Perceived Physician-informed Weight Status Predicts Accurate Weight Self-Perception and Weight Self-Regulation in Low-income, African American Women.

PubMed

Harris, Charlie L; Strayhorn, Gregory; Moore, Sandra; Goldman, Brian; Martin, Michelle Y

2016-01-01

Obese African American women under-appraise their body mass index (BMI) classification and report fewer weight loss attempts than women who accurately appraise their weight status. This cross-sectional study examined whether physician-informed weight status could predict weight self-perception and weight self-regulation strategies in obese women. A convenience sample of 118 low-income women completed a survey assessing demographic characteristics, comorbidities, weight self-perception, and weight self-regulation strategies. BMI was calculated during nurse triage. Binary logistic regression models were performed to test hypotheses. The odds of obese accurate appraisers having been informed about their weight status were six times greater than those of under-appraisers. The odds of those using an "approach" self-regulation strategy having been physician-informed were four times greater compared with those using an "avoidance" strategy. Physicians are uniquely positioned to influence accurate weight self-perception and adaptive weight self-regulation strategies in underserved women, reducing their risk for obesity-related morbidity.

Weight Advice Associated With Male Firefighter Weight Perception and Behavior

PubMed Central

Brown, Austin L.; Poston, Walker S.C.; Jahnke, Sara A.; Haddock, C. Keith; Luo, Sheng; Delclos, George L.; Day, R. Sue

2016-01-01

Introduction The high prevalence of overweight and obesity threatens the health and safety of the fire service. Healthcare professionals may play an important role in helping firefighters achieve a healthy weight by providing weight loss counseling to at-risk firefighters. This study characterizes the impact of healthcare professional weight loss advice on firefighter weight perceptions and weight loss behaviors among overweight and obese male firefighters. Methods A national sample of 763 overweight and obese male firefighters who recalled visiting a healthcare provider in the past 12 months reported information regarding healthcare visits, weight perceptions, current weight loss behaviors, and other covariates in 2011–2012. Analyzed in 2013, four unique multilevel logistic regression models estimated the association between healthcare professional weight loss advice and the outcomes of firefighter-reported weight perceptions, intentions to lose weight, reduced caloric intake, and increased physical activity. Results Healthcare professional weight loss advice was significantly associated with self-perception as overweight (OR=4.78, 95% CI=2.16, 10.57) and attempted weight loss (OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.25, 3.38), but not significantly associated with reduced caloric intake (OR=1.26, 95% CI=0.82, 1.95) and increased physical activity (OR=1.51, 95% CI=0.89, 2.61), after adjusting for confounders. Conclusions Healthcare professional weight loss advice appears to increase the accuracy of firefighter weight perceptions, promote weight loss attempts, and may encourage dieting and physical activity behaviors among overweight firefighters. Healthcare providers should acknowledge their ability to influence the health behaviors of overweight and obese patients and make efforts to increase the quality and frequency of weight loss recommendations for all firefighters. PMID:26141913

Weight Advice Associated With Male Firefighter Weight Perception and Behavior.

PubMed

Brown, Austin L; Poston, Walker S C; Jahnke, Sara A; Haddock, C Keith; Luo, Sheng; Delclos, George L; Day, R Sue

2015-10-01

The high prevalence of overweight and obesity threatens the health and safety of the fire service. Healthcare professionals may play an important role in helping firefighters achieve a healthy weight by providing weight loss counseling to at-risk firefighters. This study characterizes the impact of healthcare professional weight loss advice on firefighter weight perceptions and weight loss behaviors among overweight and obese male firefighters. A national sample of 763 overweight and obese male firefighters who recalled visiting a healthcare provider in the past 12 months reported information regarding healthcare visits, weight perceptions, current weight loss behaviors, and other covariates in 2011-2012. Analyzed in 2013, four unique multilevel logistic regression models estimated the association between healthcare professional weight loss advice and the outcomes of firefighter-reported weight perceptions, intentions to lose weight, reduced caloric intake, and increased physical activity. Healthcare professional weight loss advice was significantly associated with self-perception as overweight (OR=4.78, 95% CI=2.16, 10.57) and attempted weight loss (OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.25, 3.38), but not significantly associated with reduced caloric intake (OR=1.26, 95% CI=0.82, 1.95) and increased physical activity (OR=1.51, 95% CI=0.89, 2.61), after adjusting for confounders. Healthcare professional weight loss advice appears to increase the accuracy of firefighter weight perceptions, promote weight loss attempts, and may encourage dieting and physical activity behaviors among overweight firefighters. Healthcare providers should acknowledge their ability to influence the health behaviors of overweight and obese patients and make efforts to increase the quality and frequency of weight loss recommendations for all firefighters. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hispanic Parental Perceptions of Child Weight in Preschool-Aged Children: An Integrated Review.

PubMed

Gauthier, Kristine I; Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie

2015-10-01

Obesity continues to disproportionately affect ethnic minorities. Parents play an integral role in early childhood, and parental perceptions regarding their child's weight are key to obesity prevention. Cultural differences contribute to parental perceptions, and increased understandings of these characteristics provide a basis to address obesity in high-risk populations at an earlier age. The aim of this integrative review was to analyze extant literature to identify Hispanic parental perceptions of their preschool-aged child's weight status. An integrative review of studies measuring Hispanic parental perception was conducted. Computerized searches were completed using MEDLINE, PubMed, CINHAL, Eric, and PsychINFO. Articles were included if they were English, included children 2-5 years of age, included a Hispanic population, and evaluated parental perception of their child's weight status. A total of 14 articles (n=8 qualitative; n=6 quantitative) met criteria and were included in the review. Cooper's integrative review methodology was used, and articles were evaluated for quality using Polit and Beck's evidence hierarchy leveling system. The results revealed six themes of Hispanic parental perceptions relative to their preschool-aged child's weight: parental perception of body weight; relationship between child weight and health; causes and consequences of overweight; familial roles and influences on child weight; prevention of overweight; and cultural influences within the United States. This review highlights the importance of developing sociocultural approaches to addressing childhood obesity within the Hispanic population. Additional research is needed to incorporate what is known about Hispanic parental perceptions to positively influence behavior change during early childhood.

Perception of Child Weight and Feeding Styles in Parents of Chinese-American Preschoolers.

PubMed

Chang, Lucy Y; Mendelsohn, Alan L; Fierman, Arthur H; Au, Loretta Y; Messito, Mary Jo

2017-04-01

Parent perception of weight and feeding styles are associated with obesity in other racial groups but have not been explored in-depth in Chinese-American preschoolers. Cross-sectional survey of 253 Chinese-American parents with preschoolers was performed in a community clinic. Regression analysis was used to assess relationships between parental perception of weight and feeding styles. Parent under-perception of weight was common but more likely in boys than girls (χ 2  = 4.91, p = 0.03). Pressuring was also greater in boys [adjusted mean difference (95% CI) 0.24 (0.004, 0.49)]. In girls, pressuring was lower for children perceived as overweight [adjusted mean difference in CFQ scores -0.75 (-1.27, -0.23)]; in boys, pressuring was high regardless of perceived child weight. Weight perceptions and feeding styles related to childhood obesity in other groups were identified in Chinese-American families. Parent under-perception of child weight and pressure to eat were more common in boys. These factors should be addressed in Chinese-American preschooler obesity prevention programs.

Anthropometric characteristics of primary school-aged children: accuracy of perception and differences by gender, age and BMI.

PubMed

Cattelino, E; Bina, M; Skanjeti, A M; Calandri, E

2015-11-01

Body perception has been mainly studied in adolescents and adults in relation to eating disorders and obesity because such conditions are usually associated with distortion in the perception of body size. The development of body perception in children was rather neglected despite the relevance of this issue in understanding the aetiology of health eating problems. The main aim of this study was to investigate body weight and body height perception in children by gender, age and body mass index (BMI), taking into account differences among underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese children. A school-based sample of 572 Italian children (49% boys) aged 6-10 were involved in a cross-sectional survey. Current weight and height were measured by standard protocols, and BMI was calculated and converted in centile categories using the Italian growth curves for children. Perceived weight and height were assessed using visual methods (figures representing children of different weight and height). About a third of the children do not show to have an accurate perception of their weight and height (weight: 36%; height: 32%): as for weight, an error of underestimation prevails and as for height, an error of overestimation prevails. In general, children who have different weight and height from the average tend to perceive their physical characteristics closer to average. However, overweight children underestimate their weight much more than obese children. Distortions in the perception of their physical features, weight and height, appear to be related to the aesthetic models of Western culture. The tendency to underestimate weight, particularly in overweight children, has implications in interventions for health promotion and healthy lifestyle in school-aged children. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The association between BMI and body weight perception among children and adolescents in Jilin City, China

PubMed Central

Liu, Hongjian; Wu, Fangyuan; Yang, Xiaodi; Yue, Mengjia; Pang, Yingxin; Li, Xuanxuan; Ma, Juan; Zhou, Ge; Gong, Ping; Liu, Meitian

2018-01-01

Objectives We evaluated the association between BMI and body weight perception in a sample of children and adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted among 7–18 year-olds (N = 9727) from 4 districts in Jilin City, China. We calculated BMI from measured weight and height and assessed body weight perception using a single questionnaire item. We analyzed these data using SPSS version 20.0. Results Approximately 19.8% of these youth perceived themselves as underweight, 57.8% as normal weight, and 22.4% as overweight. In reality, 4.9% were underweight, 64.3% were normal weight, and 30.8% were overweight. Furthermore, approximately 66.4% of these Chinese youth correctly perceived their body image, 28.2% underestimated their true body image, and 5.4% overestimated their weight status. Girls were more likely than boys to overestimate their weight (χ2 = 135.4, p < 0.05). Adolescents 13–18 years old were more likely than children 7–12 years old to overestimate their weight (χ2 = 248.4, p < 0.05). Senior high school students were the most likely to overestimate their weight (χ2 = 297.6, p < 0.05). Kappa tests revealed significant differences in consistency analysis of BMI and body weight perception (Kappa = 0.352, p < 0.05). Kappa < 0.4, the consistency of BMI and body weight perception was poor. Conclusions A mismatch existed between BMI and body weight perception among these children and adolescents. Thus, schools and parents should take steps to help them improve weight management and overall health awareness. PMID:29579108

Weight stigma in physiotherapy practice: Patient perceptions of interactions with physiotherapists.

PubMed

Setchell, Jenny; Watson, Bernadette; Jones, Liz; Gard, Michael

2015-12-01

Weight management is increasingly considered part of physiotherapists' scope of practice in order to improve patient outcomes by, for example, reducing load on joints, or improving chronic pain. However, interactions with patients involving weight may result in patient perceptions of negative judgement from health professionals, which can result in poorer health outcomes. How physiotherapist/patient interactions involving weight are perceived by patients has not yet been investigated. To explore patients' perceptions of interactions with physiotherapists that involved weight, and investigate how these perceptions may inform physiotherapy practice. Face-to-face interviews with physiotherapy patients, with follow up interviews conducted by telephone. Data were analysed thematically. First interviews were held in a physiotherapy practice with follow up interviews conducted two weeks later. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using an inductive thematic method established by Braun and Clarke. Thirty interviews with 15 patients were analysed. Four main themes relevant to weight were identified: 1) perceptions of being 'in physiotherapy' including pre-conceptions, the physical environment, and exposing the body, 2) emphasis placed on weight in physiotherapy interactions, 3) communication styles, and 4) judgement perception. Some patients perceived negative weight judgements from elements of physiotherapy interactions and environments. Physiotherapists need to be aware of this perception because it may result in poorer patient outcomes and patients avoiding physiotherapy appointments. The results suggest strategies to counteract weight stigma include: adjusting the physical environment of the clinic, portraying an understanding of complex determinants of weight, and employing collaborative, non-judgemental communication styles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of body weight perception and obesity among Chinese Americans

PubMed Central

Liu, Shan; Hu, Sophia H.; Wang, Vincent Y.; Crupi, Robert; Qiu, Jeanna M.; Cleland, Chuck; Melkus, Gail D’Eramo

2015-01-01

Background Accuracy of body weight perception is an individual’s perception of their body weight in comparison with actual body weight and is associated with weight related behaviors. Chinese Americans have increased risk for obesity but no studies have examined accuracy of body weight perception. Methods This study was a descriptive and cross-sectional study, which was conducted in a community health center in New York. Study subjects were all Chinese-American adults. Demographic information, accuracy of perception of body weight, anthropometric measures (Weight, Height, BMI, weight to height ratio, weight to hip ratio), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1C and obesity related disease including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, stroke were assessed. Results A total of 162 Chinese American were recruited.52 subjects (32%) did not perceive body weight correctly, in which 32 subjects had underestimation and 20 subjects had overestimation of body weight. Significant differences were found among subjects in three groups of different accuracy of body weight perception in terms of gender (p=0.003), age (p=0.003), education years (p=0.047). WC (p<0.001), HC (p=<0.001), weight/height ratio (p=0.001), BMI (p<0.001). Subjects in consistent/accurate estimation group and underestimation group had similar obesity related-characteristics but different from subjects in overestimation group. Discussion and Conclusion The study identified around one third of Chinese American did not perceive their body weight correctly. Intervention studies for obesity management in Chinese American should address gender difference, target on older subjects, and focus on educating the normal values and significances of WC, HC and HbA1C among Chinese Americans. PMID:25937164

Perception of body weight status: a case control study of obese and lean children and adolescents and their parents.

PubMed

Rudolph, Hagen; Blüher, Susann; Falkenberg, Christian; Neef, Madlen; Körner, Antje; Würz, Julia; Kiess, Wieland; Brähler, Elmar

2010-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate differences in weight perception and self-concept of obese and lean children, and to examine parents' awareness of overweight in themselves and their children. A total of 59 obese patients aged 7-17 years and 49 of their parents from a pediatric obesity out-patient clinic participated and were compared with 96 normal-weight patients and 81 of their parents from a pediatric pulmonary disease out-patient clinic. Children's and parents' self-perception of weight, desire for weight change and weight concerns, children's belief that their desired weight can be achieved, and parents' perception of their child's weight status were assessed using single questionnaire items. Children's self-concept was measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children. In addition, children drew pictures about themselves and their favorite activity. Obese patients wished to change their weight more frequently (p < 0.001) and had more weight concerns (p < 0.001). Their self-concept was significantly more negative. Physical activities were more common in their drawings than in those of normal-weight peers. Parents of obese children were more frequently overweight or obese themselves (p < 0.001). 35 of them and 73 parents of normal-weight children perceived their own weight realistically. Of the parents with overweight or obese children, 69.4% perceived their own child as overweight and 28.6% as very overweight, whereas 83% of them were obese. Children and adolescents as well as their parents recognize overweight as a health problem. In the majority, weight perception matches real body weight. Most parents at least recognize overweight in their children. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Perceptions relating to body size, weight loss and weight-loss interventions in black South African women: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Draper, Catherine E; Davidowitz, Kesiah J; Goedecke, Julia H

2016-02-01

A higher tolerance for a larger body size has been associated with obesity in black South African (SA) women. The aim of the present study was to explore perceptions regarding body size and weight loss in a sample of black women from a low-income community in Cape Town, SA. Qualitative pilot study including five focus groups. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Khayelitsha, Cape Town, SA. Twenty-one black SA women. The majority of participants had positive perceptions of overweight/obesity, which were influenced by community and cultural perceptions, but some inconsistencies were observed as overweight/obesity was also associated with ill health. Participants identified many benefits to weight loss, but due to the association with sickness, they were concerned about being stigmatised in their community. Although participants had knowledge about healthy eating, the main barrier to eating healthily included the perceived higher cost of healthier food and food insecurity. All participants saw exercise as a strategy to lose weight and improve health, and were interested in participating in a community-based exercise intervention, but negative community perceptions and conflicting views regarding who should lead the intervention were identified as barriers. These findings highlight the complexities surrounding participants' perceptions regarding body size, weight loss and weight-loss interventions, and emphasise low socio-economic status as a barrier to change. The study also highlights the strong influence of cultural ideals and community perceptions on personal perceptions. These findings underscore the necessity for culturally appropriate weight-loss interventions in low-income, transitioning communities.

Asian American mothers' perception of their children's weight: a comparison with other racial/ethnic groups in Los Angeles.

PubMed

Nobari, Tabashir Z; Wang, May-Choo; Whaley, Shannon E

2015-01-01

While mother's perception of child's weight is important for the success of early childhood obesity prevention programs, few studies have examined that of Asian Americans. Our study examined their perception and compared it to that of mothers of other racial/ethnic groups. Cross-sectional study of 2,051 randomly selected mothers of children aged 2-5 years living in Los Angeles County who were enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC). The primary outcome was mother's perception of child's weight. We found that Asian American mothers were 2.12 (95% CI: 1.27-3.54) times as likely as Hispanic mothers to accurately perceive their children's weight, adjusting for child's age, sex and birthweight, and mother's age and education. However, this relationship disappeared after adjusting for mother's BMI. We did not find differences in perception of child's weight among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic mothers. It appears that Asian American mothers' increased accurate perception of child's weight status can be partially explained by their lower prevalence of obesity. Our findings suggest that early childhood obesity prevention programs should consider the weight status of mothers.

Association between weight perception and psychological distress.

