Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Perceived weight status, overweight diagnosis, and weight control among US adults: the NHANES 2003-2008 Study
S Yaemsiri1, M M Slining, S K Agarwal
1Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
Objectives:
To examine the association between perceived overweight status and weight control, discrepancies between perceived and measured weight status, and opportunities for health care professionals (HCPs) to correct weight perception among US adults.
Design:
Population-based cross-sectional study.
Subjects:
In all, 16,720 non-pregnant adults from the 2003 to 2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Results:
Overall, 64% (73% women, 55% men) reported a desire to weigh less and 48% (57% women, 40% men) reported pursuing weight control. Weight control was positively associated with overweight perception (odds ratio (OR) women 3.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.96, 4.73; OR men 2.82; 95% CI 2.11, 3.76) and an HCP diagnosis of overweight/obesity (OR women 2.22; 95% CI 1.69, 2.91; OR men 2.14; 95% CI 1.58, 2.91), independent of measured weight status. A large proportion of overweight individuals (23% women, 48% men) perceived themselves as having the right weight. Also, 74% of overweight and 29% of obese individuals never had an HCP diagnosis of overweight/obesity. Although the majority of overweight/obese individuals (74% women, 60% men) pursued at least one weight management strategy, fewer (39% women, 32% men) pursued both dietary change and physical activity. Among overweight/obese adults, those with an HCP diagnosis of overweight/obesity were more likely to diet (74 versus 52%), exercise (44 versus 34%), or pursue both (41 versus 30%, all P<0.01) than those who remained undiagnosed.
Conclusion:
HCPs have unused opportunities to motivate their patients to control and possibly lose weight by correcting weight perceptions and offering counseling on healthy weight loss strategies.
Related Concept Videos
Obesity
Drug Dosing: Obese Patients
Binge Eating Disorders
Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern
Health Perception Patterns
Health perception patterns offer valuable insights into a patient's lifestyle habits and how they may impact their GI health. These patterns include:
Self-Schemas
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications