The new normal? Overweight teens likely underestimate extra pounds, experts warn

July 03, 2023 — Teenagers in Europe and North America are increasingly underestimating their body weight, according to a team of international researchers. The study found that both actual body weight and its misperception are increasing, adding to the existing public health crisis of obesity, diabetes and overweight.

Therefore, body weight perception (BWP) in young people needs more attention.

The study indicates that deceptive BWP is common among adolescents. However, if the BWP is underestimated – when the actual weight is higher than its perception – this raises concerns among researchers.

“Strengthening the BWP should be part of health literacy programs and interventions focused on maintaining a healthy body weight. However, it can be difficult to know what a healthy body weight is and the knowledge shared on social media is not always incorrect,” said Dr Anouk Geraets, lead author of the study and researcher in the Department of Science. social studies at the University of Luxembourg, tells Nutrition overview.

“At this impressionable age, perceived body weight can influence a young person’s lifestyle choices, such as the amount and types of food they eat and their exercise habits,” she notes.

The WHO recently warned that obesity in the EU is at “epidemic proportions.” In the meantime, half of the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2050 if current patterns are not changed, according to the World Obesity Federation.

“It is worrying that we are seeing a trend where fewer teenagers perceive themselves to be overweight – as this could undermine ongoing efforts to tackle rising levels of obesity in this age group,” says Geraets.

External factors such as social media can contribute to the perception of body weight.Social networks and body image
Body image changes over time and trends, and Geraets says the 90s and 2000s were characterized by lean bodies ideal for girls and strong muscular bodies for boys.

“In the 90s and 2000s, girls and young women were exposed to a thin body ideal and were more likely to overestimate their body weight. Our data suggest that this overestimation has decreased and that the correct perception of weight has increased in girls.

” During this period [1990-2010], girls were more likely to overestimate their body weight. As the overstatement decreased and the understatement increased, the girls may have started comparing themselves to a strong muscular body ideal instead of the lean body ideal,” Geraets notes.

Therefore, external factors that contribute to body weight perception, especially social media use, could be a causative factor.

“Adolescence is a sensitive period of life with significant physical, mental and social changes. Teenagers often compare themselves to their peers and social media can have accelerated exposure to peers. Social media can have a positive and negative influence. Body positivity promoted via social media could have a positive effect on body weight perception.

Meanwhile, social media platforms such as TikTok have been shown to drive toxic diet culturesand there is a lack of expert voices offering advice or speaking to the young population.

Differences between borders
Data from nearly two decades (2002-2018) included 746,121 participants from 41 countries aged 11, 13 and 15, from WHO and Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC).

Participants filled in their weight and height and BMI was used as the measure of weight. The lead author points out that BMI as a measure of healthy body weight can be criticized because many factors contribute to BMI besides food intake and physical activity, such as DNA and physical conditions. medical.

“However, it can still be a useful starting point. Schools can play an important role in this regard. Annual health checks by GPs or school doctors can provide professional health advice to all students. Schools can collect data on body weight and body weight perception and inform decision-makers when they observe changes,” she adds.

They found that BWP differed by gender, and data from Australia, Thailand, China and the United States showed that girls are more likely to overestimate their weight than boys. Girls also reported trying to control their weight more than boys.

The study says there is limited evidence of gender differences in BWP, although girls of normal weight are less likely to perceive it correctly. However, there were gender and country differences in body weight perception and temporal trends.

“The athletic and strong body ideal may make teens want to increase their body weight, although this isn’t always healthy,” she adds.

“Young people who underestimate their weight and therefore do not consider themselves overweight may not feel the need to lose excess weight and therefore may make unhealthy lifestyle choices.”

Tackling PerceptionBWP can influence a young person’s lifestyle choices, such as the amount and types of food they eat and their exercise habits.
The results of the study have clinical and public health implications.

“Increases in correct perception of weight and decreases in overestimation may have a positive effect on unnecessary and unhealthy weight loss behaviors in adolescents, while increases in underestimation might indicate the need for ‘interventions to reinforce the correct perception of weight’, explains Geraets.

“Further research is now needed to understand the factors underlying these temporal trends and to develop effective public health interventions.”

She adds that factors contributing to temporal trends in body weight perception at the national level are needed, along with policies and interventions to include the elements necessary for a society to be effective.

Geraets argues that policies and interventions focused on maintaining a healthy body weight might not work if people don’t consider themselves to be overweight. If they are unaware of the problem, they may not feel the need to lose excess weight.

Additionally, she says that improving body weight perception in adolescents can positively affect body weight perception and maintain a healthy body weight in the future.

“Having the correct perception of body weight is a major factor in maintaining a healthy body weight, although there are several social and market determinants of health that must be addressed to enable adolescents to make healthy choices,” she concludes.

By Beatrice Wihlander

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