PubMed

Atlantis, E; Ball, K

2008-04-01

Obesity is a well-known cause of cardiovascular disease burden and premature death, but effects on depressive symptoms remain equivocal. Depressive symptoms may be more common among the obese individuals who perceive themselves as overweight, rather than those who perceive themselves as having an acceptable weight. Our aim was to determine whether weight status and weight perceptions are independently associated with psychological distress. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the Australian National Health Survey 2004-2005 (N=17 253). All variables were collected by self-report. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to generate prevalence odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for medium (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) scores of 20-29) and high (K10 scores of 30-50) psychological distress (compared with K10 scores of 10-19 as the reference) associated with weight status (standard body mass index (BMI) cutoffs for underweight, overweight and obesity vs normal weight), weight perception (perceived underweight and overweight vs acceptable weight) and weight misperception (incorrect with BMI vs correct with BMI) adjusting for numerous important covariates. Overweight and underweight perception increased the odds of medium (40 and 50%) and high (50 and 120%) psychological distress, whereas weight status and weight misperception were not associated with psychological distress in adjusted analysis. Gender, alcohol consumed per week and post-school education were not significant covariates (at P<0.10 level). Overweight and underweight perception rather than weight status or weight misperception are significant risk factors associated with medium and high psychological distress prevalence and effects appear to be uniform for men and women. Well-designed prospective studies are still needed to determine whether weight perceptions cause psychological distress, and if so, whether symptoms are significantly reduced following effective intervention.

Parental perception of child’s weight status and subsequent BMIz change: the KOALA birth cohort study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Parents often fail to correctly perceive their children’s weight status, but no studies have examined the association between parental weight status perception and longitudinal BMIz change (BMI standardized to a reference population) at various ages. We investigated whether parents are able to accurately perceive their child’s weight status at age 5. We also investigated predictors of accurate weight status perception. Finally, we investigated the predictive value of accurate weight status perception in explaining children’s longitudinal weight development up to the age of 9, in children who were overweight at the age of 5. Methods We used longitudinal data from the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. At the child’s age of 5 years, parents filled out a questionnaire regarding child and parent characteristics and their perception of their child’s weight status. We calculated the children’s actual weight status from parental reports of weight and height at ages 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 years. Regression analyses were used to identify factors predicting which parents accurately perceived their child’s weight status. Finally, regression analyses were used to predict subsequent longitudinal BMIz change in overweight children. Results Eighty-five percent of the parents of overweight children underestimated their child’s weight status at age 5. The child’s BMIz at age 2 and 5 were significant positive predictors of accurate weight status perception (vs. underestimation) in normal weight and overweight children. Accurate weight status perception was a predictor of higher future BMI in overweight children, corrected for actual BMI at baseline. Conclusions Children of parents who accurately perceived their child’s weight status had a higher BMI over time, probably making it easier for parents to correctly perceive their child’s overweight. Parental awareness of the child’s overweight as such may not be sufficient for subsequent weight management by the parents, implying that parents who recognize their child’s overweight may not be able or willing to adequately manage the overweight. PMID:24678601

Ethnic differences in weight loss behavior among secondary school students in Beirut: the role of weight perception.

PubMed

Mehio-Sibai, Abla; Kanaan, Nabil; Chaaya, Monique; Rahal, Boushra; Abdullah, Ahmad; Sibai, Tarek

2003-01-01

Assessing the prevalence of weight loss attempts in Beirut, Lebanon, a country characterized by a diversity of ethnic and religious groups and examining the interplay between ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) and weight perception and their relationship to weight loss behavior. A school-based survey of risk behaviors conducted among secondary students (grade 10-12) in 1997. Subjects consisted of 827 boys and girls, aged 15 to 23 years, the majority of whom were Moslems (65.4%). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between ethnicity and weight perception with the likelihood of trying to lose weight controlling for BMI and a number of potential covariates. The prevalence of weight loss attempts was 19.1% and 42.6% in boys and girls respectively. Christians were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight and to attempt weight loss than Moslems across all BMI levels, however this trend was significant in the underweight category. While controlling for BMI did not change appreciably the results observed, after controlling for weight perception, ethnic differences in weight-loss behavior disappeared. Findings of the study suggest that whereas actual weight may constitute only partially the driving force for differentials by ethnicity, the perception of body weight acts as a mediating factor in the relationship between ethnicity and weight loss behavior. Understanding the disparities in weight management behavior across various adolescent groups is key to develop culturally appropriate educational and intervention programs for the youths.

Link Between Perceived Body Weight and Smoking Behavior Among Adolescents.

PubMed

Yoon, Jangho; Bernell, Stephanie L

2016-11-01

This study investigates a relationship between overweight perception and smoking among adolescents. Data were retrieved from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a biennial survey of a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 in the United States. We analyze five waves of repeated cross-sections (N = 73 376) for the years 2005-2013. We estimate a recursive simultaneous-equations system in which body weight perception, which is a function of actual weight, influences smoking status. Outcome measures are binary indicators for current smoking and frequent current smoking. Perceived weight is categorized into very overweight perception, slightly overweight perception, and about the right weight/underweight perception. In comparison to adolescents who perceive themselves to be the right weight or underweight, adolescents who perceive themselves to be very overweight are 6.1 percentage points (pp) (standard error [SE] = 1.6pp) more likely to currently smoking and 3.3pp (SE = 1.2pp) more likely to frequently smoke. Adolescents with slightly overweight perception are 7.9pp (SE = 1.0pp) and 2.5pp (SE = 0.6pp) more likely to currently smoke and frequently smoke, respectively, as compared to those with the right weight/underweight perception. The relationships are larger for females, and appear to be mediated by weight-loss activity. In an era of tight budgets, it is crucial to address both obesity and smoking in manners that do not work at cross purposes. Strategies to combat youth smoking may be more effective if the perception of being overweight is considered an important risk factor, especially among female adolescents. We find that perception of being overweight is an important causal risk factor for adolescent smoking. Main findings of this study imply that even a slight change in the perception of body weight may lead to a significant change in smoking behavior among adolescents, especially among females and that the perception of being overweight induces adolescents to smoke regularly. Unlike most prior studies, we discovered a positive effect of slight overweight perception on smoking for adolescent males. Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing both obesity and smoking in manners that do not work at cross purposes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Social factors, weight perception, and weight control practices among adolescents in Mexico.

PubMed

Bojorquez, Ietza; Villatoro, Jorge; Delgadillo, Marlene; Fleiz, Clara; Fregoso, Diana; Unikel, Claudia

2018-06-01

We evaluated the association of social factors and weight control practices in adolescents, and the mediation of this association by weight perception, in a national survey of students in Mexico ( n = 28,266). We employed multinomial and Poisson regression models and Sobel's test to assess mediation. Students whose mothers had a higher level of education were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight and also to engage in weight control practices. After adjusting for body weight perception, the effect of maternal education on weight control practices remained significant. Mediation tests were significant for boys and non-significant for girls.

Weight Perception and Dieting Behavior among Korean Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Gyuyoung; Ha, Yeongmi; Vann, Julie Jacobson; Choi, Eunsook

2009-01-01

This study examines relationships among weight status, weight perceptions, and dieting behaviors in South Korean adolescents. As perceptions of an ideal body for teens in Korea have changed over time, it is important for school nurses to understand these relationships to help students achieve health. A cross-sectional survey of 3,191 8th and 2,252…

Parent Perceptions of Child Weight Status in Mexican-Origin Immigrant Families: An Investigation of Acculturation, Stress, and Coping Factors.

PubMed

McLeod, Dorothy L; Bates, Carolyn R; Heard, Amy M; Bohnert, Amy M; Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo

2018-04-01

Parents often underestimate their child's weight status, particularly when the child is overweight or obese. This study examined acculturation, stress, coping, and involuntary responses to stress and their relation to estimation of child's weight status among Mexican-origin immigrant families. Eighty-six families provided data on child's height and weight, caregiver's perception of their child's weight status, and caregiver's responses to acculturation, stress, and coping scales. Parents underestimated their child's weight status, particularly when the child was overweight or obese. Although acculturation and stress were not associated with accuracy, parents' responses to stress were linked to parent perceptions. Parents who reported more frequent use of involuntary engagement (e.g., rumination, physiological arousal) were more accurate. Future research, as well as healthcare providers, should consider how parents manage and respond to stress in order to fully understand the factors that explain weight perceptions among Mexican-origin immigrant parents.

Parental Perception of Weight Status: Influence on Children’s Diet in the Gateshead Millennium Study

PubMed Central

Almoosawi, Suzana; Jones, Angela R.; Parkinson, Kathryn N.; Pearce, Mark S.; Collins, Heather; Adamson, Ashley J.

2016-01-01

Objective Recognising overweight and obesity is critical to prompting action, and consequently preventing and treating obesity. The present study examined the association between parental perceptions of child weight status and child’s diet. Methods Participants were members of the Gateshead Millennium Study. Parental perception of their child’s weight status was assessed using a questionnaire and compared against International Obesity Task Force cut-offs for childhood overweight and obesity when the children were aged 6–8 years old. Diet was assessed at age 6-8years old using the FAST (Food Assessment in Schools Tool) food diary method. The association between parental perception and dietary patterns as defined by Principal Components Analysis, was assessed using multivariate regression after adjustment for child’s gender, child’s weight status, maternal body mass index (BMI), maternal education and deprivation status. Results Of the 361 parents who provided complete data on confounders and on their perception of their child’s weight status, 63 (17%) parents perceived their child as being of ‘normal’ weight or ‘overweight’ when they were actually ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, parents who misperceived their child’s weight had children with a lower ‘healthy’ dietary pattern score compared to children whose parents correctly perceived their weight (β = -0.88; 95% CI: -1.7, -0.1; P-value = 0.028). This association was found despite higher consumption of reduced sugar carbonated drinks amongst children whose parents incorrectly perceived their weight status compared to children whose parents perceived their weight correctly (52.4% vs. 33.6%; P-value = 0.005). Conclusions In conclusion, children whose parents did not correctly perceive their weight status scored lower on the ‘healthy’ dietary pattern. Further research is required to define parents’ diets based on their perception status and to examine if a child’s or parent’s diet mediates the association between parental perception and child weight. PMID:26886851

Adolescent obesity and life satisfaction: perceptions of self, peers, family, and school.

PubMed

Forste, Renata; Moore, Erin

2012-12-01

This study contributes to research on adolescent life satisfaction by considering its association with body weight, as mediated by perceptions of self, peers, family, and school. Data from the Health Behaviors in School-Age Children Survey (2001-2002) and OLS regression techniques are used to examine the association between body weight and life satisfaction. We also model these relationships by gender. Results indicate lower life satisfaction among adolescents that are overweight and obese relative to healthy weight youth, and that most of the negative association operates through perceptions of self, peers, parents, and school. We find little or no gender difference in the association between body weight and perceptions of self, peers, parents, and school; however, we find perceptions of body weight are generally more strongly associated with low life satisfaction among girls compared to boys. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Friendship Network and its Role in Explaining Obesity

PubMed Central

Marathe, Achla; Pan, Zhengzheng; Apolloni, Andrea

2013-01-01

We employ Add Health data to show that friendship networks, constructed from mutual friendship nominations, are important in building weight perception, setting weight goals and measuring social marginalization among adolescents and young adults. We study the relationship between individuals’ perceived weight status, actual weight status, weight status relative to friends’ weight status and weight goals. This analysis helps us understand how individual weight perceptions might be formed, what these perceptions do to the weight goals, and how does friends’ relative weight affect weight perception and weight goals. Combining this information with individuals’ friendship network helps determine the influence of social relationships on weight related variables. Multinomial logistic regression results indicate that relative status is indeed a significant predictor of perceived status, and perceived status is a significant predictor of weight goals. We also address the issue of causality between actual weight status and social marginalization (as measured by the number of friends) and show that obesity precedes social marginalization in time rather than the other way around. This lends credence to the hypothesis that obesity leads to social marginalization not vice versa. Attributes of friendship network can provide new insights into effective interventions for combating obesity since adolescent friendships provide an important social context for weight related behaviors. PMID:25328818

[Weight misperception and physical fitness perception in relation to the physical activity level, dietary behaviour and psychosocial well-being].

PubMed

Ruiz-Prieto, Inmaculada; Carbonero-Carreño, Rocío; Jáuregui-Lobera, Ignacio

2014-09-28

Most of the studies on weight misperception have been carried out in the US where it has been estimated that 20-40% of overweight or obese people underestimate their weight status. The perception of the physical fitness is a little studied variable but suggested as relevant in the adoption of healthy behaviours. The aims were to analyze weight misperception and physical fitness perception in adolescents, evaluating the relationship between weight misperception and physical fitness perception and body weight management behaviours (diet and exercise) as well as to analyze the relationship between weight misperception and psychosocial well-being. A total of 655 students participated voluntarily in the study during which they completed a series of questionnaires. Weight and height of all participants were collected. Many young people misperceived their weight and its physical fitness. The majority of participants who were overweight or obese did not go on diet to manage their body weight. Those who overestimated their weight had the worst psycho-emotional state. The work is novel in Spain, it follows the methodology carried out in international studies on the same topic and the results are similar to those obtained in other populations. Weight misperception and physical fitness perception influence the adoption of healthy body weight management behaviors and is related to psychosocial well- being of young people. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Trends of Child's Weight Perception by Children, Parents, and Healthcare Professionals during the Time of Terminology Change in Childhood Obesity in the United States, 2005-2014.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Takehiro; Horino, Masako; Inoue, Kaori; Kobayashi, Yasuki; Shapiro, Martin F; McCarthy, William J

2016-12-01

To investigate the changes on self- and parental weight perceptions and parental communication with healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the United States during the mid-2000s period when the terminology changed for classifications of childhood obesity/overweight. A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted with 6799 children aged 8-15 years with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2014. BMI was calculated from objectively measured heights and weights, and children were classified as normal/underweight, overweight or obese, using the new terminology. Children reported their own weight status. Parents reported their child's weight status and reported how HCPs described their children's weight status. Logistic regressions were used to investigate changes in weight perceptions among overweight/obese children themselves and their parents and parental communication with HCPs about children's overweight/obesity status during the time of the terminology change. The proportion of parents told by HCPs about children's weight status increased for overweight children [6.8% in 2005-2006 to 18.8% in 2013-2014, p for trend (p trend  = 0.02)], and marginally increased between 2005-2006 (37.1%) and 2007-2008 (45.4%) for obese children (p = 0.09). However, parental perceptions for obese/overweight children did not change. Also, obese children's weight perception did not change, and the proportion of overweight children who perceived their weight status accurately declined in 2005-2012 (25.9%-16.4%, p trend  = 0.02). Although the terminology change about childhood obesity/overweight was associated with increased communication about child's weight status by HCPs, the accuracy of weight perceptions among obese/overweight children or their parents did not improve or declined.

Parents perception of weight status of Mexican preschool children using different tools.

PubMed

Souto-Gallardo, M C; Jiménez-Cruz, A; Bacardí-Gascón, M

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of parents to estimate the weight status of preschool children attending the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) day-care centers using three different tools. A total of 100 parent-child pairs attending to all the existing IMSS day-care centers in Ensenada (n = 9) completed a questionnaire on the perception of children's weight status using verbal description, sketches, and pictures. Chi squared test and univariate logistic regression was applied to assess the difference in perception between the tools used, the factors associated with the weight status perception and to identify predictors of parental underestimation of their child's weight. The sample size was estimated for a significance level of 0.05 with statistical power of 80%. No significant differences were found in the perception of weight status using different tools. The parents' underestimation of the child's weight status ranged from 51 to 59%, this percentage jumps to 79 to 84% in overweight children and 82 to 91% in obese children. Being a young mother and having a daughter increased the risk of underestimation. Higher odds of underestimation were found in > 2BMI z-score. The high underestimation found in this study shows that the ability of parents in signaling an alert to prevent childhood obesity might be highly reduced and preventive health programs should include increasing the weight status perception.

The Impact of Weight Perception on the Health Behaviors of College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborn, Jessica; Naquin, Mildred; Gillan, Wynn; Bowers, Ashley

2016-01-01

Background: Obesity has links to numerous health problems. Having an accurate perception of one's own weight is an important aspect of maintaining an appropriate weight. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among perceived body weight, actual body weight, body satisfaction, and selected health behaviors. Methods: The…

Is Accuracy of Weight Perception Associated with Health Risk Behaviors in a Diverse Sample of Obese Adolescents?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenhart, Clare M.; Daly, Brian P.; Eichen, Dawn M.

2011-01-01

Current evidence is equivocal as to whether adolescent's perception of weight status is linked to both healthy and risky behaviors. This study examined the association between accurate and inaccurate perception of weight and self-reported health and risk behaviors among a diverse sample of obese, urban adolescents. Data were analyzed from 1,180…

Associations of body weight perception and weight control behaviors with problematic internet use among Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Park, Subin; Lee, Yeeun

2017-05-01

We examined the association of body mass index (BMI), body weight perception, and weight control behaviors with problematic Internet use in a nationwide sample of Korean adolescents. Cross-sectional data from the 2010 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey collected from 37,041 boys and 33,655 girls in middle- and high- schools (grades 7-12) were analyzed. Participants were classified into groups based on BMI (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese), body weight perception (underweight, normal weight, and overweight), and weight control behavior (no weight control behavior, appropriate weight control behavior, inappropriate weight control behavior). The risk of problematic Internet use was assessed with the Korean Internet Addiction Proneness Scale for Youth-Short Form. Both boys and girls with inappropriate weight control behavior were more likely to have problematic Internet use. Underweight, overweight, and obese boys and girls were more likely to have problematic Internet use. For both boys and girls, subjective perception of underweight and overweight were positively associated with problematic Internet use. Given the negative effect of inappropriate weight control behavior, special attention needs to be given to adolescents' inappropriate weight control behavior, and an educational intervention for adolescents to control their weight in healthy ways is needed. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Children's weight changes according to maternal perception of the child's weight and health: A prospective cohort of Peruvian children.

PubMed

Carrillo-Larco, Rodrigo M; Bernabe-Ortiz, Antonio; Miranda, J Jaime; Xue, Hong; Wang, Youfa

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to estimate the association between maternal perception of their child's health status and (mis)classification of their child's actual weight with future weight change. We present cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from the Peruvian younger cohort of the Young Lives Study. For cross-sectional analysis, the exposure was maternal perception of child health status (better, same or worse); the outcome was underestimation or overestimation of the child's actual weight. Mothers were asked about their perception of their child's weight (same, lighter or heavier than other children). Actual weight status was defined with IOTF BMI cut-off points. For longitudinal analysis, the exposure was (mis)classification of the child's actual weight; the outcome was the standardized mean difference between follow-up and baseline BMI. A Generalized Linear Model with Poisson family and log-link was used to report the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for cross-sectional analyses. A Linear Regression Model was used to report the longitudinal analysis as coefficient estimates (β) and 95% CI. Normal weight children who were perceived as more healthy than other children were more likely to have their weight overestimated (PR = 2.06); conversely, those who were perceived as less healthy than other children were more likely to have their weight underestimated (PR = 2.17). Mean follow-up time was 2.6 (SD: 0.3) years. Overall, underweight children whose weight was overestimated were more likely to gain BMI (β = 0.44); whilst overweight children whose weight was considered to be the same of their peers (β = -0.55), and those considered to be lighter than other children (β = -0.87), lost BMI. Maternal perception of the child's health status seems to influence both overestimation and underestimation of the child's actual weight status. Such weight (mis)perception may influence future BMI.

Children’s weight changes according to maternal perception of the child’s weight and health: A prospective cohort of Peruvian children

PubMed Central

Carrillo-Larco, Rodrigo M.; Bernabe-Ortiz, Antonio; Miranda, J. Jaime; Xue, Hong; Wang, Youfa

2017-01-01

The aim of the study was to estimate the association between maternal perception of their child’s health status and (mis)classification of their child’s actual weight with future weight change. We present cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from the Peruvian younger cohort of the Young Lives Study. For cross-sectional analysis, the exposure was maternal perception of child health status (better, same or worse); the outcome was underestimation or overestimation of the child’s actual weight. Mothers were asked about their perception of their child’s weight (same, lighter or heavier than other children). Actual weight status was defined with IOTF BMI cut-off points. For longitudinal analysis, the exposure was (mis)classification of the child’s actual weight; the outcome was the standardized mean difference between follow-up and baseline BMI. A Generalized Linear Model with Poisson family and log-link was used to report the prevalence ratio (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for cross-sectional analyses. A Linear Regression Model was used to report the longitudinal analysis as coefficient estimates (β) and 95% CI. Normal weight children who were perceived as more healthy than other children were more likely to have their weight overestimated (PR = 2.06); conversely, those who were perceived as less healthy than other children were more likely to have their weight underestimated (PR = 2.17). Mean follow-up time was 2.6 (SD: 0.3) years. Overall, underweight children whose weight was overestimated were more likely to gain BMI (β = 0.44); whilst overweight children whose weight was considered to be the same of their peers (β = -0.55), and those considered to be lighter than other children (β = -0.87), lost BMI. Maternal perception of the child’s health status seems to influence both overestimation and underestimation of the child’s actual weight status. Such weight (mis)perception may influence future BMI. PMID:28422975

Weight perceptions, misperceptions, and dating violence victimization among U.S. adolescents.

PubMed

Farhat, Tilda; Haynie, Denise; Summersett-Ringgold, Faith; Brooks-Russell, Ashley; Iannotti, Ronald J

2015-05-01

Dating violence is a major public health issue among youth. Overweight/obese adolescents experience peer victimization and discrimination and may be at increased risk of dating violence victimization. Furthermore, given the stigma associated with overweight/obesity, perceptions and misperceptions of overweight may be more important than actual weight status for dating violence victimization. This study examines the association of three weight indices (weight status, perceived weight, and weight perception accuracy) with psychological and physical dating violence victimization. The 2010 baseline survey of the 7-year NEXT Generation Health Study used a three-stage stratified clustered sampling design to select a nationally representative sample of U.S. 10th-grade students (n = 1,983). Participants who have had a boyfriend/girlfriend reported dating violence victimization and perceived weight. Weight status was computed from measured height/weight. Weight perception accuracy (accurate/underestimate/overestimate) was calculated by comparing weight status and perceived weight. Gender-stratified regressions examined the association of weight indices and dating violence victimization. Racial/ethnic differences were also examined. The association of weight indices with dating violence victimization significantly differed by gender. Overall, among boys, no associations were observed. Among girls, weight status was not associated with dating violence victimization, nor with number of dating violence victimization acts; however, perceived weight and weight perception accuracy were significantly associated with dating violence victimization, type of victimization, and number of victimization acts. Post hoc analyses revealed significant racial/ethnic differences. White girls who perceive themselves (accurately or not) to be overweight, and Hispanic girls who are overweight, may be at increased risk of dating violence victimization. These findings suggest a targeted approach to dating violence victimization prevention. © The Author(s) 2014.

Perceptions of low-income African-American mothers about excessive gestational weight gain.

PubMed

Herring, Sharon J; Henry, Tasmia Q; Klotz, Alicia A; Foster, Gary D; Whitaker, Robert C

2012-12-01

A rising number of low-income African-American mothers gain more weight in pregnancy than is recommended, placing them at risk for poor maternal and fetal health outcomes. Little is known about the perceptions of mothers in this population that may influence excessive gestational weight gain. In 2010-2011, we conducted 4 focus groups with 31 low-income, pregnant African-Americans in Philadelphia. Two readers independently coded the focus group transcripts to identify recurrent themes. We identified 9 themes around perceptions that encouraged or discouraged high gestational weight gain. Mothers attributed high weight gain to eating more in pregnancy, which was the result of being hungrier and the belief that consuming more calories while pregnant was essential for babies' health. Family members, especially participants own mothers, strongly reinforced the need to "eat for two" to make a healthy baby. Mothers and their families recognized the link between poor fetal outcomes and low weight gains but not higher gains, and thus, most had a greater pre-occupation with too little food intake and weight gain rather than too much. Having physical symptoms from overeating and weight retention after previous pregnancies were factors that discouraged higher gains. Overall, low-income African-American mothers had more perceptions encouraging high gestational weight gain than discouraging it. Interventions to prevent excessive weight gain need to be sensitive to these perceptions. Messages that link guideline recommended weight gain to optimal infant outcomes and mothers' physical symptoms may be most effective for weight control.

Associations between weight perceptions, weight control and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls.

PubMed

Duncan, J Scott; Duncan, Elizabeth K; Schofield, Grant

2011-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the interactions between weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and body fatness in a multiethnic sample of adolescent girls. A cross-sectional study. Girls from European (37.7 %), Pacific Island (21.6 %), East Asian (15.8 %), Maori (10.2 %) and South Asian (9.6 %) populations and from other ethnicities (5.0 %). A sample of 954 girls aged 11-15 years participated in the study. BMI was derived from height and weight, whereas body fat (BF) was determined from hand-to-foot bioimpedance measurements. Weight perceptions, weight control behaviours and pubertal stage were assessed by questionnaire. Body size and fatness varied significantly across ethnic groups. Although few differences in weight perceptions were observed between BMI and %BF percentile groups, a relatively high degree of weight misclassification was evident across all BF categories. The number of girls trying to lose weight exceeded those who perceived themselves as being overweight, with the magnitude of the difference dependent on ethnicity. Of the girls trying to lose weight, the combination of dieting and exercise was the most common weight loss practice; however, a substantial proportion reported neither exercise nor dieting. Weight status perception was a stronger predictor of weight loss intent than actual BF when controlling for all other factors. Interventions and educational campaigns that assist girls in recognising a state of excess BF are a priority for all ethnic groups to increase the likelihood that behavioural changes necessary to combat widespread overweight and obesity are adopted.

Body weight, self-perception and mental health outcomes among adolescents.

PubMed

Ali, Mir M; Fang, Hai; Rizzo, John A

2010-06-01

The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States has increased three-fold over the last thirty years. During the same period, the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children also rose significantly. Previous literature suggests an association between actual body weight and mental health, but there is little evidence on self-perception of weight and mental health status. To examine the relationship between actual body weight, self-perception of body weight and mental health outcomes among adolescents. Using data for a nationally-representative sample of adolescents in the United States, we ascertain the effect of body weight status on depressive symptoms by estimating endogeneity-corrected models including school-level fixed effects to account for bi-directionality and unobserved confounders. Actual body weight status was calculated using interviewer-measured height and weight. We also used a measure of self-perceived weight status to compare how actual versus self-perceived weight status affects mental health. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE) Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale, and a dichotomous version of self-reported indicator for depression were utilized as mental health indicators. Potential mediators between mental health and weight status such as levels of physical activity, participation in risky health behaviors and parental characteristics were also controlled for in the analysis. The analytical sample consisted of 13,454 adolescents aged 11 to 18. After accounting for a wide array of relevant characteristics, we did not find a direct and significant association between actual weight status and mental health outcomes. Instead, our analysis revealed a strongly negative and significant relationship between self-perceived weight status and mental health. The negative relationship between self-perceived weight and depressive symptoms was more pronounced among females. The RSE scale was particularly correlated with body weight perceptions, suggesting a potentially important link between weight perception and self esteem. While the data set has rich detail on body weight and mental health outcomes, it lacks information on weight stigmatization. The complex relationships between actual body weight, self-perception of weight and weight stigmatization also limit determination of causality. The results from this study highlight the role of body weight perceptions in influencing mental health outcomes independent of actual weight status, especially among female adolescents. This suggests that policies aimed at improving mental health outcomes among adolescents might benefit from a focus on increasing awareness about healthy attitudes towards weight. Recent studies have found evidence that weight stigmatization and body dissatisfaction are predictors of depressive symptoms. It may be that the causal pathway between perceived weight status and depression occurs through weight stigmatization and body dissatisfaction. Future studies should investigate this causal mechanism further.

Overweight, obesity and perceptions about body weight among primary schoolchildren in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

PubMed

Mpembeni, Rose N M; Muhihi, Alfa J; Maghembe, Mwanamkuu; Ngarashi, Davis; Lujani, Benjamin; Chillo, Omary; Kubhoja, Sulende; Anaeli, Amani; Njelekela, Marina A

2014-10-01

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has become a public health concern both in developing and developed countries. Previous research studies have shown that favourable perception of one's body weight is an important factor in weight control. This study determined prevalence of overweight and obesity and assessed perception about body weight among primary schoolchildren in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In this cross sectional study, nine schools were selected randomly from a list of all primary schools in Dar es Salaam. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle information including perception about body weight. Height and weight were measured following standard procedures. Chi- square tests and multiple logistic regressions were used to determine factors which influence perceptions about body weight. A total of 446 children were included into the study. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 16.6 ± 4.0 kg/m2 (16.1 ± 4.0 for males and 17.0 ± 4.0 for females). Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 9.8% and 5.2%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was significantly higher among girls, 13.1% and 6.3% compared to boys with 6.3% and 3.8% overweight and obese respectively (P=0.0314). Overall, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15.0% (10.1% among boys and 19.4% among girls). One-third (33.3%) of the children perceived their body weight as overweight or obese. Among overweight and obese children, 35.4% had unfavourable perception of their body weights. There was a statistically significant difference between perceived body weight and actual body weight as indicated by BMI for both boys and girls (P < 0.05). Age of the child (AOR = 0.55 95% CI 0.36-0.85) and area of residence (COR = 0.64 95% CI 0.44-0.95) were found to be significant predictors of favourable perception of one's body weight. In conclusion, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is not very high in this population. However over a third of overweight and obese children, had unfavourable perception of their body weights. We recommend targeted educational programmes about overweight and obesity and the associated health effects in order to instil a behaviour of self consciousness on overweight and obesity among children in Tanzania.

Relationships among Subjective Social Status, Weight Perception, Weight Control Behaviors, and Weight Status in Adolescents: Findings from the 2009 Korea Youth Risk Behaviors Web-Based Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Yeongmi; Choi, Eunsook; Seo, Yeongmi; Kim, Tae-gu

2013-01-01

Background: This study identified relationships among subjective social status (SSS), weight perception, weight control behaviors, and weight status in Korean adolescents using nationally representative data collected from the 2009 Korea Youth Risk Behaviors Web-Based Survey. Methods: Data from 67,185 students aged 12-18 years were analyzed.…

Body image and weight perceptions in relation to actual measurements by means of a new index and level of physical activity in Italian university students.

PubMed

Zaccagni, Luciana; Masotti, Sabrina; Donati, Roberta; Mazzoni, Gianni; Gualdi-Russo, Emanuela

2014-02-11

Body image perception depends on anthropometric and psychological factors. Body dissatisfaction is influenced by the socio-cultural environment and is associated with eating disorders and low self-esteem. This study examined the body image perception, the degree of dissatisfaction and the weight status perception inconsistency in relation to sex, weight status and amount of physical activity in a sample of university students. The participants were 734 university students (354 females aged 21.5 ± 2.9 yrs and 380 males aged 22.1 ± 3.6 yrs) recruited from the second year of the Sport Sciences degree program. A self-administered questionnaire was used to acquire socio-demographic and sport participation information. Height, weight, BMI and weight status were considered for each subject. Body image perception was assessed by a silhouette matching technique. A new index, FAI (Feel status minus Actual status Inconsistency), was used to assess weight status perception inconsistency. A large proportion of the sample had normal weight status. On average, females chose as feel status a significantly higher figure than the males (4.7 versus 3.8) and they would have liked to have a significantly thinner figure than the males (3.4 versus 3.6). Therefore, the mean FID (Feel minus Ideal Discrepancy) values (positive in both sexes) were significantly higher in females than in males, meaning higher dissatisfaction. The mean FAI values were positive in females and negative in males, indicating a tendency of the women to overestimate their weight status and of the men to underestimate it. Men were more physically active than women. Less active women showed significantly lower body weight and BMI than more active women. Men less engaged in physical activity showed significantly higher FID than more active men. These results show greater dissatisfaction and higher weight status perception consistency in females than in males among Italian university students examined. Our findings suggest that the FAI index can be very useful to evaluate the perceived weight status by body image in comparison to actual weight status assessed anthropometrically.

Perceptions of low-income African-American mothers about excessive gestational weight gain

PubMed Central

Herring, Sharon J.; Henry, Tasmia Q.; Klotz, Alicia; Foster, Gary D.; Whitaker, Robert C.

2013-01-01

Objective A rising number of low-income African-American mothers gain more weight in pregnancy than is recommended, placing them at risk for poor maternal and fetal health outcomes. Little is known about the perceptions of mothers in this population that may influence excessive gestational weight gain. Methods In 2010–2011, we conducted 4 focus groups with 31 low-income, pregnant African-Americans in Philadelphia. Two readers independently coded the focus group transcripts to identify recurrent themes. Results We identified 9 themes around perceptions that encouraged or discouraged high gestational weight gain. Mothers attributed high weight gain to eating more in pregnancy, which was the result of being hungrier and the belief that consuming more calories while pregnant was essential for babies’ health. Family members, especially participants own mothers, strongly reinforced the need to “eat for two” to make a healthy baby. Mothers and their families recognized the link between poor fetal outcomes and low weight gains but not higher gains, and thus, most had a greater pre-occupation with too little food intake and weight gain rather than too much. Having physical symptoms from overeating and weight retention after previous pregnancies were factors that discouraged higher gains. Conclusions Low-income African American mothers had more perceptions encouraging high gestational weight gain than discouraging it. Interventions to prevent excessive weight gain need to be sensitive to these perceptions. Messages that link guideline recommended weight gain to optimal infant outcomes and mothers’ physical symptoms may be most effective for weight control. PMID:22160656

Self-perception of body weight status and weight control practices among adolescents in Malaysia.

PubMed

Zainuddin, Ahmad Ali; Manickam, Mala A; Baharudin, Azli; Omar, Azahadi; Cheong, Siew Man; Ambak, Rashidah; Ahmad, Mohamad Hasnan; Ghaffar, Suhaila Abdul

2014-09-01

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents is rising rapidly in many countries, including Malaysia. This article aims to present the associations between body mass index-based body weight status, body weight perception, and weight control practices among adolescents in Malaysia. The Malaysia School Based Nutrition Survey 2012, which included a body weight perception questionnaire and anthropometric measurements, was conducted on a representative sample of 40 011 students from Standard 4 until Form 5, with a 90.5% response rate. Comparing actual and perceived body weight status, the findings show that 13.8% of adolescents underestimated their weight, 35.0% overestimated, and 51.2% correctly judged their own weight. Significantly more normal weight girls felt they were overweight, whereas significantly more overweight boys perceived themselves as underweight. The overall appropriateness of weight control practices to body weight was 72.6%. Adolescents attempting to lose or gain weight need to have better understanding toward desirable behavioral changes. © 2014 APJPH.

Maternal perception of weight status in first-born Australian toddlers aged 12-16 months--the NOURISH and SAIDI cohorts.

