Relationship study on body mass index, body weight perception and weight loss efforts in overweight and obese women

Abstract

Objective To assess the relationship among body mass index (BMI), body weight perception, and efforts to lose weight in a public sample of women who were overweight and obese, to examine whether body weight perception plays the mediating role between BMI and weight loss efforts. Methods The sample was 1 739 women who were above 20 years old with the BMI≥23 kg/m2. Bivariate relationships among variables of interests were assessed. Three separate regressions were used to test the mediating role of body weight perception on the relationship between BMI and weight loss efforts. Results BMI and body weight perception were significant correlates with weight loss efforts. BMI was significantly associated with weight perception, but a large proportion of women underestimated their weight. Weight perception partially mediated the relationship between BMI and weight loss efforts in women. Conclusions In light of the high prevalence of overweight or obesity and the many health problem sassociated with obesity, women should be awared of the healthy body weight and try to achieve that. Nursing interventions should be considered the body weight perception to effectively motivate overweight and obese women to lose weight as necessary. Key words: Female; Obesity; Body mass index (BMI); Body weight perception; Regression analysis