Kuchler F, Variyam J N
Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2003 Jul;27(7):856-61. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802293.
To examine the agreement between individuals' weight status as measured by their body mass index (BMI) and their perceptions of their weight status in the US population.
Data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-94 (NHANES III), were used to cross-tabulate actual weight status and self-assessed weight status, identifying population proportions that underassessed or overassessed weight status. The study accounts for gender and socioeconomic and demographic variables to identify subpopulations in which relatively large numbers of individuals misperceive their weight status.
Survey data included clinically measured height and weight. BMI was categorized (overweight, healthy weight, or underweight) following conventional cutpoints. In addition, each surveyed individual was asked to assess their own (categorical) weight status.
NHANES III is representative of the US population. The sample included 7758 males and 8451 females aged 20 y or above after excluding women who were pregnant or breastfeeding.
We show that large segments of the US population misperceive their weight status. The mix of misperceptions differs by gender, with men who are obese or overweight more likely than obese or overweight women to underassess their weight status. Women who are healthy weight/underweight are more likely than men to believe they are overweight. In addition to the gender differences, underassessors are more frequently found among those aged 65 y and over, individuals with relatively low education levels, lower income levels, and among non-Hispanic black subjects. Overassessors are more frequently found among women less than 65 y old (between the ages of 35 and 64 y for men), individuals with higher education levels, higher income levels, and among non-Hispanic white subjects.
Information programs linking overweight and obesity with health risks might fail to induce diet and lifestyle changes if individuals fail to recognize they are overweight or obese. While there are large number of individuals who fail to recognize their overweight or obese status, there are indicator variables that can help identify this subpopulation. Thus, it is possible to first target a message that would attempt to correct misperceptions. If successful, the size of the population susceptible to a weight-health risk information program could increase.
研究在美国人群中，通过体重指数（BMI）衡量的个体体重状况与其对自身体重状况的认知之间的一致性。
利用1988 - 1994年第三次全国健康和营养检查调查（NHANES III）的数据，对实际体重状况和自我评估的体重状况进行交叉制表，确定低估或高估体重状况的人群比例。该研究考虑了性别、社会经济和人口统计学变量，以识别大量个体错误认知自身体重状况的亚人群。
调查数据包括临床测量的身高和体重。BMI按照传统切点分为超重、健康体重或体重过轻。此外，每位接受调查的个体被要求评估自己的（分类）体重状况。
NHANES III代表美国人群。样本包括7758名男性和8451名20岁及以上的女性，排除了怀孕或哺乳期的女性。
我们发现美国大量人群错误认知自身体重状况。错误认知的情况因性别而异，肥胖或超重的男性比肥胖或超重的女性更有可能低估自己的体重状况。体重正常/体重过轻的女性比男性更有可能认为自己超重。除了性别差异外，65岁及以上人群、教育水平相对较低、收入水平较低以及非西班牙裔黑人中，低估体重状况的情况更为常见。高估体重状况的情况在65岁以下的女性（男性为35至64岁之间）、教育水平较高、收入水平较高以及非西班牙裔白人中更为常见。
如果个体未意识到自己超重或肥胖，将超重和肥胖与健康风险联系起来的宣传项目可能无法促使其改变饮食和生活方式。虽然有大量个体未意识到自己超重或肥胖，但有一些指标变量可以帮助识别这一亚人群。因此，有可能首先针对试图纠正错误认知的信息进行宣传。如果成功，可能会增加易受体重 - 健康风险信息项目影响的人群规模。