PubMed

Byrne, R; Magarey, A; Daniels, L

2016-05-01

The preference amongst parents for heavier infants is in contrast to obesity prevention efforts worldwide. Parents are poor at identifying overweight in older children, but few studies have investigated maternal perception of weight status amongst toddlers and none in the Australian setting. Mothers (n = 290) completed a self-administered questionnaire at child age 12-16 months, defining their child's weight status as underweight, normal weight, somewhat overweight or very overweight. Weight-for-length z-score was derived from measured weight and length, and children categorized as underweight, normal weight, at risk overweight or obese (WHO standards). Objective classification was compared with maternal perception of weight status. Mean weight-for-length z-score was compared across categories of maternal perception using one-way ANOVA. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine child or maternal characteristics associated with inaccurate weight perception. Most children (83%) were perceived as normal weight. Twenty nine were described as underweight, although none were. Sixty-six children were at risk of overweight, but 57 of these perceived as normal weight. Of the 14 children who were overweight, only 4 were identified as somewhat overweight by their mother. Compared with mothers who could accurately classify their normal weight child, mothers who were older had higher odds of perceiving their normal weight child as underweight, while mothers with higher body mass index had slightly higher odds of describing their overweight/at risk child as normal weight. The leaner but healthy weight toddler was perceived as underweight, while only the heaviest children were recognized as overweight. Mothers unable to accurately identify children at risk are unlikely to act to prevent further excess weight gain. Practitioners can lead a shift in attitudes towards weight in infants and young children, promoting routine growth monitoring and adequate but not rapid weight gain. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Stereotypical beliefs about appearance: implications for retailing and consumer issues.

PubMed

Jasper, C R; Klassen, M L

1990-10-01

This research was designed to identify current stereotypical beliefs about obese men and women, assess subjects' desire to work with individuals described as "normal" weight as opposed to obese, examine subjects' perceptions of their own body size, inquire about subjects' personal desire to gain and lose weight, and identify subjects' diet and consumption behavior. The data indicate sex differences in subjects' perceptions of bodily appearance, desire to work with obese people, perceptions of their own weight, desire to lose rather than gain weight, and consumption and diet behavior.

Trends of Child's Weight Perception by Children, Parents, and Healthcare Professionals during the Time of Terminology Change in Childhood Obesity in the United States, 2005–2014

PubMed Central

Horino, Masako; Inoue, Kaori; Kobayashi, Yasuki; Shapiro, Martin F.; McCarthy, William J.

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: To investigate the changes on self- and parental weight perceptions and parental communication with healthcare professionals (HCPs) in the United States during the mid-2000s period when the terminology changed for classifications of childhood obesity/overweight. Methods: A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted with 6799 children aged 8–15 years with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005–2014. BMI was calculated from objectively measured heights and weights, and children were classified as normal/underweight, overweight or obese, using the new terminology. Children reported their own weight status. Parents reported their child's weight status and reported how HCPs described their children's weight status. Logistic regressions were used to investigate changes in weight perceptions among overweight/obese children themselves and their parents and parental communication with HCPs about children's overweight/obesity status during the time of the terminology change. Results: The proportion of parents told by HCPs about children's weight status increased for overweight children [6.8% in 2005–2006 to 18.8% in 2013–2014, p for trend (ptrend = 0.02)], and marginally increased between 2005–2006 (37.1%) and 2007–2008 (45.4%) for obese children (p = 0.09). However, parental perceptions for obese/overweight children did not change. Also, obese children's weight perception did not change, and the proportion of overweight children who perceived their weight status accurately declined in 2005–2012 (25.9%–16.4%, ptrend = 0.02). Conclusions: Although the terminology change about childhood obesity/overweight was associated with increased communication about child's weight status by HCPs, the accuracy of weight perceptions among obese/overweight children or their parents did not improve or declined. PMID:27710015

Perception of Weight Status in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-15 Years, 2005-2012. NCHS Data Brief. Number 158

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarafrazi, Neda; Hughes, Jeffery P.; Borrud, Lori; Burt, Vicki; Paulose-Ram, Ryne

2014-01-01

Childhood obesity is a major public health problem associated with many adverse health outcomes in adulthood. During 2011-2012, nearly 17% of children and adolescents were obese. Weight status misperception occurs when the child's perception of their weight status differs from their actual weight status based on measured height and weight.…

Chinese mothers' perceptions of their child's weight and obesity status.

PubMed

Chen, Shu; Binns, Colin W; Maycock, Bruce; Zhao, Yun; Liu, Yi

2014-01-01

This study recorded maternal perceptions of preschool children's weight in Chinese mothers living in Australia and China. A survey was undertaken of 1951 mothers living in Chengdu and Wuhan, China and 89 Chinese mothers living in Perth, Australia. All participants were mothers with children aged 2-4 years. The children's weight and height were measured and their weight status were classified using the International Obesity Task Force 2012 revised international child body mass index cut-offs. The prevalence of overweight or obese in children was 16.7% in China and 8% in Australia. The overall percentages of correct maternal perception of the child's weight were 35% in underweight children, 69.2% in normal weight children but only 10.8% in overweight/ obese children. Among the overweight/obese children, only 14% in Australia and 10.8% in China were classified as overweight/obese by their mothers. Within the group of underweight children, normal weight mothers (p=0.004) and mothers with older age children (p=0.015) were more likely to correctly classify children's weight status. A higher percentage of overweight/obese mothers (p=0.002) and mothers who over-estimated her own weight status (p<0.001) have correct perception of the weight status of their overweight/obese children, compared to their counterparts. There was a high prevalence of incorrect maternal perception of preschool children's weight status in Chinese mothers, especially those with overweight/obese children. To address the obesity epidemic in children, future health promotion programs should put improved efforts to educate parents about obesity and its health consequences in order to reduce misperceptions.

Maternal Perception of Child Weight Among Mexicans in California and Mexico

PubMed Central

Rosas, Lisa G.; Harley, Kim G.; Guendelman, Sylvia; Fernald, Lia CH; Mejia, Fabiola

2009-01-01

The prevalence of childhood overweight is high in Mexican immigrant communities in the United States. Understanding mother’s perceptions of child weight in immigrants’ country of origin may help to understand this high prevalence. The goal of this study was to examine and compare mothers’ perception of weight in Mexico (MX) and in an immigrant community in California (CA). We assessed perceptions of child weight using a pictorial scale with 314 mothers of 5-year-old children in MX and 60 mothers of 5 year-old-children in CA. We compared maternal reports with children’s objectively measured weight. Using chi-square and Analysis of Variance, we investigated associations of maternal perception of and satisfaction with weight according to socio-demographic characteristics. Mothers were more likely to underestimate their children’s weight in CA than in MX. On average, CA mothers wanted their children to be smaller than they currently were and mothers in MX wanted their children to be bigger than they currently were. This differed by weight status in CA with mothers of normal weight and at-risk-for-overweight children wanting them to be bigger and mothers of overweight children wanting them to be smaller. In order for programs to be effective, mothers must be able to recognize their children as overweight and want to address it. Because underestimation of weight and a desire for a larger size is common in this population, programs to address overweight may be more effective if they focus on alternative benefits of weight control strategies, such as healthy child development. PMID:19911262

BMI-based body size guides for women and men: development and validation of a novel pictorial method to assess weight-related concepts.

PubMed

Harris, C V; Bradlyn, A S; Coffman, J; Gunel, E; Cottrell, L

2008-02-01

To develop and evaluate two BMI-based instruments to determine perceptions of weight status, particularly perceptions of overweight and obesity, using pictorial images of women and men. Pictures of adults with known BMI values were used to construct gender-specific body size guides (BSGs) containing 10 bodies that ranged from underweight to class III obesity. Figures were standardized and a composite face was added to each. The BSGs were administered to 400 adults to assess the psychometric properties of the instruments and weight perceptions. High correlations between the BMIs of respondents and the BMIs of the current body selected by respondents provided strong support for the criterion-related validity of the BSGs, and the logical pattern of responses to items assessing perception of weight categories supported construct validity for the scales. Test-retest reliability, assessed by correlations for both current and ideal body, was also high, despite the lengthy 6-month testing interval. Respondents' perceptions of the bodies within specific weight categories indicated that a majority failed to recognize the overweight female as overweight and perceived the overweight male as normal weight. Obese bodies were generally unrecognized as such until the bodies reached the higher levels of obesity (that is, BMI values >39). Perception of weight was influenced by the respondents' weight status and gender. Psychometric analyses indicated the BSGs are valid and reliable instruments. These results, coupled with the face validity of the scales and the relationship between the bodies and BMI values, indicate the BSGs offer advantages over existing instruments for researchers of weight perception and body image. Administration of the scales to an adult sample confirmed that overweight and obesity are under-recognized. Increased efforts to improve public understanding of these terms are needed and the BSGs may provide useful tools for this purpose.

Low-income minority and homeless mothers' perceptions of their 9-13 year-old children's weight status, diet, and health.

PubMed

Dammann, Kristen Wiig; Smith, Chery; Richards, Rickelle

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine low-income mothers' perceptions of their children's height and weight in relation to actual measures, and perceptions of dietary quality and health status. Demographic, anthropometric, and dietary quality/health status data were collected during a multi-phase nutrition research project with low-income Minnesotans, and a sub-set of non-pregnant mother-child dyads (mothers ages ≥ 18 years, children ages 9-13 years) were analyzed (n = 257). Participants were Caucasian, African American, American Indian, Hispanic, Asian, or Other/mixed race, and most were homeless. Relationships between maternal perceptions of their child's height and weight and the actual measures, and maternal perceptions of dietary quality and health status for the dyad, were examined using independent and paired samples t-tests, ANOVA, and paired samples correlations. Comparisons were also made by maternal and child body mass index (BMI) status and living situation. Mothers significantly underestimated their child's height and weight (-4.8 ± 13.9 cm, P = 0.000; -5.3 ± 8.5 kg, P = 0.000); greatest misperceptions of weight were among mothers of overweight/obese children (P = 0.000). Mothers not reporting estimates of their child's height and weight (n = 53) had higher BMIs (P = 0.029), and their children were younger (P = 0.000) and lighter (P = 0.021) compared to mothers who provided estimates. Inability to objectify children's weight status may contribute to the obesity epidemic affecting low-income minority populations. Underestimation of weight status may be influenced by cultural perceptions of body image and socioeconomic status.

[Parents´perception of childhood overweight and obesity and eating behaviors, physical activity and sedentary lifestyle of their children. Spain].

PubMed

Rodríguez Martín, Amelia; Novalbos Ruiz, José P; Villagran Pérez, Sergio; Martínez Nieto, José M; Lechuga Campoy, José L

2012-10-01

Parents often do not perceive their children's excess weight, and therefore not modified their lifestyles. We study how often this actually occurs and whether this perception is associated with differences in dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary in children. Cross-sectional study of 1620 children aged 3-16 years selected by multi-stage sampling (2008-2010) of which 454 children had excess weight. We studied family anthropometric characteristics, dietary habits, physical activity (adapted questionnaires Cindi/Marathon), and sedentary lifestyle. We analyze the differences in children with normal weight, unperceived and perceived excess weight (chi² test and ANOVA). Parents receive 34.7% of overweight cases and 72.3% obesity cases of their sons, and a 10.8% and 53,8% respectively in daughters. Obese parents recognize a 54.5% and 57,7% of cases of excess weight in sons, compared to 23.8% and 27,8% in daughters. Perception of excess weight was associated with the professional qualifications of the father (47%) and be a housewife (40%). Excess weight parents' perception coincided with more compliance with physical activity recommendations in younger's sons (67.5% vs. 77.3%) and daughters (47.5% vs. 55.6%), and a lower frequency of sedentary in 3-9 years girls (42.6% vs. 38.9%). According to parents' excess weight perception we found slight differences in dietary by gender and age group of children. A significant percentage of children´s excess weight is not perceived by the parents, being due to study the causes and why parent's perception does not determine differences in dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary habits in their children.

Body Weight, Body Image, and Perception of Fad Diets in Adolescent Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storz, Nancy S.; Greene, Walter H.

1983-01-01

Examined relationships among adolescent girls' (N=203) satisfaction with body weight, body image, and perception/use of fad diets. Subjects wanting to lose weight were placed into two groups based on amount of weight-loss desired and compared in terms of body image scores, ratings of fad diets, and frequency of using the diets. (JN)

Body Weight Perception, Unhealthy Weight Control Behaviors, and Suicidal Ideation among Korean Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Dong-Sik; Cho, Youngtae; Cho, Sung-Il; Lim, In-Sook

2009-01-01

Background: This study examined the mediating function of body weight perception (BWP) in the relation between body mass index (BMI) and unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs; eg, fasting, using diet pills, or laxatives), and between BMI and suicidal ideation. It also explored the correlation between exposure to multiple UWCBs and suicidal…

Parental perceptions of weight terminology that providers use with youth.

PubMed

Puhl, Rebecca M; Peterson, Jamie Lee; Luedicke, Joerg

2011-10-01

Little research has been performed to examine patient perceptions of weight-related language, especially related to childhood obesity. In this study we assessed parental perceptions of weight-based terminology used by health care providers to describe a child's excess weight and assessed perceived connotations associated with these terms including stigma, blame, and motivation to reduce weight. A national sample of American parents with children aged 2 to 18 years (N = 445) completed an online survey to assess their perceptions of 10 common terms to describe excess body weight in youth (including "extremely obese," "high BMI," "weight problem," "unhealthy weight," "weight," "heavy," "obese," "overweight," "chubby," and "fat"). Parents were asked to use a 5-point rating scale to indicate how much they perceived each term to be desirable, stigmatizing, blaming, or motivating to lose weight. Regression models revealed that the terms "weight" and "unhealthy weight" were rated as most desirable, and "unhealthy weight" and "weight problem" were rated as the most motivating to lose weight. The terms "fat," "obese," and "extremely obese" were rated as the most undesirable, stigmatizing, blaming, and least motivating. Parents' ratings were consistent across sociodemographic variables, body weight, and child's body weight. The results of this study have important implications for the improvement of health care for youth with obesity; it may be advantageous for health care providers to use or avoid using specific weight-based language during discussions about body weight with families. Pediatricians play a key role in obesity prevention and treatment, but their efforts may be undermined by stigmatizing or offensive language that can hinder important discussions about children's health.

Effect of thumb anaesthesia on weight perception, muscle activity and the stretch reflex in man.

PubMed Central

Marsden, C D; Rothwell, J C; Traub, M M

1979-01-01

1. We have confirmed the results of Gandevia & McCloskey (1977) on the effect of thumb anaesthesia on perception of weights lifted by the thumb. Weights lifted by flexion feel heavier and weights lifted by extension feel lighter. 2. The change in size of the long-latency stretch reflex in flexor pollicis longus or extensor pollicis longus after thumb anaesthesia cannot explain the effect on weight perception by removal or augmentation of the background servo assistance to muscular contraction. 3. During smooth thumb flexion, thumb anaesthesia increases e.m.g. activity in flexor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis longus for any given opposing torque. 4. During smooth thumb extension the opposite occurs: e.m.g. activity in both extensor and flexor pollicis longus decreases. 5. Clamping the thumb at the proximal phalanx to limit movement solely to the interphalangeal joint reduces or abolishes the effect of anaesthesia on both weight perception and e.m.g. activity during both flexion or extension tasks. 6. Gandevia & McCloskey's findings on the distorting effects of thumb anaesthesia on weight perception cannot be used to support the hypothesis of an efferent monitoring system of the sense of effort. Our results emphasize the close functional relationship between cutaneous and joint afferent information and motor control. PMID:512948

Parental perception of child weight and inflammation: Perceived overweight is associated with higher child c-reactive protein.

PubMed

Sutin, Angelina R; Rust, George; Robinson, Eric; Daly, Michael; Terracciano, Antonio

2017-12-01

Self-perceived overweight and weight discrimination are associated with inflammation in adulthood. We test whether there is an intergenerational association of parent perception of child overweight on higher levels of child c-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation implicated in stress. Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2014 (N=4988). Parents reported their perception of their child's weight; CRP was assayed from children's blood samples. Children whose parents perceived them as overweight had higher CRP levels than children who were perceived about the right weight; perceived underweight was also associated with higher CRP (F(2,4977)=9.23, p<.001). These associations were independent of the child's objective weight status and waist circumference and held when the sample was limited to children with objective overweight and obesity. These results suggest an intergenerational transfer of the psychological perception of body weight from parents to the inflammatory health of their child. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of weight misperception on health-related quality of life in Korean adults (KNHANES 2007–2014): a community-based cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Park, Susan; Lee, Sejin; Hwang, Jinseub; Kwon, Jin-Won

2017-01-01

Background/objectives Weight perception, especially misperception, might affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, related research is scarce and results remain equivocal. We examined the association between HRQoL and weight misperception by comparing obesity level as measured by body mass index (BMI) and weight perception in Korean adults. Methods Study subjects were 43 883 adults aged 19 years or older from cycles IV (2007–2009), V (2010–2012) and VI (2013–2014) of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multiple regression analyses comprising both logit and tobit models were conducted to evaluate the independent effect of obesity level as measured by BMI, weight perception and weight misperception on HRQoL after adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status and number of chronic diseases. We also performed multiple regressions to explore the association between weight misperception and HRQoL stratified by BMI status. Results Obesity level as measured by BMI and weight perception were independently associated with low HRQoL in both separate and combined analyses. Weight misperception, including underestimation and overestimation, had a significantly negative impact on HRQoL. In subgroup analysis, subjects with BMI ranges from normal to overweight who misperceived their weight also had a high risk of low HRQoL. Overestimation of weight among obese subjects associated with low HRQoL, whereas underestimation of weight showed no significant association. Conclusions Both obesity level as measured by BMI and perceiving weight as fat were significant risk factors for low HRQoL. Subjects who incorrectly perceived their weight relative to their BMI status were more likely to report impaired HRQoL, particularly subjects with BMI in the normal to overweight range. Based on these findings, we recommend political and clinical efforts to better inform individuals about healthy weight status and promote accurate weight perception. PMID:28645975

African American and White women׳s perceptions of weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition during pregnancy.

PubMed

Whitaker, Kara M; Wilcox, Sara; Liu, Jihong; Blair, Steven N; Pate, Russell R

2016-03-01

To describe African American and White women's perceptions of weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition during pregnancy and to explore differences in perceptions by race. Qualitative interview study. Two Ob/Gyn clinics in South Carolina, USA. Thirty pregnant women (15 African American, 15 White) between 20 and 30 weeks gestation, equally represented across pre-pregnancy BMI categories (10 normal weight, 10 overweight, and 10 obese). White women more frequently described intentions to meet weight gain, physical activity, and dietary guidelines in pregnancy than African American women. African American women were more concerned with inadequate weight gain while White women more commonly expressed concerns about excessive weight gain. More White women discussed the importance of physical activity for weight management. Regardless of race, few women described risks of excessive weight gain or benefits of physical activity as it relates to the baby's health. The primary cited barrier of healthy eating was the high cost of fresh produce. Several knowledge gaps as well as race differences were identified in women's perceptions and intentions toward weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition during pregnancy. Future interventions should seek to educate women about common misperceptions. It may be necessary to culturally tailor gestational weight gain interventions to optimise health outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-perception of physical competences in preadolescent overweight Chinese children.

PubMed

Sung, R Y T; Yu, C W; So, R C H; Lam, P K W; Hau, K T

2005-01-01

To compare self-perceptions of physical competences in overweight and in normal weight preadolescent Chinese children. Cross-sectional study. Three primary schools and a university hospital in Hong Kong. A total of 634 children, comprising 558 (462 normal weight, 96 overweight) aged 8-12 y randomly sampled from three primary schools, and 76 similar age overweight children recruited from the community for a diet and exercise intervention programme. Height, weight and percentage body fat were measured. Self-perceptions of physical competences were determined by Physical Self-Descriptive Questionnaire (PSDQ). Corresponding actual physical competences were measured by physical fitness tests. Overweight children perceived themselves to have significantly more body fat than normal weight children, with poorer appearance, sports competence, endurance, coordination, flexibility, overall physical self-concept and self-esteem, but to be no less healthy, no less physically active and no less strong. Overweight children performed less well than normal weight children in measures of endurance, coordination and flexibility but better in strength. Poor self-perception of physical competences appeared only partly related to deficiencies in actual physical competences. Overweight children have poorer self-perception of their physical competences but do not perceive themselves to be less strong, healthy or physically active than normal weight children. Exercise programmes for overweight children could be more effective if designed with the knowledge of these self-perceptions.

Brazilian Maternal Weight Perception and Satisfaction With Toddler Body Size: A Study in Primary Health Care.

PubMed

Duarte, Luciane Simões; Fujimori, Elizabeth; Minagawa Toriyama, Aurea Tamami; Palombo, Claudia Nery Teixeira; Borges, Ana Luiza Vilela; Kurihayashi, Aline Yukari

2016-01-01

Maternal perception and satisfaction with child's weight status are important to detect early and to successfully treat the extremes in weight, especially during early childhood, when the child is more dependent on maternal care. To assess the inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size and its associated factors and to analyze maternal dissatisfaction with toddler body size. Cross-sectional study with 135 mother-toddler dyads attending Primary Health Care Facilities, São Paulo, Brazil. Children's actual weight status was classified using body mass index-for-age. Inaccuracy and dissatisfaction were assessed using an image scale. We used logistic regression to identify the factors associated with inaccuracy of maternal perception of toddler body size. Inaccuracy in maternal perception was observed in 34.8% of participants. Mothers of excessive weight children were more likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=4.6; 95% CI 2.0-10.7), and mothers of children who attended well-child care were less likely to have inaccurate perceptions (OR=0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9). More than half of mothers (52.6%) were dissatisfied with their toddler's size and desired a larger child (75.0% of mothers of underweight children, 25.0% of mothers whose children were at risk for overweight and 23.0% of mothers of overweight children). The majority of mothers were inaccurate in their perception and was dissatisfied with their toddler's body size. Maternal inaccuracy and dissatisfaction differed by the weight status of the toddler. Attendance at well-child visits was an effective way to decrease maternal inaccuracy, which reinforces the importance of the influence of health professionals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suprathreshold measures of taste perception in children - Association with dietary quality and body weight.

PubMed

Feeney, Emma L; O'Brien, Sinead A; Scannell, Amalia G M; Markey, Anne; Gibney, Eileen R

2017-06-01

Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in the Western world, and is affected by a multitude of interacting factors. Recent evidence suggests that taste perception may differ between obese and normal weight children. Evidence also suggests that perception of sweet and bitter taste is linked to differential food liking of various foods. To date, most studies have focused on single food items or food groups, rather than an overall view of dietary quality, and mainly on bitterness. Thus it is unclear whether taste perception is associated with dietary quality in children. Our objective was to examine the link between taste perception, dietary quality and body weight in Irish school children, in conjunction with other known influences of body weight. Taste perception was measured using the gLMS for bitter, salty and sweet stimuli. Detailed dietary intake data were collected from 525 children aged 7-13 via a 3-day diet history. Energy misreporters were identified and excluded from the dietary analyses, leaving n = 483 children. Dietary quality was assessed using Healthy Eating Index. Salivary DNA was collected and analyzed for variations in the bitter receptor gene TAS2R38. Sex differences were observed whereby intensity perception of sweetness was lower in the overweight/obese males, while no association was observed for sweet taste in the females. Despite the differences in weight status, taste perception was not associated with differences in overall dietary quality, measured via HEI score, in this cohort. Prospective cohort studies in children are necessary to better understand the association between taste intensity, food intake and weight over time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Nutritional status, nutritional self-perception, and use of licit drugs in adolescents].

PubMed

Garcia, Denise Máximo; Mekitarian Filho, Eduardo; Gilio, Alfredo Elias; Lotufo, João Paulo Becker; Lo, Denise Swei

2015-01-01

To associate the nutritional status and the self-perception of nutritional status with the use of licit drugs among adolescents. Cross-sectional study in which 210 adolescents answered a questionnaire on alcohol and tobacco experimentation and self-perceptions about their nutritional status. The correspondence between the adolescents' perception of their own nutritional status and actual nutritional status was analyzed, as well as associations between nutritional status, self-perception of nutritional status, gender, age, and presence of smokers at home with alcohol and tobacco use. The variables were analyzed separately in a bivariate analysis and, subsequently, a multivariate analysis determined the factors associated with drug use. The study included 210 adolescents with a median age of 148 months; 56.6% were females. Of the total sample, 6.6% have tried cigarettes, and 20% have tried alcohol; 32.3% had BMI Z-Score≥1, 12.85% had BMI Z-Score≥2, and 50.7% had a correct perception of his/her weight. After a multivariate analysis, only the self-perception about weight statistically influenced experimentation of tobacco, and patients who identified themselves as having very high weight were more likely to experiment tobacco (odds ratio (OR) 13.57; confidence interval (95% CI) 2.05-89.8; p=0.007); regarding alcohol use, adolescents who identified themselves as having high weight were 2.4 times more likely to experiment with alcohol than adolescents that identified themselves as having normal weight (95% CI 1.08-5.32, p=0.031). Adolescents with self-perception of excess weight may constitute a risk group for alcohol and tobacco use. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Nutritional status, nutritional self-perception, and use of licit drugs in adolescents

PubMed Central

Garcia, Denise Máximo; Mekitarian, Eduardo; Gilio, Alfredo Elias; Lotufo, João Paulo Becker; Lo, Denise Swei

2015-01-01

Objective: To associate the nutritional status and the self-perception of nutritional status with the use of licit drugs among adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 210 adolescents answered a questionnaire on alcohol and tobacco experimentation and self-perceptions about their nutritional status. The correspondence between the adolescents' perception of their own nutritional status and actual nutritional status was analyzed, as well as associations between nutritional status, self-perception of nutritional status, gender, age, and presence of smokers at home with alcohol and tobacco use. The variables were analyzed separately in a bivariate analysis and, subsequently, a multivariate analysis determined the factors associated with drug use. Results: The study included 210 adolescents with a median age of 148 months; 56.6% were females. Of the total sample, 6.6% have tried cigarettes, and 20% have tried alcohol; 32.3% had BMI Z-Score ≥1, 12.85% had BMI Z-Score ≥2, and 50.7% had a correct perception of his/her weight. After a multivariate analysis, only the self-perception about weight statistically influenced experimentation of tobacco, and patients who identified themselves as having very high weight were more likely to experiment tobacco (odds ratio (OR) 13.57; confidence interval (95% CI) 2.05-89.8; p=0.007); regarding alcohol use, adolescents who identified themselves as having high weight were 2.4 times more likely to experiment with alcohol than adolescents that identified themselves as having normal weight (95% CI 1.08-5.32, p=0.031). Conclusions: Adolescents with self-perception of excess weight may constitute a risk group for alcohol and tobacco use. PMID:25765447

Parental Perceptions of Their Adolescent's Weight Status: The ECHO Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hearst, Mary O.; Sherwood, Nancy E.; Klein, Elizabeth G.; Pasch, Keryn E.; Lytle, Leslie A.

2011-01-01

Objectives: To assess the correlates of parental classification of adolescent weight status. Methods: Measured adolescent weight status was compared to parent self-report perception data (n 374 dyads) using multivariate analyses with interactions to identify characteristics associated with inaccurate parent classification of adolescent weight…

The effect of a medical opinion on self-perceptions of weight for Mexican adults: perception of change and cognitive biases.

PubMed

Easton, Jonathan F; Stephens, Christopher R; Román Sicilia, Heriberto

2017-01-01

This study analysed the relationship between perceived and actual Body Mass Index (BMI) and the effect of a prior identification of obesity by a medical professional for adults using difference in response for two distinct BMI self-perception questions. Typically, self-perception studies only investigate the relation with current weight, whereas here the focus is on the self-perception of weight differences. A statistical approach was used to assess responses to the Mexican ENSANUT 2006 survey. Adults in the range of BMI from 13 to 60 were tested on responses to a categorical question and a figure rating scale self-perception question. Differences in response by gender and identification of obesity by a medical professional were analysed using linear regression. Results indicated that regardless of current BMI and gender, a verbal intervention by a medical professional will increase perceived BMI independently of actual BMI but does not necessarily make the identified obese more accurate in their BMI estimates. A shift in the average self-perception was seen with a higher response for the identified obese. A linear increase in perceived BMI as a function of actual BMI was observed in the range BMI < 35 but with a rate of increase much less than expected if weight differences were perceived accurately. Obese and overweight Mexican adults not only underestimated their weight, but also, could not accurately judge changes in weight. For example, an increase of 5 kg is imagined, in terms of self-image, to be considerably less. It was seen that an identification of obesity by a health care professional did not improve ability to judge weight but, rather, served as a new anchor from which the identified obese judge their weight, suggesting that even those identified obese who have lost weight, perceive their weight to be greater than it actually is. We believe that these results can be explained in terms of two cognitive biases; the self-serving bias and the anchoring bias.

Use of Pediatrician Toolkit to Address Parental Perception of Children’s Weight Status, Nutrition, and Activity Behaviors

PubMed Central

Perrin, Eliana M.; Jacobson Vann, Julie C.; Benjamin, John T.; Skinner, Asheley Cockrell; Wegner, Steven; Ammerman, Alice S.

2010-01-01

Background Communication of children’s weight status and targeted counseling by pediatricians may change parental perceptions or child dietary and physical activity (PA) behaviors. Purpose To determine whether accuracy of parental perception of children’s weight status and reports of related behaviors changed following a brief pediatrics resident intervention. Methods Parents (N=115) of children ages 4–12 years enrolled in Medicaid completed baseline questionnaires about prior communication of weight status and/or body mass index (BMI) with providers, perceptions of their children’s weight, and children s dietary and PA behaviors, and children were weighed and measured. Trained residents used a toolkit to communicate weight status to parents (via color-coded BMI charts) and counseled about mutually chosen healthy behaviors. Questionnaires were repeated at one and three months, and measurements were repeated for children with BMI≥85%. Results At baseline, 42% of parents of overweight children believed they were at healthy weight. Most (n=96; 83%) parents completed one-month, and 56% completed three month follow up questionnaires. Improvements in fruit and vegetable consumption, sweet drinks, unhealthy snacks, frequency of restaurant food, lower-fat milk, and screen time, occurred among both overweight and healthy weight children. There were also increases in discussions with providers about weight/BMI and parental accuracy of overweight assessment. Conclusions Parent accuracy of weight status and short term childhood dietary and PA behavior changes improved following resident pediatrician use of a toolkit to support communication of weight status and counseling. Further research needs to determine whether accurate parental perception motivates improved behavior change or healthier BMI trajectories. PMID:20554259

Use of a pediatrician toolkit to address parental perception of children's weight status, nutrition, and activity behaviors.

PubMed

Perrin, Eliana M; Jacobson Vann, Julie C; Benjamin, John T; Skinner, Asheley Cockrell; Wegner, Steven; Ammerman, Alice S

2010-01-01

Communication of children's weight status and targeted counseling by pediatricians may change parental perceptions or child dietary and physical activity behaviors. The aim of this study was to determine whether accuracy of parental perception of children's weight status and reports of related behaviors changed following a brief pediatrics resident intervention. Parents (N = 115) of children aged 4 to 12 years enrolled in Medicaid completed baseline questionnaires with providers about prior communication of weight status and/or body mass index (BMI), perceptions of their children's weight, and children's dietary and physical activity behaviors, and children were weighed and measured. Trained residents used a toolkit to communicate weight status to parents (via color-coded BMI charts) and counseled about mutually chosen healthy behaviors. Questionnaires were repeated at 1 and 3 months, and measurements were repeated for children with BMI > or =85%. At baseline, 42% of parents of overweight children believed their children were at healthy weight. Most (n = 96; 83%) parents completed 1-month questionnaires, and 56% completed 3-month follow-up questionnaires. Improvements in fruit and vegetable consumption, sweet drinks, unhealthy snacks, frequency of restaurant food, lower-fat milk, and screen time occurred among both overweight and healthy weight children. There were also increases in discussions with providers about weight/BMI and parental accuracy of overweight assessment. Parent accuracy of weight status and short-term childhood dietary and physical activity behavior changes improved following resident pediatrician use of a toolkit to support communication of weight status and counseling. Further research needs to determine whether accurate parental perception motivates improved behavior change or healthier BMI trajectories. 2010 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' Perceptions of Controllability and Its Relationship to Explicit Obesity Bias

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rukavina, Paul B.; Li, Weidong

2011-01-01

Background: The purpose of the study was to assess adolescents' perceptions of controllability and its relation to weight stereotypes as a function of gender. Methods: Two hundred and thirty-one seventh and eighth graders from physical education classes completed a perception of controllability questionnaire and weight stereotype explicit scale…

Actual and perceived weight status and its association with slimming and energy-balance related behaviours in 10- to 12-year-old European children: the ENERGY-project.

PubMed

Altenburg, T M; Singh, A S; Te Velde, S; De Bourdeaudhuij, I; Lien, N; Bere, E; Molnár, D; Jan, N; Fernández-Alvira, J M; Manios, Y; Bringolf-Isler, B; Brug, J; Chinapaw, M J

2017-04-01

Both parents' and children's perception of children's weight status may be important predictors of slimming and energy-balance related behaviours, independent of children's actual weight status. We examined the cross-sectional association of children's self-reported slimming and energy-balance related behaviours with children's (i) actual, (ii) self-perceived and (iii) parent-perceived weight status. Data of 10- to 12-year-old European children and their parents were used. Multilevel logistic and linear regression analyses were performed, adjusting for age, gender, parental weight controlling behaviours, education, marital status and ethnicity. Independent of their actual weight status, a higher proportion of children reported slimming when they or their parents perceived them as too fat. Children's self-perceived weight status was more strongly associated with slimming than their parents' perception or their actual weight status. Moreover, children who perceive themselves as overweight reported less physical activity and more screen time. Children whose parents perceive them as overweight reported less physical activity. Children's own perception of their weight status appears to be more important for their self-reported slimming than their actual or their parent's perceptions of their weight status. Additionally, children's self-perceived weight status seems important in engaging more physical activity and reduces screen time. © 2016 World Obesity Federation.

Body Weight, Self-Esteem, and Depression in Korean Female Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Oksoo; Kim, Kyeha

2001-01-01

Examined whether body mass index (BMI) and perception of a body weight problem predict level of self esteem and depression in Korean female adolescents. Results showed that perception of a weight problem, but not BMI, contributed significantly to the prediction of level of self esteem and depression. (BF)

Medication adherence and subjective weight perception in patients with first-episode psychotic disorder.

