We all know how startling the latest obesity trend numbers are. It’s estimated that 38 states in the United States have an obesity rate of 25 percent in its population. It turns out, this increase in obesity is having a negative impact on societal norms. In fact, being overweight may be the new norm for women!
According to new research from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, more overweight women inaccurately perceive their body weight — but instead of these girls thinking of themselves as being heavier than they actually are (what you normally think of women doing), they are actually doing the opposite and categorizing themselves as at a “normal” or “healthy” weight, when in fact, they are not. The research will be published in the December issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and scientists say that this self-perception switch may make many women vulnerable to cardiovascular and other obesity-related diseases.
Researchers found that of the 2,200 women ages 18-25 that were studied, 25 percent of overweight and 16 percent of normal weight reproductive-age women mis-perceived their body weight, and overweight and obese Hispanic and African American women were significantly more likely than white women to misjudge their weight, categorizing themselves as normal.
The study’s authors are concerned that as obesity numbers climb, more women will identify overweight as normal, based, not on the scale, but on how they actually see themselves.
According to the latest statistics, more than half of reproductive-aged women are considered overweight or obese, based on the body mass index (BMI), with minority women at a greater risk. Eighty-two percent of African American women and 75 percent of Mexican-American women meet the criteria for being overweight or obese.
Are you at a healthy BMI? Find out the unbiased truth.