Coming from Body By BJ
Study: Overweight Americans Think They’re Thinner Than They Are
By: MEGAN FRIEDMAN
It turns out a major factor in the obesity epidemic is denial.
A survey conducted by Harris Healthcare and HealthDay asked respondents to provide their body-mass index, or BMI, which is a ratio of height to weight. They then asked them to evaluate which weight stage they were in.
The results showed a lack of self-awareness about one’s weight. Thirty percent of those measuring in the overweight class said they were in a normal weight, and 70 percent of obese respondents said they were only overweight. Sixty percent of morbidly obese respondents said they were merely obese.
Experts say attitudes like this contribute to growing numbers of obesity, since people can’t seem to recognize their actual weight problems.
