Obese adults may misperceive their body size

Findings of the study are expected to have important implications on weight related health problems and having a healthy lifestyle.

5893 people studied
To reach the conclusion, researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas carried out a study on 5893 Dallas county residents with an average age of 40.

Of these, 50 percent were blacks, 20 percent were Hispanics, and 30 percent were whites, similar to urban populations, and nearly half of the total participants were women.

Using a sex-specific Stunkard nine figure scale, the participants selected figures which represented their present body weight and ideal body weight.

Researchers classified the self-perceived ideal body weight of the participants in three categories-- normal, below normal and above normal.

Thereafter, using a body size discrepancy--a measure of body size satisfaction—researchers calculated the differences between actual and self-perceived ideal body sizes of all the participants.

Observations by the researchers
Nearly 2,056 participants were found to be obese. Of these, 8 percent participants were found to be satisfied with their body size and even felt they could gain weight.

Overall, 14 percent of the African Americans, 11 percent of the Hispanics, and 2 percent of whites were found to be satisfied with their body weight, and believed that they were healthy and did not need to lose weight.

“Almost one in 10 obese individuals are satisfied with their body size and didn’t perceive that they need to lose weight,” said Tiffany Powell, MD, lead researcher of the study and cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“That is a sizeable percentage who don’t understand they are overweight and believe they are healthy,” Powell added.

However, among those who misconceived that their body size was healthy, researchers noted that 35 percent had high blood pressure, 15 percent had high cholesterol, 14 percent had diabetes, and 27 percent were smokers. The percentage was same in those obese participants who confessed that they had an above normal body size.

Certain unhealthy behavior patterns were also noted among participants who misperceived their body size as healthy. Nearly 44 percent of these did not visit a doctor since a year compared to 26 percent of participants who acknowledged that they needed to lose weight.

Also, obese subjects who misperceived their weight did not exercise regularly compared to others who had recognised that they need to lose weight.

“Understanding and countering body-size misperception may be vitally important to combat obesity, particularly in minority populations,” said Powell. “The relationship between body-size misperception and behavior underscores the need for education efforts focused on both physicians and patients.”

"We have to tell people regardless of whether they bring it up that they are obese and they need to lose weight, and they need to change their dietary habits and they need to work on physical activity," she further said.

The study was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2009.