PubMed

Wong, Mimi M C; Chen, E Y H; Lui, Simon S Y; Tso, Steve

2011-10-01

Medication adherence is critical to the management of psychotic disorder. Different factors associated with medication adherence have been investigated in previous studies. However, the association with subjective weight perception, which is related to the weight gain side effect of antipsychotics, has not been thoroughly investigated. Subjective weight perception may not equal objective weight status. This study tests the hypothesis that medication adherence is related to subjective weight perception in a group of patients with first-episode psychotic disorder who have taken antipsychotics for one year. This study recruited 160 participants with one-year histories of first-episode psychotic disorder and measured their actual and perceived weights, amount of weight gain in the past year, body size satisfaction and medication adherence levels. The associations between medication adherence and both the actual and perceived weight status were analyzed controlling for other confounding factors including insight, drug attitude, illness severity and other medication side effects. Stepwise multiple regression analysis found that the participants' perceived weight status, negative attitude toward their drugs and insight were the major factors associated with poor medication adherence. Of the participants who perceived themselves as being overweight, 86% believed that antipsychotics were responsible. Among those who had such beliefs, 72% had reduced their antipsychotic dosages on their own. About half of the participants had gained more than 7% of their baseline weight and 43.1% of the participants were found to be overweight after one year of treatment with antipsychotics. The results of this study indicate that medication adherence is associated with perceived weight status. Healthcare professionals should be aware of this relationship and address this issue early in the management of patients. Apart from weight management programs, education on a correct weight perception should be carried out with the promotion of proper drug attitudes and better insight for the improvement of medication adherence in the early course of psychotic disorder.

Taste perception and implicit attitude toward sweet related to body mass index and soft drink supplementation.

PubMed

Sartor, Francesco; Donaldson, Lucy F; Markland, David A; Loveday, Helina; Jackson, Matthew J; Kubis, Hans-Peter

2011-08-01

These studies examined the differences in sweet taste perception and implicit attitude toward sweet between normal-weight and overweight/obese adults; and tested the effects of soft drink consumption on sweet taste, explicit preference and implicit attitude toward sweet in normal-weight subjects. In study 1, normal-weight (n = 22) and overweight/obese (n = 11) adults were assessed for sweet taste intensity and pleasantness. Implicit attitude toward sweet was assessed by implicit association test (IAT). In study 2, normal-weight, lightly active adults (n = 12) underwent one month soft drink supplementation (≈760 ml/day). This increased their daily carbohydrate intake by 2.1 ± 0.2g/kg body weight. Sweet taste perception, explicit preference and implicit attitudes to sweet were assessed. In both studies salty taste was also assessed as a contrasting perception. Overweight/obese subjects perceived sweet and salty tastes as less intense (-23% and -19%, respectively) and reported higher IAT scores for sweet than normal-weight controls (2.1-fold). The supplementation changed sweet intensity/pleasantness ratings and it increased explicit preference (2.3-fold) for sweet in a subgroup of initial sucrose-dislikers. In conclusion, overweight/obese individuals are more implicitly attracted to sweet. One month of soft drink supplementation changed sweet taste perception of normal-weight subjects. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Obesity screening in the pediatric emergency department.

PubMed

Vaughn, Lisa M; Nabors, Laura; Pelley, Terri J; Hampton, Rebecca R; Jacquez, Farrah; Mahabee-Gittens, E Melinda

2012-06-01

The purposes of this study were (1) to examine parental perception of childhood obesity and race with measured body mass index (BMI), (2) to determine if parents are receptive to obesity screening in the pediatric emergency department and if receptivity varies by race or weight status, and (3) to determine eating habits that are predictors of obesity. This study is a cross-sectional study, with a convenience sample of 213 patients (aged 4-16 years accompanied by a parent/legal guardian to a pediatric emergency department). Weight and height were obtained, and parents were asked to complete a survey about perception of their child's weight, nutrition, and exercise habits. The current study found that parent perception of weight status was fairly accurate, and perception was predictive of BMI. Race, however, was not predictive of BMI. Parents were generally receptive of weight screening in the pediatric emergency department, and this did not vary as a function of weight status; however, receptivity did vary based on ethnicity, with African American parents being more receptive than white parents. Large portion sizes and the number of times a child eats fast food per week were found to be predictive of obesity. Greater than half of the children presenting to our pediatric emergency department were overweight or obese. Parents were generally accurate in their perception of their child's weight but were still receptive to obesity prevention and screening in the pediatric emergency department.

The interplay between gender, race and weight status: self perceptions and social consequences.

PubMed

Fletcher, Jason M

2014-07-01

This paper uses data from nearly 15,000 young adult respondents to the Add Health survey to examine racial and gender differences in the perceptions and social rewards to weight. The data include information on several typically unmeasured domains: self-perceptions of ideal weight, attractiveness ratings, and measured weight information, along with ties to a series of adult outcomes. Results show important gender and racial differences in ideal weight as well as differences for both self-perceived attractiveness and interviewer rated attractiveness. Findings also suggest the existence of large differences in socio-cultural rewards and sanctions for weight status. Black respondents, particularly women, appear to receive lower "obesity penalties" in both their self-perceived and interviewer accessed attractiveness ratings than other groups. These findings suggest the need to consider new classes of policies directed at shifting relative social benefits and consequences to weight status. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predictors of parental concerns about child weight in parents of healthy-weight and overweight 2-6 year olds.

PubMed

Gomes, Ana Isabel; Barros, Luisa; Pereira, Ana Isabel

2017-01-01

Parental awareness and concerns about a child's weight can promote healthy food parenting behaviors. Understanding the factors that influence parent's concerns about childhood (over)weight may help professionals define more effective strategies when working with families. This study aimed to assess parental concerns about their young child's weight and to identify contributors of parental concerns about weight in parents of healthy-weight and overweight children, considered separately. Data collection was performed using a cross-sectional design. Parents of 339 children aged from 2 to 6 years completed a Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire and rated their perceptions of and concerns about their child's weight and diet quality. Children's body mass index was assessed and two samples were defined according to the child's nutritional status: healthy-weight (N = 230) and overweight (N = 109) children. Binomial logistic regression was used to predict parental concerns about the child's weight in each sample. Parental concerns about the child's weight were moderate in both groups. For healthy-weight children, parental concerns about the child's weight were significantly predicted by the parents' perception of the child's weight, concerns about the child's diet and the child's healthy food intake. In the overweight children group, parents' perception of the child's weight, concerns about the child's diet and perception of the child's diet quality predicted parental concerns, with the child's gender and recall of physician's warnings about the child's overweight condition as marginal predictors. Our results show that concerns about the child's weight in these two groups of parents share some common determinants but also differ regarding other factors, thus suggesting the need to consider these differences when working with parents of young children with different weight status. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutritional status, weight perception and weight control practices among office employees in Sokoto, Nigeria.

PubMed

Awosan, Kehinde Joseph; Adeniyi, Semiyu Adetunji; Bello, Hamza; Bello-Ibrahim, Zarau

2017-01-01

Overweight and obesity have become the fifth leading risk for global deaths. Office employees have been identified as a high risk group due to the sedentary nature of their work, and accurate weight perception is believed to be critical to acceptance of weight control interventions. This study was conducted to assess the nutritional status, weight perception and weight control practices of office employees in Sokoto, Nigeria. A cross sectional study was conducted among 285 randomly selected office employees in private establishments in Sokoto, Nigeria, in February and March 2013. Anthropometry was done for the participants in addition to questionnaire administration. The mean age of the participants was 33.08 ± 7.23 years, they were predominantly males (56.5%) and married (57.5%). None was underweight, 111 (38.9%) had normal weight, 105 (36.8%) were overweight and 69 (24.2%) were obese. Among the participants with normal weight, overweight and obesity, 71.2%, 35.2% and 58.0% respectively accurately perceived their weight; while 28.8%, 50.5% and 30.4% respectively underestimated their weight. There was poor agreement between actual and perceived weight (k statistics = 0.341, p < 0.001). Only 67 (23.5%) of the 285 participants were engaged in weight control practices. This study showed high prevalence of overweight and obesity, weight misperceptions, and poor uptake of weight control practices among office employees in Sokoto, Nigeria. These findings underscore the need for a holistic approach to obesity control interventions that encompasses both body image perception and nutritional assessment.

Misperceptions of Weight Status in Military Men and Women.

PubMed

Clark, Heidi L; Heileson, Jeffery; DeMay, Jordan; Cole, Renee E

2017-05-01

Military members may be in a unique position to misperceive their weight status because of the expectations of military service-specific body composition standards and sex-specific ideals of body image. Two-thirds of military service members are overweight or obese, costing the Department of Defense over $1 billion/year. This study assessed accuracy of perceived weight status. A cross-sectional, descriptive study of active duty service members (n = 295). Participants were predominantly white (57%), Army (91%), male (71%), with a mean age of 30.1 ± 8.6 years. Thirty-six percent were normal body mass index (BMI) (22.7 ± 1.6 kg/m 2 ) and 64% were overweight/obese BMI (29.3 ± 3.3 kg/m 2 ). Subject BMI (m/kg 2 ) was dichotomized as normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m 2 ) or overweight (≥25 kg/m 2 ); BMI status was contrasted to perceived weight. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Madigan and Brook Army Medical Centers. Inferential statistics between groups compared differences between accurate and inaccurate weight status perception. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify if significant independent variables contributed to predicting weight status accuracy. Data were analyzed using SPSS Predictive Analytic Software version 21 with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. A higher education is associated with a 2.6 higher odds of accurately perceiving weight status. Trying to lose weight is associated with a 0.31 lower odds of accurate perception of weight status. Normal BMI: no men and 29% of women perceived they were overweight; 81% of normal weight women with inaccurate weight perceptions were attempting weight loss (p = 0.005). Overweight BMI: 66% of men and 63% of women were not dieting and 42% of men and 6% of women perceived being at the right weight (p < 0.001). Accurate weight perceivers: The majority of overweight/obese females (94%) and males (85%) with an accurate weight perception were trying to lose weight, compared to 30% of those who had inaccurate weight perceptions (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). Weight misperception may result in underestimation of personal health risk associated with weight gain and may lead to undesirable weight-related outcomes. Aspects of the military culture, such as weight and body composition standards, as well as an emphasis on physical fitness, may influence weight perception in military members differently than that observed in civilian populations, and may influence military men and women differently. Incongruence between actual and perceived weight status and lifestyle behaviors reveals a need for tailored interventions and inclusion of public health campaigns. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

The Perceptions of Obese School Children in Hong Kong toward Their Weight-Loss Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, E. M. Y.; Sit, J. W. H.; Tarrant, M. A.; Cheng, M. M. H.

2012-01-01

Most studies related to addressing weight management of obese children have focused on understanding the perceptions of parents and health professionals. This study identifies the factors that obese children who have tried to lose weight perceive as affecting their efforts. This descriptive qualitative study has sought to identify factors…

Effect of an obesity pamphlet on parental perception and knowledge of excess weight in their children: results of a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Rune, Karina T; Mulgrew, Kate; Sharman, Rachael; Lovell, Geoff P

2015-08-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention in increasing parental knowledge of childhood obesity risk factors and ability to correctly identify their child's weight status. Eighty parents were randomly allocated to an experimental group given an obesity pamphlet or a control group given a stress management pamphlet. A survey measured parents' knowledge about risk factors, cause and consequences of childhood obesity, and perception of their child's weight. Parents with overweight or obese children increased their understanding of childhood obesity immediately after receiving the intervention, but did not differ significantly on perception of their child's weight. The experimental intervention increased knowledge of health risks associated with childhood obesity in parents of overweight or obese children. Parental perception of their child's weight status did not improve, suggesting that other factors have a role to play. SO WHAT? The obesity pamphlet may be a useful tool in a multifaceted approach targeting childhood obesity.

Self- Perception of Body Weight Status in Older Dutch Adults.

PubMed

Monteagudo, C; Dijkstra, S C; Visser, M

2015-06-01

The prevalence of obesity is highest in older persons and a correct self-perception of body weight status is necessary for optimal weight control. The aim of this study was to determine self-perception of, and satisfaction with, body weight status, and to compare current versus ideal body image in a large, nationally representative sample of older people. Furthermore, determinants of misperception were explored. A cross-sectional study. The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), conducted in a population-based sample in the Netherlands. 1295 men and women aged 60-96 years. Body weight status was assessed using measured weight and height. Self-perceived body weight status, satisfaction with body weight and current and ideal body image were also assessed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association of age, educational level and objectively measured BMI with underestimation of body weight status. The prevalence of obesity was 19.9% in men and 29.3% in women. The agreement between objective and self-perceived body weight status was low (Kappa < 0.2). Among overweight and obese persons, 42.1% of men and 44.1% of women were (very) dissatisfied with their body weight status and >99% of obese participants desired to be thinner (ideal body image < current image). Only 4.4% of obese men and 12.3% of obese women perceived their body weight status correctly. Higher age (women), lower educational level (men) and higher BMI (all) were associated with greater underestimation of body weight status. Many older persons misperceive their body weight status. Future actions to improve body weight perception in older persons are necessary to increase the impact of public health campaigns focussing on a healthy body weight in old age.

How does parents' visual perception of their child's weight status affect their feeding style?

PubMed

Yilmaz, Resul; Erkorkmaz, Ünal; Ozcetin, Mustafa; Karaaslan, Erhan

2013-01-01

Eating style is one of the prominente factors that determine energy intake. One of the influencing factors that determine parental feeding style is parental perception of the weight status of the child. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between maternal visual perception of their children's weight status and their feeding style. A cross-sectional survey was completed with only mother's of 380 preschool children with age of 5 to 7 (6.14 years). Visual perception scores were measured with a sketch and maternal feeding style was measured with validated "Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire". The parental feeding dimensions "emotional feeding" and "encouragement to eat" subscale scores were low in overweight children according to visual perception classification. "Emotional feeding" and "permissive control" subscale scores were statistically different in children classified as correctly perceived and incorrectly low perceived group due to maternal misperception. Various feeding styles were related to maternal visual perception. The best approach to preventing obesity and underweight may be to focus on achieving correct parental perception of the weight status of their children, thus improving parental skills and leading them to implement proper feeding styles. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Low-Income Immigrant Hispanic Mothers' Concerns and Perceptions of Their Young Child's Weight.

PubMed

Hernandez, Daphne C; Reesor, Layton; Machuca, Iris; Chishty, Misha; Alonso, Yanely

2016-09-01

To describe how low-income Hispanic immigrant mothers' concerns and perceptions of her child's health, along with her concerns for herself becoming overweight, relate to her (a) concerns that her child will become overweight and (b) underestimation of her child's weight status. Cross-sectional survey and direct body composition assessments were collected among 96 low-income Hispanic mothers and their young children from Houston-area community centers. Data were collected on maternal concerns and perceptions of child's weight and health, concerns about her own weight, demographic characteristics, and measured child's height and weight. Fifty-four percent of mothers with an overweight/obese child perceived their child was "about the right weight." Mothers concerned with becoming overweight themselves had 3 times higher odds of being concerned that her child would become overweight (OR = 3.01, p < .01). Mothers who perceived their child as less healthy had approximately 2 times higher odds of underestimating their child's weight (OR = 1.86, p < .01). Short screeners that focus on maternal concerns about herself and her child becoming overweight, along with perceptions of her child's health and weight status, may assist nurses in effectively tailoring their health message at point of care. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parenting style and perceptions of children's weight among US Hispanics: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Mejia de Grubb, Maria C; Salemi, Jason L; Gonzalez, Sandra J; Sanderson, Maureen; Zoorob, Roger J; Mkanta, William; Levine, Robert S

2018-02-01

Parental perceptions of their children's weight status may limit their willingness to participate in or acknowledge the importance of early interventions to prevent childhood obesity. This study aimed to examine potential differences in Hispanic mothers' and fathers' perceptions of childhood obesity, lifestyle behaviors and communication preferences to inform the development of culturally appropriate childhood obesity interventions. A qualitative study using focus groups was conducted. Groups (one for mothers and one for fathers) were composed of Hispanic parents (n = 12) with at least one girl and one boy (≤ 10 years old) who were patients at a pediatric clinic in Tennessee, USA. Thirteen major themes clustered into four categories were observed: (i) perceptions of childhood obesity/children's weight; (ii) parenting strategies related to children's dietary behaviors/physical activity; (iii) perceptions of what parents can do to prevent childhood obesity and (iv) parental suggestions for partnering with child care providers to address childhood obesity. Mothers appeared to be more concerned than fathers about their children's weight. Fathers expressed more concern about the girls' weight than boys'. Mothers were more likely than fathers to congratulate their children more often for healthy eating and physical activity. Parents collectively expressed a desire for child care providers (e.g. caregivers, teachers, medical professionals and food assistance programs coordinators) to have a caring attitude about their children, which might in turn serve as a motivating factor in talking about their children's weight. Parental perceptions of their children's weight and healthy lifestyle choices are of potential public health importance since they could affect parental participation in preventive interventions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Distance, Weight, Height, Area and Temperature Percepts of School Children. Taft Campus Occasional Paper No. XII. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swan, Malcolm D.; Jones, Orville E.

It is essential in communicative situations for teachers and students to have comparable percepts. A paucity of information is available on the percepts held by children regarding quantities and intervals of distance, height, weight, time, temperature and volume or on improvement (if any) that occurs as children mature. Teachers cannot be…

The validity of self-reported vs. measured body weight and height and the effect of self-perception.

PubMed

Gokler, Mehmet Enes; Bugrul, Necati; Sarı, Ahu Ozturk; Metintas, Selma

2018-01-01

The objective was to assess the validity of self-reported body weight and height and the possible influence of self-perception of body mass index (BMI) status on the actual BMI during the adolescent period. This cross sectional study was conducted on 3918 high school students. Accurate BMI perception occurred when the student's self-perception of their BMI status did not differ from their actual BMI based on measured height and weight. Agreement between the measured and self-reported body height and weight and BMI values was determined using the Bland-Altman metod. To determine the effects of "a good level of agreement", hierarchical logistic regression models were used. Among male students who reported their BMI in the normal region, 2.8% were measured as overweight while 0.6% of them were measured as obese. For females in the same group, these percentages were 1.3% and 0.4% respectively. Among male students who perceived their BMI in the normal region, 8.5% were measured as overweight while 0.4% of them were measured as obese. For females these percentages were 25.6% and 1.8% respectively. According to logistic regression analysis, residence and accurate BMI perception were significantly associated with "good agreement" ( p ≤ 0.001). The results of this study demonstrated that in determining obesity and overweight statuses, non-accurate weight perception is a potential risk for students.

