An Analysis of Real, Self-Perceived, and Desired BMI: Is There a Need for Regular Screening to Correct Misperceptions and Motivate Weight Reduction?

Abstract

We study the relationship among real, self-perceived, and desired body mass index (BMI) in 21,288 adults from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012, analyzing the effect of sex and diagnosis of obesity/overweight by a healthcare professional. Self-perceived and desired BMI are analyzed via a figure rating scale question and compared to real BMI. Only 8.8 and 6.1% of the diagnosed and non-diagnosed obese, respectively, correctly identify themselves as such. For the obese, 20.2% of non-diagnosed and 12.7% of diagnosed perceive themselves as normal or underweight, while 49.1 and 37% of these are satisfied with their perceived BMI. Only 7.8% of the obese, whose real and perceived BMI coincide, have a desired BMI equal to their perceived one. In contrast, 43.2% of the obese, whose perceived BMI is normal, have a desired BMI the same as their perceived one. Although the average desired body figure corresponds to the normal BMI range, misperceptions of BMI correlate strongly with the degree of satisfaction associated with perceived BMI, with larger misperceptions indicating a higher degree of satisfaction. Hypothesizing that the differences between real, perceived, and desired weight are a motivator for weight change, one potential intervention could be the periodic assessment of real, perceived, and desired BMI in order to correct misleading weight misperceptions that could potentially obstruct positive behavioral change.

Keywords: BMI; desired weight; diagnosis of obesity; figure rating scale; perceived weight; self-perception.

Figure 1

Comparison of non-diagnosed versus diagnosed obese mean responses for the Stunkard scale perceived body figure rating question, by sex. Standard error bars are included for each point for body figure response. ND, non-diagnosed; D, diagnosed. Figures 1 and 2, underweight; figures 3 and 4, normal; figures 5–7, overweight; figures 8 and 9, obese.

Figure 2

Comparison of non-diagnosed versus diagnosed obese mean responses for the Stunkard scale desired body figure rating question, by sex. Standard error bars are included for each point for body figure response. ND, non-diagnosed; D, diagnosed. Figures 1 and 2, underweight; figures 3 and 4, normal; figures 5–7, overweight; figures 8 and 9, obese.