With so much focus on the obesity epidemic, you’d think obese people would at least be aware they weigh too much and would be concerned about the health consequences. Surprisingly, not everyone in the overweight or obese category believes they’re overweight or consider it to be a problem. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at this issue.
In this study, researchers asked a group of more than 2,000 adults as part of the Dallas Heart Study to look at drawings of people with different body BMIs. The BMIs of the people in the drawings ranged from 19.8 (underweight) to 41.5 (morbidly obese). The participants were asked to select the one that was closest to how they believed they looked.
Interestingly, about eight percent of the obese participants chose drawings of people who were not obese. About two-thirds of this group also believed they were at low risk for obesity and were unaware they were at higher risk for health problems as a result of weight issues. Not surprisingly, they weren’t taking steps to reduce their weight or control their obesity-related health risks.
A Gallup poll paints an even bleaker picture. Almost 69% of adults in America are either overweight or obese, but only a little more than half of men and women think they have a weight problem. Men who were overweight or obese were less likely to think they had a weight problem compared to women. Eighteen percent of the respondents acknowledged they had a weight problem but had no plans to lose the extra weight now or in the future. Another 18% were actively trying to lose weight.
Kids Misperceive Their Body Weight Too
Adults aren’t the only ones who don’t acknowledge they have a weight problem. Based on a study carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 81% of overweight boys and 71% of overweight girls think their weight is about right. In addition, almost half of obese boys and 36% of obese girls think their weight is okay. As the CDC points out, kids who think they’re the right weight are unlikely to make the lifestyle changes needed to reach a healthy body weight.
What about Mom and Dad? Parents have the greatest influence over a child’s eating and exercise habits but many are unaware or don’t acknowledge that a child has a weight problem. In one study, 45% of parents misperceived their child’s weight. Another study involving 16,000 kids found over half of parents with overweight or obese kids didn’t believe their child had a weight problem. Even parents who acknowledge their child is overweight are quick to label it as “baby fat.”
Why is it so important that parents accept that a child has a weight problem? Research shows kids who are overweight prior to entering first grade are four times more likely to be overweight by the time they reach middle school compared to kids of normal weight. For kids, being obese isn’t just a social stigma. “Adult” health problems like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea are now showing up in children.
The Growing Epidemic of Abdominal Obesity
A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows we aren’t yet winning the obesity battle. The good news is the average BMI in America has stabilized, but the average waist size has increased significantly. Over the last decade, the average waist size has expanded by over an inch. In 2000, the average waist size was 37.6 inches. In 2012, it was 37.8 inches.
For women, waist sizes increased by 1.5 inches over 12 years to an average of 37.8 inches. Why is this so concerning? Research shows women with a waist size of 35 inches or more are at greater risk for health problems including metabolic syndrome, type 2-diabetes and heart disease irrespective of BMI. Abdominal obesity, characterized by a large waist size, is the most dangerous type of obesity from a health standpoint. A large waist size is indicative of higher levels of visceral fat, deep belly fat that produces inflammatory chemicals. These inflammatory chemicals are linked to health problems like metabolic syndrome.
Based on the fact BMI has stayed relatively steady, it might seem we have a handle on the obesity problem but the increase in waist size and abdominal obesity suggests otherwise.
Growth in Abdominal Obesity
Why are waistlines growing despite little change in the average BMI? CDC researchers don’t know for sure but they have a few theories. They speculate that lack of exercise may be fueling changes in body composition. They also acknowledge that environmental factors like BPA, pesticides and other environmental chemicals may play a part. Research in animals shows some of these chemicals are “endocrine disruptors” that alter levels of hormones including those that control weight. The aging of the population and the fact that more people are taking medications that affect weight may also be factors.
The Bottom Line?
The war on obesity is far from won in either kids or adults. Obesity, in general, is on the rise in kids and abdominal obesity is a growing problem in adult as well. Some kids and adults are “blind” to the fact they have a weight problem and are at higher risk for health problems as a result. The solution? The causes of obesity are multi-factorial, but the best prescription is still to exercise, less “sitting” time and a diet that emphasizes clean, unprocessed foods.
References:
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(18):1695-1697. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.314.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Perception of Weight Status in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-15 Years, 2005-2012”
PLOS One. “Correlates of Parental Misperception of Their Child’s Weight Status: The ‘Be Active, Eat Right’ Study” (2014)
USA Today. “‘Fat? Not my child.’ Parents don’t see kids as heavy”
NBC News. “Belly Up: American Waistlines Are Still Expanding, Study Finds”
Harvard School of Public Health. “Obesity Definition”
CBC News Health. “Americans’ bellies expanding quickly”
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