Abstract
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising rapidly in many countries, including South Korea. The present study examined the association between weight perception and self-rated health, independent of body weight status, as well as how weight status and perceived weight status intersect and relate to the self-rated health among adults in South Korea. Data were from 722 men and 800 women in 2010 Korean General Social Survey. Results showed that over half of Korean adults perceived their weight incorrectly with a fair agreement (men ƙ = 0.36; women ƙ = 0.31). Multivariate analyses indicated that poor/fair self-rated health had no significant association with body weight status, measured by self-reported weight and height, but it had a significant association with perceived weight status in men. The intersectionality analysis in which weight status and weight perceptions were cross-classified indicated that both measured and perceived weight status should be taken into account for the indicator of self-rated health as well as for better understanding of weight-related health consequences.
Highlights
The health consequences of overweight and obesity are well-documented [1]
The present study examined the association between weight perception and self-rated health, independent of body weight status, as well as how weight status and perceived weight status intersect and relate to the self-rated health among adults in South Korea
Multivariate analyses indicated that poor/fair self-rated health had no significant association with body weight status, measured by self-reported weight and height, but it had a significant association with perceived weight status in men
Summary
Excess body weight and fat exert a detrimental effect on a host of the bodily system, which leads to hypertension, metabolic syndrome, endocrinology, among other comorbidities [1,2,3] This adiposity hypothesis contributes to the understanding of weight-related complications. Recent studies go beyond the medical sequelae and have included the broad dimensions of health outcomes, such as psychological health (e.g., depression), perceived functional health, or Health-Related Quality of Life [4,5,6]. This body of research illustrated that weight-related stigma and discrimination provoke a stress, which in turn leads to undesirable health consequences. A majority of public health programs and intervention around weight and weight management primarily focuses on clinically defined weight status (e.g., body mass index (BMI hereafter)) and chronic conditions
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