Racial Differences in Perception of Healthy Body Weight in Mid-Life Women: Results from Do Stage Transitions Result in Detectable Effects (STRIDE) Study

PubMed Central

Thomas, Semara; Ness, Roberta B.; Thurston, Rebecca C.; Matthews, Karen; Chang, Chung-Chou; Hess, Rachel

2012-01-01

Objectives Perception of a healthy body weight may influence health behaviors including physical activity level, nutritional habits, and health outcomes, and these perceptions may vary importantly by race. Midlife is a critical period for women, which typically includes weight gain. We assessed the associations between perception of healthy body weight and body mass index (BMI) and whether they vary by race. Methods In the Do Stage Transitions Result in Detectable Effects (STRIDE) study, body mass index (BMI) and perception of body weight (healthy, underweight, or overweight) were measured at the baseline examination. Multinomial logistic regression models examined the associations, with race (White vs. Black) as a moderator variable. Results Of 729 women enrolled, 689 women (95%, N=145 Black, N=544 White) were included in these analyses. Even though the average BMI was higher for Black women compared to White women (33.1 vs. 29.2, respectively, p<.0001), Black women were less likely to report that they weighed too much (RRR (Relative Risk Ratio) [95% CI]: 0.4 [0.2, 0.9], p 0.022) and more likely to think that they did not weigh enough (RRR [95% CI]: 14.2 [1.8, 110], p 0.011). Conclusion Although Black women in general face a greater threat of morbidity from weight-related chronic diseases, they are more likely to be accepting of their weight at higher BMI’s, relative to Whites. Weight-loss interventions and counseling about healthy body size may influence healthy behavior and reduce chronic disease risk. PMID:23435023

Racial differences in perception of healthy body weight in midlife women: results from the Do Stage Transitions Result in Detectable Effects study.

PubMed

Thomas, Semara; Ness, Roberta B; Thurston, Rebecca C; Matthews, Karen; Chang, Chung-Chou; Hess, Rachel

2013-03-01

Perception of healthy body weight may influence health behaviors, including physical activity level, nutritional habits, and health outcomes, and these perceptions may vary importantly by race. Midlife is a critical period for women that typically includes weight gain. We assessed the associations between perception of healthy body weight and body mass index (BMI) and whether they vary by race. In the Do Stage Transitions Result in Detectable Effects study, BMI and perception of body weight (healthy, underweight, or overweight) were measured at baseline examination. Multinomial logistic regression models examined the associations, with race (white vs black) as moderator variable. Of 729 women enrolled, 689 women (95%; black, n = 145; white, n = 544) were included in these analyses. Even though the average BMI was higher for black women than for white women (33.1 vs 29.2 kg/m, respectively; P < 0.0001), black women were less likely to report that they weighed too much (relative risk ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9; P = 0.022) and more likely to think that they did not weigh enough (relative risk ratio, 14.2; 95% CI, 1.8-110; P = 0.011). Although black women, in general, face a greater threat of morbidity from weight-related chronic diseases, they are more likely to be accepting of their weight at higher BMIs relative to whites. Weight loss interventions and counseling about healthy body size may influence healthy behavior and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

Parents' Perceptions of Children's Weight: The Accuracy of Ratings and Associations to Strategies for Feeding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tremblay, Line; Rinaldi, Christina M.; Lovsin, Tanya; Zecevic, Cheryl

2012-01-01

The general objective of this study was to assess parents' perceptions of their preschooler's body weight, and the association between children's current weight status and parental feeding strategies. A sample of 150 parents of three- to five-year-old children (72 girls and 78 boys) completed questionnaires on sociodemographic information,…

The cultural context of obesity: exploring perceptions of obesity and weight loss among Latina immigrants.

PubMed

Agne, April A; Daubert, Rebecca; Munoz, Maria L; Scarinci, Isabel; Cherrington, Andrea L

2012-12-01

This study used focus group methodology to examine perceptions of obesity and weight management among Latina immigrant women in Alabama. Four focus groups (N = 25) were conducted in Spanish as part of a participatory intervention development process. Participants were obese/overweight Latina immigrant women (BMI > 25) primarily recruited from a community hospital. The majority of participants were from Mexico. Participants described obesity in the context of short-term effects such as physical symptoms and aesthetics. Perceived weight gain was related to lifestyle changes since moving to the US. Social isolation, depression, and stress were reported to contribute to weight gain. Participants expressed interest in weight loss but emphasized a desire for programs that preserve traditional foods and include family. Weight-management programs designed for Latina immigrants should address their perceptions of obesity. This data also suggests that those interventions that preserve culture and incorporate family may have increased community buy-in.

The apple of their eye: Attitudinal and behavioral correlates of parents' perceptions of child obesity

PubMed Central

Lydecker, Janet; Grilo, Carlos

2015-01-01

Objective This study addressed gaps in the existing literature about correlates of parental perception of child weight using a community sample. We evaluated how weight-status and its perception related to parents’ personal and parenting attitudes/behaviors. Methods Participants were parents (N=1007; 65.3% mothers, 34.4% fathers) of children 5–15 years old. Parents completed online measures of personal eating attitudes/behaviors, attitudes/behaviors about their children’s eating and weight, and parental practices related to weight-related attitudes. Results Parents frequently underestimated children’s overweight/obesity, even more frequently than their own overweight/obesity (p<.001). Parents’ personal eating attitudes/behaviors were related to their own weight-status (p<.001) and perceived child weight-status (p<.001) but not actual child weight-status. Parents’ child-focused eating attitudes/behaviors were related to actual (p<.001) and perceived child weight-status (p<.001), but not parent weight-status. Conclusions In general, parents’ personal attitudes/behaviors did not extend into their perceptions of their child’s weight or their response to it. Results suggest a dual need to improve parent accuracy perceiving children’s overweight/obesity, and to guide parent responses to perceived overweight/obesity. Given the high prevalence of childhood obesity, and the serious consequences during childhood and into adulthood, further research is needed to enhance understanding of parents’ specific needs to engage in prevention and treatment programs. PMID:26916369

Dietary Behaviors and Caregiver Perceptions of Overweight and Obesity among Chinese Preschool Children.

PubMed

Tang, Amber; Ji, Meimei; Zhang, Yefu; Zou, Jiaojiao; Li, Mingzhi; Yang, Lina; Lin, Qian

2018-04-11

Introduction : Early childhood obesity in China has become a pressing public health concern. A substantial barrier to healthy weight management is poor parental recognition of child overweight. This study examined the relationship between caregiver perceptions of child weight and dietary practices. Methods : A total of 364 children between 2 and 6 years old from six urban preschools in Changsha (China) were included in a cross-sectional study. Information on household demographics, health behaviors, and caregiver attitudes was collected through a self-administered caregiver questionnaire. Chi-squared tests, t -tests, and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between caregiver perceptions, dietary behaviors, and child weight status. Results : Over 60% of caregivers with overweight/obese children underestimated their children's weight status. These caregivers were less likely to worry about weight and restrict their children's dietary intakes. Children of caregivers who incorrectly classified their weights were also more likely to have a poor appetite. Caregivers of male children and those from families with incomes between 7000 and 11,000 Ren Min Bi (RMB) were more likely to underestimate weight compared to caregivers with daughters and those from higher income households. Conclusions : Although accurate weight perception may be important for motivating healthy behavioral changes, it may also lead to greater restriction of children's diets, which has been linked to long-term weight gain. Interventions to improve awareness of child overweight should be coupled with efforts that teach caregivers about healthy weight management strategies.

The apple of their eye: Attitudinal and behavioral correlates of parents' perceptions of child obesity.

PubMed

Lydecker, Janet A; Grilo, Carlos M

2016-05-01

This study addressed gaps in the existing literature about correlates of parental perception of child weight using a community sample. This study evaluated how weight-status and its perception related to parents' personal and parenting attitudes/behaviors. Participants were parents (N = 1,007; 65.3% mothers, 34.4% fathers) of children 5 to 15 years old. Parents completed online measures of personal eating attitudes/behaviors, attitudes/behaviors about their children's eating and weight, and parental practices related to weight-related attitudes. Parents frequently underestimated children's overweight/obesity, even more frequently than their own overweight/obesity (P < 0.001). Parents' personal eating attitudes/behaviors were related to their own weight-status (P < 0.001) and perceived child weight-status (P < 0.001) but not actual child weight-status. Parents' child-focused eating attitudes/behaviors were related to actual (P < 0.001) and perceived child weight-status (P < 0.001), but not parent weight-status. In general, parents' personal attitudes/behaviors did not extend into their perceptions of their children's weight or their response to it. Results suggest a dual need to improve parent accuracy perceiving children's overweight/obesity and to guide parent responses to perceived overweight/obesity. Given the high prevalence of childhood obesity, and the serious consequences during childhood and into adulthood, further research is needed to enhance understanding of parents' specific needs to engage in prevention and treatment programs. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Assessing Differences in Risk Perceptions About Obesity Among "Normal-Weight" and "Overweight" Adolescents--A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Gavaravarapu, SubbaRao M; Rao, K Mallikarjuna; Nagalla, Balakrishna; Avula, Laxmaiah

2015-01-01

To assess the differences in risk perceptions of overweight/obese and normal-weight adolescents about obesity and associated risk factors. Qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs). Five randomly selected schools from the South Indian city of Hyderabad. Seventy-nine adolescents (ages 11-14 years) participated in 10 FGDs (5 each with overweight/obese and normal-weight groups). Whether obesity-related risk perceptions differ with actual weight status or not. FGDs were recorded, transcribed, and manually coded for thematic analysis. Results were presented according to 6 themes. At each stage of coding and analysis, reports were read independently by 2-3 researchers and the inter-coder reliability was high (ratio of number of agreements against the sum of agreements plus disagreements was over 90%). Adolescents across the groups had limited understanding of nutrition during adolescence as well as causes and consequences of obesity. The optimistic bias that they were less vulnerable compared to others to the risks of obesity was evident from perceptions of overweight groups. While overweight adolescents argued that obesity was hereditary, the normal-weight participants perceived "faulty food habits" and laziness as the reasons. Adolescents across the groups considered fruits and vegetables as healthy foods. There were clear differences in perceptions of adolescents of different weight status. Employing the risk perception analysis framework, this study identified the following adolescent traits: responsive, avoidance, and indifference, which may be useful for developing nutrition communication programs. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adolescents' perceived weight associated with depression in young adulthood: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Al Mamun, Abdullah; Cramb, Susanna; McDermott, Brett M; O'Callaghan, Michael; Najman, Jake M; Williams, Gail M

2007-12-01

The objective of this study is to examine whether adolescents' measured BMI and self- or mother's perception of weight status at age 14 are associated with depression at age 21. The study participants were a subsample of 2017 participants of the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy and Its Outcomes, a population-based birth cohort study, which commenced in 1981 in Brisbane, Australia, for whom measured BMI at ages 14 and 21 and information on self-reported mental health problems were available at the age 21 follow-up. A total of 1802 individuals had measured BMI and reported weight perception in a supplementary questionnaire at 14 years, and their self-reported mental health problems were reported at 21 years. Mental health was measured using Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale and Young Adults Self-Reported depression/anxiety at 21 years of age. We found that both young adult males and females who perceived themselves as overweight at age 14 had more mental health problems compared with those who perceived themselves as the right weight. When we combined adolescents' weight perception with their measured BMI categories, weight perception but not measured overweight was associated with mental health problems for males and females at age 21. This association remained after adjusting for potential confounders, including adolescents' behavioral problems, family meals, diet, physical activity, and television watching. This study suggests that the perception of being overweight during adolescence is a significant risk factor for depression in young adult men and women. The perception of being overweight during adolescence should be considered a possible target for a prevention intervention.

[Validity of anthropometric measurements and weight perceptions reported by relatives of children under 4 years old].

PubMed

Patiño-Villena, Begoña; Chirlaque, María Dolores; Salmerón, Diego; González, Eduardo; Navarro, Carmen

2016-01-01

To assess the validity of weight and height measurements reported by parents and the perception of their children's weight status in order to assess the prevalence of overweight children under 4 years old. Cross-sectional study. Anthropometric data was collected by self-report questionnaires completed by parents of children 3-45 months old: 1) information from paediatric check-ups (gold standard); 2) information reported from the home environment; and 3) data from individual perceptions. WHO standards were used. Reported height was underestimated, thus reported weight/height and BMI/age were overestimated. Overweight prevalence according to paediatric check-ups was 18.6%, compared to 26.5% reported prevalence, showing a moderate concordance (Kappa: 0.47 [0.34-0.60]), 70% sensitivity and 84% specificity. Subjective perception was 11.2%, representing 30% sensitivity and 93% specificity. The reported information has little validity for population-based studies, as height is underestimated and overweight status is not correctly perceived due to distortion of individual perception. Questionnaires must be validated and awareness raised among families. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Predictors of parental perceptions and concerns about child weight

PubMed Central

Keller, Kathleen L.; Olsen, Annemarie; Kuilema, Laura; Meyermann, Karol; van Belle, Christopher

2012-01-01

Appropriate levels of parental perception and concern about child weight are important components of successful obesity treatment, but the factors that contribute to these attitudes need clarification. The aim of this study was to identify child and parent characteristics that best predict parental perceptions and concerns about child weight. A cross-sectional design was used to assess characteristics of parents (e.g. age, income, and feeding attitudes) and children (e.g. body composition, ad libitum intake, and reported physical activity). Results are reported for 75, 4–6 year-olds from diverse ethnicities. Perceived child weight and concern were measured with the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Multiple linear regression was used to identify the best models for perceived child weight and concern. For perceived child weight, the best model included parent age, children’s laboratory intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and palatable buffet items, and two measures of child body composition (ratio of trunk fat-to-total fat and ratio of leg fat-to-total fat). For concern, child android/gynoid fat ratio explained the largest amount of variance, followed by restrictive feeding and SSB intake. Parental perceptions and concerns about child weight are best explained by models that account for children’s eating behavior and body fat distribution. PMID:23207190

Socioeconomic status and misperception of body mass index among Mexican adults.

PubMed

Arantxa Colchero, M; Caro-Vega, Yanink; Kaufer-Horwitz, Martha

2014-01-01

To estimate the association between perceived body mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic variables in adults in Mexico. We studied 32052 adults from the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2006. We estimated BMI misperception by comparing the respondent's weight perception (as categories of BMI) with the corresponding category according to measured weight and height. Misperception was defined as respondent's perception of a BMI category different from their actual category. Socioeconomic status was assessed using household assets. Logistic and multinomial regression models by gender and BMI category were estimated. Adult women and men highly underestimate their BMI category. We found that the probability of a correct classification was lower than the probability of getting a correct result by chance alone. Better educated and more affluent individuals are more likely to have a correct perception of their weight status, particularly among overweight adults. Given that a correct perception of weight has been associated with an increased search of weight control and that our results show that the studied population underestimated their BMI, interventions providing definitions and consequences of overweight and obesity and encouraging the population to monitor their weight could be beneficial.

Gender differences in body mass index, body weight perception and weight loss strategies among undergraduates in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

PubMed

Kuan, P X; Ho, H L; Shuhaili, M S; Siti, A A; Gudum, H R

2011-04-01

This study was carried out among undergraduate students in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak with the objective of examining gender differences in body mass index (BMI), body weight perception, eating attitudes and weightloss strategies. Subjects consisted of 600 undergraduates (300 males and 300 females) recruited from the various faculties between September 2008 until mid-November 2008. The Original Figure Rating Scale: Body Weight Perception, Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) were used as assessment tools. Overall, 52.8% of students had normal BMI, with approximately an equal number of both sexes. More males than females were overweight (33.7%), while more females were underweight (25.3%). Males were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight, and fail to see themselves as underweight. More than half of the females preferred their ideal figure to be underweight, whereas about 30% males chose an overweight figure as their ideal model. Females were generally more concerned about body weight, body shape and eating than males. They diet more frequently, had self-induced vomiting, and used laxatives and exercise as their weight-loss strategies. Issues pertaining to body weight perception, eating attitudes and weight-loss strategies exist with differences among male and female undergraduates. Thus, in order to correct misperceptions among young adults, a more tailored intervention programme and more in-depth studies into the various factors involved are required.

Mass Is All That Matters in the Size–Weight Illusion

PubMed Central

Plaisier, Myrthe A.; Smeets, Jeroen B. J.

2012-01-01

An object in outer space is weightless due to the absence of gravity, but astronauts can still judge whether one object is heavier than another one by accelerating the object. How heavy an object feels depends on the exploration mode: an object is perceived as heavier when holding it against the pull of gravity than when accelerating it. At the same time, perceiving an object’s size influences the percept: small objects feel heavier than large objects with the same mass (size–weight illusion). Does this effect depend on perception of the pull of gravity? To answer this question, objects were suspended from a long wire and participants were asked to push an object and rate its heaviness. This way the contribution of gravitational forces on the percept was minimised. Our results show that weight is not at all necessary for the illusion because the size–weight illusion occurred without perception of weight. The magnitude of the illusion was independent of whether inertial or gravitational forces were perceived. We conclude that the size–weight illusion does not depend on prior knowledge about weights of object, but instead on a more general knowledge about the mass of objects, independent of the contribution of gravity. Consequently, the size–weight illusion will have the same magnitude on Earth as it should have on the Moon or even under conditions of weightlessness. PMID:22912704

Mass is all that matters in the size-weight illusion.

