Abstract
Background: Correct perception of weight status and gaining weight are important motivational factors for physical activity among overweight and obese children. However, misperception is common.Objective: The objective of this study is to assess perceptions of overall health, weight status, and weight gain in relation to BMI among high school students.Methods: A face-to-face validated survey-based study was conducted among high school students. BMI was calculated based on the self-reported height and weight to compare with perceived weight status based on a question: “Do you consider yourself to be underweight, overweight, about right, or obese?" Participants were asked to rate their health and how much they worry about gaining weight. Descriptive and chi-square tests were used for analysis. The level of significance was 0.05.Results: The results of this study show female students are more likely to perceive themselves as overweight and worried about gaining weight compared to their male peers. The results also show that a low percentage of male and female students rate their overall health as poor with an overweight BMI.Conclusion: The results of this study provide the framework for understanding the differences in how male and female high school students perceive their health, weight status, and weight gain in relation to BMI. Inaccurate perception of one’s weight status increases the risk of being overweight/obese and decreases the likelihood that students will engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Highlights
Obesity has been and continues to be a major public health crisis, in the United States (US) but on a global scale. [1] The increasing rates of obesity over the past 50 years among adults are alarming [2,3]
The results of this study provide the framework for understanding the differences in how male and female high school students perceive their health, weight status, and weight gain in relation to BMI
Inaccurate perception of one’s weight status increases the risk of being overweight/obese and decreases the likelihood that students will engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors
Summary
Obesity has been and continues to be a major public health crisis, in the United States (US) but on a global scale. [1] The increasing rates of obesity over the past 50 years among adults are alarming [2,3]. The rates of overweight and obese children are on the rise and the increasing prevalence of early chronic disease onset such as type II diabetes in children [1,3,4]. Since the year 1980, the worldwide prevalence of obesity has doubled, resulting in nearly one-third of the entire adult global population being classified as overweight or obese [1]. It should be noted that children with obesity that persists into adulthood have a significantly increased risk of type II diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, depression or depression-like symptoms, and carotid-artery atherosclerosis compared to adults who have never been afflicted with obesity [6,7,8,9,10].
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