It’s been shown that overweight kids underestimate their weight, but fresh research now shows that adults have the same problem. A new study says that 30 percent of overweight Americans think they are a normal, but 70 percent of people who are obese think they are just overweight.
The survey was conducted by HealthDay and Harris Healthcare. Researchers asked participants to place themselves in a weight class, from normal, overweight, obese and morbidly obese. The responses were then compared to the participants’ BMI. The survey consistently showed that Americans tend to underestimate their weight category. Sixty percent of those who are morbidly obese said that they are simply obese.
These results reveal a great lack of self-awareness among the population. Experts say that many people don’t recognize that they have a problem. “While there are some people who have body images in line with their actual BMI, for many people they are not, and this may be where part of the problem lies,” said Regina Corso, vice president of Harris Poll Solutions. “If they do not recognize the problem or don’t recognize the severity of the problem, they are less likely to do something about it.”
Via USA Today.
Also Read:
Healthiest and Unhealthiest U.S. Cities