66.5% | 0.76 | 0.75 |
| 44c. Based on this pizza label, if you ate the whole pizza, you would be eating 760 calories. | 56.5% | 0.54 | 0.69 |
| 45a. Based on this soda container label, one serving has 150 calories. | 77.0% | 0.77 | 0.65 |
| 45b. Based on this soda container label, the entire soda has 2 servings. | 59.5% | 0.80 | 0.63 |
| 45c. Based on this soda container label, if you drank the entire soda bottle, you would be drinking 300 calories. | 63.0% | 0.79 | 0.64 |
| 46. Exercising one time per day for 30 minutes burns the same number of calories as exercising three times per day for 10 minutes.* | 36.0% | 0.33 | — |
*Item not included in final scale.