This is according to a study published recently in The British Medical Journal. Until very recently, the preocupation was with being overweight, even at a normal weight. Now, according to researchers in Britain, it appears that people have an inaccurate idea of their weight in the other direction. They do not recognise that they are overweight.

Rates of anorexia have remained stable, but obesity is rising steadily. This study looked at public perceptions of what is overweight over the past eight years in Britain, using household surveys.

In the survey, people were asked to give their height and weight and to classify themselves on a scale from "very underweight" to "obese". In two separate surveys, in 1999 and in 2007, the self reported weights increased dramatically. At the same time, the weight at which people reported themselves as overweight also increased. In the 1999 survery, 81% of participants correctly reported themselves as "overweight" compared with 75% in 2007. This shows a decrease in the realisation of being overweight during this time.

This is in spite of media and health campaigns that are aimed at raising awareness of healthy weight. As increasing numbers of people become overweight and fail to realise that they are not a healthy weight, public health messages will be easy to ignore because people will be less likely to see these messages as personally relevent.

[10 Jul 2008 13:30]

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