Abstract
BackgroundOverweight individuals desire a lower weight than they actually have. Little is known on the extent to which this discrepancy is reduced over time due to adaptation or resignation. The aim of this study is to describe cross-sectional relationships and longitudinal changes in desired body weight and differences between actual and desired body weight according to gender, age and category of body mass index in a large, adult cohort in Tromsø, Norway.MethodsCross-sectional analyses of 8960 men and 9992 women aged 25–69 participating in Tromsø 4 (during 1994–1995), and longitudinal analyses of 3210 men and 3689 women participating in both Tromsø 4 (during 1994–1995) and Tromsø 6 (during 2007–2008). Simple descriptive statistics and linear regression was used to describe actual and desired weight, the difference between them, and how gender and age are related to the changes in actual and desired weight over this 13-year period.ResultsThe difference between actual and desired body weight was largest for the obese and higher among the overweight than the normal weight for both genders. While normal weight men were quite satisfied with their body weight, normal weight women were not. Actual weight increased more than desired weight for all age groups and both genders except the oldest women. The difference between change in actual body weight and change in desired body weight during the 13-year follow-up was significantly larger among men (2.0 kg) than women (1.5 kg) (p < 0.001), and larger among young than older adults (p < 0.001). Adjusting for level of education had no impact on this relationship. Furthermore, the association between age and the difference between change in actual body weight during the 13 years and change in desired body weight in the same period did not differ between men and women and, in gender specific analyses, between subjects with normal weight and those who were overweight or obese at start of follow-up.ConclusionOlder people adapt more to weight gain than younger age groups, with clear gender differences. Further studies of longitudinal changes in desired weight are warranted.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40608-016-0120-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Overweight individuals desire a lower weight than they have
Weight dissatisfaction has been found to vary with age, gender, level of education and body mass index (BMI) [7, 8], which is important as a small difference between actual- and desired body weight has been associated with improved health status [9,10,11]
Longitudinal changes in BMI and body weight has been subject for several studies [14,15,16,17,18], but little is known about longitudinal changes in desired body weight in relation to changes in actual body weight [19]
Summary
Overweight individuals desire a lower weight than they have. Little is known on the extent to which this discrepancy is reduced over time due to adaptation or resignation. The aim of this study is to describe cross-sectional relationships and longitudinal changes in desired body weight and differences between actual and desired body weight according to gender, age and category of body mass index in a large, adult cohort in Tromsø, Norway. Weight dissatisfaction has been found to vary with age, gender, level of education and body mass index (BMI) [7, 8], which is important as a small difference between actual- and desired body weight has been associated with improved health status [9,10,11]. For policy makers and public health officials, information about attitudes towards weight gain is important, especially in light of studies suggesting that obesity is “socially contagious” and that higher body weights have become more acceptable over time [10, 20, 21]. The issue of weight loss expectations may benefit from research on longitudinal changes in desired weight, especially with regard to potential adaptation to weight gain in BMI subgroups
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
