How Unawareness of Weight Excess Can Increase Cardiovascular Risk?

Obesity is a chronic disease with high prevalence in all age groups. Many overweight and obese people seem to be unaware of excess body weight.

Analysis of people affected by the misperception of excess body weight and their eating behaviors simultaneously with selected health parameters.

The study was conducted in 2017-2019 among 658 participants aged 20-79 from the population study-Bialystok PLUS (Poland). Results were based on clinical examinations and questionnaires.

Unawareness of overweight and obesity is common among adults (21.7%). Participants unaware of their overweight and obesity presented much higher risk factors. A high cardiovascular risk profile was observed more often among people not aware of overweight and obesity than among normal weight people (23.0% vs. 10.0%) as well as more common asymptomatic carotid artery atherosclerosis (49.7% vs. 31.3%). The subjective perception of overweight and obesity based on BMI (body mass index) was equal to 26.4 kg/m² in women and 27.9 kg/m² in men. The assessment of their diet was less favorable than that of people with normal weight.

Unawareness of one's excessive weight and its health consequences may lead to hesitancy to apply a healthy lifestyle and hence increase the cardiovascular risk in a substantial part of society. Therefore, it should be considered a part of the cardiovascular disease risk spectrum. Measurement of BMI and discussion about its health implications should be a routine procedure during healthcare contacts.