Associations between weight perceptions, weight control and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the interactions between weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Girls from European (37?7 %), Pacific Island (21?6 %), East Asian (15?8 %), Maori (10?2 %) and South Asian (9?6 %) populations and from other ethnicities (5?0 %). Subjects: A sample of 954 girls aged 11-15 years participated in the study. BMI was derived from height and weight, whereas body fat (BF) was determined from hand-to-foot bioimpedance measurements. Weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and pubertal stage were assessed by questionnaire. Results: Body size and fatness varied significantly across ethnic groups. Although few differences in weight perceptions were observed between BMI and %BF percentile groups, a relatively high degree of weight misclassification was evident across all BF categories. The number of girls trying to lose weight exceeded those who perceived themselves as being overweight, with the magnitude of the difference dependent on ethnicity. Of the girls trying to lose weight, the combination of dieting and exercise was the most common weight loss practice; however, a substantial proportion reported neither exercise nor dieting. Weight status perception was a stronger predictor of weight loss intent than actual BF when controlling for all other factors. Conclusions: Interventions and educational campaigns that assist girls in recognising a state of excess BF are a priority for all ethnic groups to increase the likelihood that behavioural changes necessary to combat widespread overweight and obesity are adopted.

Weight Misperception and Health Risk Behaviors in Youth: the 2011 US YRBS

“…Consequently, no adjustment could be made in the analyses. Previous studies showed minimal impact of adjustment for SES on associations of weight misperception with health risk behaviors in adolescents, which suggests risk for residual confounding by SES is fairly low, 14,33 although the possiblity of residual confounding due to SES remains in the current analyses. 34 …”

Associations between body weight perception and weight control behaviour in South Indian children: a cross-sectional study

“…This could be linked to the continuous exposure to images and unrealistic body shapes that encourage weight loss regardless of body weight. 8 These factors must be further explored so that suitable programmes that encourage overweight children but not underweight or normal children to lose weight could be planned.…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10] Interventions that address sociocultural attitudes towards appearance should ideally reduce body image dissatisfaction as well as overweight and obesity since studies have indicated a relationship between body image, unhealthy eating practices and obesity. 11 12 Perceptions of body weight are, in part, influenced by external factors including cultural norms and social preferences as it has been observed that Asian women have less body dissatisfaction than other ethnic groups.…”

Perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding their own body weight in selected public hospitals in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

“…This may be because night shift work induces stress, which in turn leads to poor dietary intake, and tends to result in physical inactivity, both of which contribute to obesity. [11] Studies show that the majority of people misperceive their body weight, and HCWs are no exception, [12][13][14] including HCWs in SA. [4] Weight misperceptions are more common among individuals in developing than developed countries -for example, a cross-sectional study conducted among adults in Pakistan showed that the majority of obese adults in that country did not perceive themselves as obese.…”