Orthopaedic patients underestimate their body weight too: a cross-sectional study

The relation between a large body mass and comorbidity, certain types of cancers and musculoskeletal disorders has been extensively documented. However, a high proportion of overweight patients appears unaware of the medical risks of their condition and frequently underestimates their body weight. This observation is prevalent across numerous medical specialties and settings.

This study analysed the misperception of obesity status in a cohort of 1137 patients attending an orthopaedic clinic by means of self-completed questionnaires and objective biometrics.

Patients displayed a poor estimation of the self-body mass index (34.6%), especially among larger individuals, with 45.15% of pre-obese and 21.17% of obese patients previously attempting weight-loss. A direct association between low educational achievement and obesity rates was observed in orthopaedic patients.

Obesity is a well-known contributor to many conditions, including musculoskeletal diseases. Despite this association, many obese patients consider their body mass as normal. Misperception of self-body weight has been documented in many medical specialities, and this study confirms the same scenario in orthopaedic patients.

The association between self-image distortion and obesity observed in this study may assist in the evaluation and management of obesity cases in orthopaedic clinics.