Obese and overweight women and children may underestimate how heavy they are

Many overweight and obese women and kids may not have an accurate view of how heavy they are, a study finds. (Paul Ellis / AFP/Getty Images)

By Jeannine Stein,
Los Angeles Times
4:10 PM PDT, March 23, 2011

Women and children who are overweight and obese may have a skewed vision of just how heavy they are, a new study finds, as many underestimated how much they actually weighed.

Researchers surveyed 111 mothers (average age about 39) and 111 children age seven to 13. Among the study participants, about 66% of the mothers were overweight or obese, and about 39% of children were overweight or obese.

Among the women, about 82% who were obese underestimated their weight, and about 43% who were overweight low-balled their weight. But only about 13% of normal weight women underestimated how much they weighed.

Among the children, about 86% who were overweight or obese underestimated their weight, while only 15% of normal weight children did so. About 41% of children thought their mothers could stand to lose a few pounds.

(More here.)