O would some power the giftie gie us…
A team of researchers led by a group from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently asked 3,622 young men and women in Mexico to estimate their body size based on categories ranging from very underweight to obese. People in the normal weight range selected the correct category about 80 percent of the time, but 58 percent of overweight students incorrectly described themselves as normal weight. Among the obese, 75 percent placed themselves in the overweight category, and only 10 percent accurately described their body size.
Source: Tara Parker-Pope in the NYT.
People who are overweight probably delude themselves because they cannot easily change their size. It is often assumed that if people could see themselves as others see them, they might change their behavior. I’m not sure that is the case. An overweight person might think of their body size as not unlike a blond sees a brunette – just different, but no less attractive.
Parents of obese and overweight children are prone to under-estimate their kid’s size. Obese doctors are also less apt to counsel overweight patients about the dangers of being overweight.
The same phenomenon occurs on dating websites.
This isn’t that surprising…everybody has body issues and tries to cope with them as best they can. If the alternative is being depressed about it, then I say a little skewed perception is healthy.
LOL at Studebaker. And Amber makes a very good point. Children are particularly cruel about weight issues and the scars can last a lifetime.