scholarly journals Overweight or about right? A norm comparison explanation of perceived weight status

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Robinson ◽  
I. Kersbergen
Author(s):  
Robbee Wedow ◽  
Daniel A. Briley ◽  
Susan E. Short ◽  
Jason Boardman

This chapter uses twin pairs from the Midlife in the United States study to investigate the genetic and environmental influences on perceived weight status for midlife adults. The inquiry builds on previous work investigating the same phenomenon in adolescents, and it shows that perceived weight status is not only heritable, but also heritable beyond objective weight. Subjective assessment of physical weight is independent of one’s physical weight and described as “weight identity.” Importantly, significant differences are shown in the heritability of weight identity among men and women. The chapter ends by discussing the potential relevance of these findings for broader social identity research.


1997 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Joiner ◽  
Todd F. Heatherton ◽  
M. David Rudd ◽  
Norman B. Schmidt

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roni Elran-Barak ◽  
Tzvia Blumstein ◽  
Valentina Boyko ◽  
Dana Hadar ◽  
Adel Farhi ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 138-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Katherine Zaleta ◽  
Shauna McManus ◽  
Thomas William LeBlanc ◽  
Joanne S Buzaglo

138 Background: Unintentional weight loss (WL) can be a disruptive symptom of cancer, yet its psychosocial impact is not well understood. We examined cancer survivors’ experiences with unintentional WL. Methods: 320 cancer survivors completed an online survey, provided demographic, health, and unintentional WL history, and rated (0 = not at all; 4 = extremely) 19 statements about WL outcomes. We examined bivariate associations between weight status, unintentional WL, and WL outcomes. Results: Participants were 90% White; mean age = 58.8 years, SD= 11; 41% breast cancer, 23% blood cancer, 8% prostate cancer, mean time since diagnosis = 6.0 years, SD= 5; 18% metastatic, 22% current recurrence/relapse, 51% remission. 55 participants (17%) reported unintentional WL in the past 6 months (mean = 16lbs; range = 2-70; mean BMI = 27.6, SD= 6.3). These participants were less likely to be in disease remission ( p< .05). Participants with unintentional WL tended to underestimate their weight category (e.g., of BMI-classified healthy weight participants, 26% believed they were underweight); κ = -.17, p< .01. 51% of participants felt (somewhat to extremely) positive about WL, 49% said their health care team was supportive of WL; these statements were more strongly endorsed by people describing themselves as overweight ( ps < .05). 27% believed WL caused physical weakness, 23% said WL resulted in lost control over nutrition/eating, 16% said WL made them feel like a burden, 14% said WL caused them to lose their identity; these statements were more strongly endorsed by people describing themselves as underweight ( ps < .01). 20% viewed their WL as a sign of approaching end of life, 13% believed WL meant they would not be able to continue treatment; these views did not differ by perceived weight status. Conclusions: Many cancer survivors experience unintentional weight loss and associate their weight loss with negative outcomes. Survivors also often underestimate their weight status, which is notable given that personal views of one’s weight status, not BMI-derived weight status, is associated with beliefs about the impact of unintentional weight loss. Our findings suggest that people believe unintentional WL meaningfully affects their quality of life.


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