Overweight people underestimate their size

Added on 06/09/10

Author: Alex Wilkinson - Reporter

A new poll suggests that many obese and overweight people are seriously underestimating how heavy they really are.

Almost 1 in 3 overweight Americans believed they were actually a normal size, while a whopping 70% of obese people thought they were merely overweight. About 39% of morbidly obese people think they're overweight but not obese.

The survey was conducted online during August, and 2,418 adults, aged 18 and over, were involved. HealthDay were responsible.

Big is the new normal

Experts are concerned that overweight is becoming the new 'normal' as weight problems become more common. People who do not recognise that their weight is an issue are less likely to do something about it.

The survey found that obese and overweight people were more likely to view a lack of exercise as the main cause of their size, while food consumption was seen as the lesser of the two culprits. Worryingly, the respondents saw weight loss surgery as the most effective means of losing weight. This was followed by slimming pills. One study author commented: "Americans like the quick fix and that's what they think surgery is." The same could be said in UK, where recent research shows that obesity surgery has become 10 times more common over the past decade. While weight loss surgery is useful in extreme cases, the most healthy, safe and effective way of losing weight is also the simplest – eating better and getting active.

Brain distorts our body image

In the past WeighWorld has reported on research into the brain distorting our body image. Experts found that we can easily judge our body parts to be bigger or smaller than they really are.

All this scientific research goes to show that we need to actually weight ourselves, and if necessary visit our doctors, when we think we're a bit overweight, rather than just drawing our own conclusions.