One in 4 women in denial about weight problem

William Atkins
Thursday, 25 November 2010 00:32

Science - Health

According to a U.S. study performed on over 2,200 young women, 25% of women are overweight but consider themselves of normal weight. Some women of normal weight thought they were overweight. Both groups of "misperceivers" have the potential for serious health problems.

One of the researchers of the study is Dr. Mahbubur Rahman, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Dr. Rahman stated, "The fact that people misperceive their body weight was already known.' [WebMD (11-22-2010): 'Misperception of Body Weight Poses Health Risks']

He added, 'Overweight women who were misperceivers are less likely to have healthy weight-loss behaviors."

The study also found that 16% of women who were of normal weight perceived themselves as having weight problems.

Dr. Rahman commented, 'Those of normal weight who thought they were overweight, likewise, had unhealthy behaviors, such as using diet pills or smoking.'

Please read the before-mentioned WebMD article 'Misperception of Body Weight Poses Health Risks' for additional information on this problem with women misperceiving (in denial with) their weight problem.

Also read the U.S.News and World Report article '1 in 4 Overweight Women Think They're Normal Size: Study' for more on this subject.

The article states, 'The study found these misperceptions to be often correlated with race: Black and Hispanic women were much more likely to play down their overweight status compared with whites, who were more apt to worry that they weighed too much (even when they didn't).'

Page two concludes with how you can stop misperceiving and do something about a weight problem.