PubMed

Plaisier, Myrthe A; Smeets, Jeroen B J

2012-01-01

An object in outer space is weightless due to the absence of gravity, but astronauts can still judge whether one object is heavier than another one by accelerating the object. How heavy an object feels depends on the exploration mode: an object is perceived as heavier when holding it against the pull of gravity than when accelerating it. At the same time, perceiving an object's size influences the percept: small objects feel heavier than large objects with the same mass (size-weight illusion). Does this effect depend on perception of the pull of gravity? To answer this question, objects were suspended from a long wire and participants were asked to push an object and rate its heaviness. This way the contribution of gravitational forces on the percept was minimised. Our results show that weight is not at all necessary for the illusion because the size-weight illusion occurred without perception of weight. The magnitude of the illusion was independent of whether inertial or gravitational forces were perceived. We conclude that the size-weight illusion does not depend on prior knowledge about weights of object, but instead on a more general knowledge about the mass of objects, independent of the contribution of gravity. Consequently, the size-weight illusion will have the same magnitude on Earth as it should have on the Moon or even under conditions of weightlessness.

Visual perceptions of male obesity: a cross-cultural study examining male and female lay perceptions of obesity in Caucasian males.

PubMed

Robinson, Eric; Hogenkamp, Pleunie S

2015-05-16

Obesity is now common and this may have altered visual perceptions of what constitutes a 'normal' and therefore healthy weight. The present study examined cross-cultural differences in male and female participants' ability to visually identify the weight status of photographed Caucasian males. Five hundred and fifty three male and female young adults from the US (high obesity prevalence), UK and Sweden (lower obesity prevalence) participated in an online study. Participants judged the weight status of a series of photographed healthy weight, overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males and rated the extent to which they believed each male should consider losing weight. There was a strong tendency for both male and female participants to underestimate the weight status of the photographed overweight and obese males. Photographed males were frequently perceived as being of healthier weight than they actually were. Some modest cross-cultural differences were also observed; US participants were worse at recognising obesity than UK participants (p < 0.05) and were also significantly more likely to believe that the photographed obese males did not need to consider losing weight, in comparison to both the UK and Swedish participants (ps < 0.05). No cross-cultural differences were observed for perceptions or attitudes towards the photographed healthy weight or overweight males. The weight status of overweight and obese (class I) Caucasian males is underestimated when judged by males and females using visual information alone. This study provides initial evidence of modest cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward, and the ability to recognise, obesity in Caucasian males.

Health behaviours, body weight and self-esteem among grade five students in Canada.

PubMed

Wu, Xiuyun; Kirk, Sara F L; Ohinmaa, Arto; Veugelers, Paul

2016-01-01

This study sought to identify the principal components of self-esteem and the health behavioural determinants of these components among grade five students. We analysed data from a population-based survey among 4918 grade five students, who are primarily 10 and 11 years of age, and their parents in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The survey comprised the Harvard Youth and Adolescent Questionnaire, parental reporting of students' physical activity (PA) and time spent watching television or using computer/video games. Students heights and weights were objectively measured. We applied principal component analysis (PCA) to derive the components of self-esteem, and multilevel, multivariable logistic regression to quantify associations of diet quality, PA, sedentary behaviour and body weight with these components of self-esteem. PCA identified four components for self-esteem: self-perception, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, social-perception. Influences of health behaviours and body weight on self-esteem varied across the components. Better diet quality was associated with higher self-perception and fewer externalizing problems. Less PA and more use of computer/video games were related to lower self-perception and social-perception. Excessive TV watching was associated with more internalizing problems. Students classified as obese were more likely to report low self- and social-perception, and to experience fewer externalizing problems relative to students classified as normal weight. This study demonstrates independent influences of diet quality, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and body weight on four aspects of self-esteem among children. These findings suggest that school programs and health promotion strategies that target health behaviours may benefit self-esteem in childhood, and mental health and quality of life later in life.

A study on body weight perception and weight control behaviours among adolescents in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Cheung, Patrick C H; Ip, Patricia L S; Lam, S T; Bibby, Helen

2007-02-01

To examine the relationships between body weight perceptions, estimated body mass index, gender, and weight control behaviours. Cross-sectional survey. Three secondary schools in Hong Kong. A total of 1132 secondary school forms 1 and 3 students. The strength of agreement between perceived weight and estimated body mass index, and the association between perceived weight, estimated body mass index, and weight control behaviours. A total of 14% of students were estimated to be overweight or obese. The agreement between actual (estimated) body mass index and perceived weight was poor in females and fair in males (Kappa 0.137 and 0.225, respectively). In females, there was no evidence of a relationship between body mass index and weight control behaviours. However, there was a relationship between perceived weight and weight control behaviours such that females who perceived themselves as overweight were more likely to exercise, restrict caloric intake, self medicate with diet pills, purge, or use laxatives. In males, there was evidence of a relationship between perceived weight, body mass index, and weight control behaviours. Males who perceived themselves as overweight or were overweight, were more likely to exercise or restrict caloric intake. Body weight perceptions are not in agreement with actual weight in adolescents. This discrepancy is more marked in females who use a variety of weight control behaviours. These behaviours are motivated by perceived weight rather than actual (estimated) body mass index. Overweight adolescents should be encouraged to adopt appropriate weight control behaviours for their health needs.

Factors associated with parent concern for child weight and parenting behaviors.

PubMed

Peyer, Karissa L; Welk, Gregory; Bailey-Davis, Lisa; Yang, Shu; Kim, Jae-Kwang

2015-06-01

A parent's perception about their child's overweight status is an important precursor or determinant of preventative actions. Acknowledgment of, and concern for, overweight may be moderated by the parent's own weight status whereas engaging in healthy behaviors at home may promote healthy weight status. It is hypothesized that normal weight parents are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and acknowledge overweight in their own children whereas heavier parents may report more concern about child weight. A total of 1745 parents of first- through fifth-grade students completed a questionnaire assessing reactions to a school BMI report and perceptions about BMI issues. Specific items included perceptions of child's weight status, concern for child weight status, and preventive practices. Parents also provided information about their own weight status. Relationships between measured child weight, perceived child weight, parent weight, parent concern, and healthy behaviors were examined. Overweight parents were more likely to identify overweight in their child and report concern about their child's weight. Concern was higher for parents of overweight children than of normal weight children. Normal weight parents and parents of normal weight children reported more healthy behaviors. Results support the hypothesis that normal weight parents are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and that overweight parents are more likely to report concern about child weight. However, overweight parents are also more likely to acknowledge overweight status in their own child. Future research should examine links between parent concern and actual pursuit of weight management assistance.

Body mass, weight control behaviours, weight perception and emotional well being in a multiethnic sample of early adolescents.

PubMed

Viner, R M; Haines, M M; Taylor, S J C; Head, J; Booy, R; Stansfeld, S

2006-10-01

To investigate weight perception, dieting and emotional well being across the range of body mass index (BMI) in a population-based multiethnic sample of early adolescents. Cross-sectional population-based survey. In total, 2789 adolescents 11-14 years of age from three highly deprived regional authorities in East London, in 2001. Data were collected by student-completed questionnaire on weight perception, dieting history, mental and physical health, health behaviours, social capital and sociodemographic factors. Height and weight were measured by trained researchers. Overweight was defined as BMI > or =85th centile and obesity as BMI > or =98th centile. Underweight was defined as BMI< or =15th centile. In all, 73% were from ethnic groups other than white British. Valid BMI were available for 2522 subjects (90.4%) of whom 14% were obese. Only 20% of overweight boys and 51% of overweight girls assessed their weight accurately. Accuracy of weight perception did not vary between ethnic groups. In all, 42% of girls and 26% of boys reported current dieting to lose weight. Compared with white British teenagers, a history of dieting was more common among Bangladeshi, Indian and mixed ethnicity boys and less likely among Pakistani girls. Self-esteem was not associated with BMI in girls but was significantly lower in obese boys than those of normal weight (P=0.02). Within ethnic subgroups, self-esteem was significantly lower in overweight white British boys (P=0.03) and obese Bangladeshi boys (P=0.01) and Bangladeshi girls (P=0.04), but significantly higher in obese black African girls (P=0.01) than those of normal weight. Obese young people had a higher prevalence of psychological distress (P=0.04), except among Bangladeshi teenagers, where overweight and obese young people had less psychological distress than those of normal weight (P=0.02). Birth outside the UK was associated with reduced risk of obesity in girls (P=0.02) but not with history of dieting, weight perception or psychological factors in either gender. High levels of current dieting for weight control and inaccurate perception of body mass are common across all ethnic groups. However, dieting history and the associations of obesity with self-esteem and psychological distress vary between ethnic groups. Interventions to prevent or treat obesity in black or minority ethnicity groups must consider cultural differences in the relationship between body mass, self-esteem and psychological distress.

Using path analysis to understand parents' perceptions of their children's weight, physical activity and eating habits in the Champlain region of Ontario.

PubMed

Adamo, Kristi B; Papadakis, Sophia; Dojeiji, Laurie; Turnau, Micheline; Simmons, Louise; Parameswaran, Meena; Cunningham, John; Pipe, Andrew L; Reid, Robert D

2010-11-01

Parents have a fundamental role in promoting the healthy weight of their children. To determine parental perceptions of their child's body weight, eating and physical activity (PA) behaviours, and to test a predictive model of parental perceptions regarding their child's PA and healthy eating behaviours. A random-digit telephone survey was conducted among parents of children four to 12 years of age living in the Champlain region of Ontario. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the responses. Path analysis was used to identify predictors of parental perceptions of PA and healthy eating. The study sample consisted of 1940 parents/caregivers. Only 0.2% of parents reported their child as being obese; 8.6% reported their child as being overweight. Most parents perceived their child to be physically active and eating healthily. Approximately 25% of parents reported that their child spent 2 h/day or more in front of a screen, and that their child consumed less than three servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and regularly consumed fast food. Variables that correlated with PA perceptions included time spent reading/doing homework, interest in PA, perceived importance of PA, frequency of PA, level of parental PA, participation in organized sport, child weight and parental concern for weight. Variables that predicted perceptions regarding healthy eating were parental education, household income, preparation of home-cooked meals, fruit and vegetable intake, and concern for and influence on the child's weight. Parents in the present study sample did not appear to understand, or had little knowledge of the recommendations for PA and healthy eating in children. Parents appeared to base their judgment of healthy levels of PA or healthy eating behaviours using minimal criteria; these criteria are inconsistent with those used by health professionals to define adequate PA and healthy eating. The present survey highlights an important knowledge gap between scientific opinion and parental perceptions of the criteria for healthy PA and eating behaviours.

The cultural context of obesity: Exploring perceptions of obesity and weight loss among Latina immigrants

PubMed Central

Agne, April A.; Daubert, Rebecca; Munoz, Maria L.; Scarinci, Isabel; Cherrington, Andrea L.

2013-01-01

Background This study used focus group methodology to examine perceptions of obesity and weight management among Latina immigrant women in Alabama. Methods Four focus groups (N=25) were conducted in Spanish as part of a participatory intervention development process. Participants were obese/overweight Latina immigrant women (BMI >25) primarily recruited from a community hospital. Results The majority of participants were from Mexico. Participants described obesity in the context of short-term effects such as physical symptoms and aesthetics. Perceived weight gain was related to lifestyle changes since moving to the U.S. Social isolation, depression, and stress were reported to contribute to weight gain. Participants expressed interest in weight loss but emphasized a desire for programs that preserve traditional foods and include family. Conclusion Weight-management programs designed for Latina immigrants should address their perceptions of obesity. This data also suggests that those interventions that preserve culture and incorporate family may have increased community buy-in. PMID:22130571

Shifty: A Weight-Shifting Dynamic Passive Haptic Proxy to Enhance Object Perception in Virtual Reality.

PubMed

Zenner, Andre; Kruger, Antonio

2017-04-01

We define the concept of Dynamic Passive Haptic Feedback (DPHF) for virtual reality by introducing the weight-shifting physical DPHF proxy object Shifty. This concept combines actuators known from active haptics and physical proxies known from passive haptics to construct proxies that automatically adapt their passive haptic feedback. We describe the concept behind our ungrounded weight-shifting DPHF proxy Shifty and the implementation of our prototype. We then investigate how Shifty can, by automatically changing its internal weight distribution, enhance the user's perception of virtual objects interacted with in two experiments. In a first experiment, we show that Shifty can enhance the perception of virtual objects changing in shape, especially in length and thickness. Here, Shifty was shown to increase the user's fun and perceived realism significantly, compared to an equivalent passive haptic proxy. In a second experiment, Shifty is used to pick up virtual objects of different virtual weights. The results show that Shifty enhances the perception of weight and thus the perceived realism by adapting its kinesthetic feedback to the picked-up virtual object. In the same experiment, we additionally show that specific combinations of haptic, visual and auditory feedback during the pick-up interaction help to compensate for visual-haptic mismatch perceived during the shifting process.

A Heavy Heart: The Association between Weight and Emotional Words.

PubMed

Zhao, Xueru; He, Xianyou; Zhang, Wei

2016-01-01

People often express emotion in language using weight (e.g., a heavy heart, light-hearted, light humor, or heavy-handed), but the question remains whether these expressions of emotion are rooted in the body. Six experiments used a priming paradigm to explore the metaphoric relation between weight perception and emotional words. Experiments 1 and 2 investigated the influence of weight perception on judgments of emotional words and the influence of emotional words on judgments of weight, respectively. A significant difference between the consistent condition (e.g., lightness corresponds to positive words and heaviness corresponds to negative words) and the inconsistent condition (e.g., lightness corresponds to negative words and heaviness corresponds to positive words) was found in Experiment 1 but not in Experiment 2. Experiments 3, 4, and 5 were conducted to exclude potential confounds. Experiment 6 was a repeated-measures study that was conducted to verify the weight-emotion effect. The study confirmed that weight perception affected judgments of emotional words. The results contribute to the growing literature on conceptual metaphor theory and embodied cognition theory.

The Role of Parental Misperception of Child's Body Weight in Childhood Obesity.

PubMed

McKee, Colleen; Long, Lisa; Southward, Linda H; Walker, Ben; McCown, John

2016-01-01

To investigate the accuracy of parental perceptions of their child's weight status and also the relationship between parental perceptions and the prevalence of childhood obesity in Mississippi. Data from multi-year surveys (2009-2012) with random samples of public school parents (N=14,808). Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were conducted with quantitative data to examine the relationship between parental perception and childhood obesity. More than 2 out of 5 parents misperceived the weight status of their child (k-12). The greatest difference occurred with kindergartners, 83.9% of parents categorized them as "healthy", when only 28.3% actually were. Parents who misperceived their child's weight were almost 12 times more likely of having an obese child. Only half of the children in this study had a healthy weight (54.5%). Health care providers, nutritionists, social workers, teachers, and school health councils could play an important role in educating parents and children on how to recognize an unhealthy weight. The strongest predictor of childhood obesity was parental misperception of their child's weight status. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Plaintiff’s Body Weight on Judgments of Responsibility: The Role of Weight Bias

PubMed Central

White, Darrell E.; Wott, Carissa B.; Carels, Robert A.

2014-01-01

Problem The current study investigated the influence of a plaintiff’s weight and the location of an accident on a simulated jury’s perceptions of plaintiff’s personal responsibility for an accident. Methods Participants were 185 lean and overweight male and female adults (mean self-reported body mass index: 24.87 ± 5.45) who read one of three vignettes describing an accident that occurred while leaving one of three different establishments (fast food burger restaurant; fitness gym; department store) while viewing one of two silhouettes of the alleged plaintiff (a lean female; an obese female). Results Participants were significantly more likely to report the plaintiff’s weight entered into their perceptions of personal responsibility when they viewed the overweight plaintiff compared to the thin plaintiff. As respondent’s self-reported weight bias increased, participants were more likely to hold the plaintiff responsible and more likely to blame plaintiff characteristics for the accident. Conclusion The weight of a plaintiff may affect juror perceptions of personal responsibility particularly if the juror possesses self-reported weight bias. PMID:25434916

Overweight perception: associations with weight control goals, attempts and practices among Chinese female college students

PubMed Central

Tanenbaum, Hilary C.; Felicitas, Jamie Q.; Li, Yawen; Tobias, Malaika; Chou, Chih-Ping; Palmer, Paula H.; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Reynolds, Kim D.; Johnson, C. Anderson; Xie, Bin

2015-01-01

Background Concurrent with the dramatic cultural and economic shifts occurring as Mainland China becomes increasingly “Westernized,” the weight perceptions, ideal body weight, and weight management goals and practices of Chinese females have also undergone significant changes. Objective To investigate relationships between overweight status, weight perception patterns, and weight management goals and practices in Chinese female college students. Design/Participants/Setting A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with data from 902 female subjects aged 18 to 25 years participating in the China Seven Cities Study, a health promotion and smoking prevention study conducted in Mainland China in 2003. Main Outcome Measures/ Statistical Analyses Logistic regression models were used to explore associations between overweight status, weight perception, specific weight management goals and practices, and current levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity and food consumption. Results Based on World Health Organization standards for Asian adults, 16.7% of college females were overweight or obese, although 50.8% considered themselves to be “too heavy.” Among participants perceiving themselves as overweight (n=458), 69.2% (n=371) were inaccurate, and did not meet criteria for overweight or obese. The percentage of participants attempting weight loss was 48.2%, and 33.1% wanted to maintain their current weight. Attempts to lose or maintain weight were related to actual and perceived weight status, but not to increased vigorous-intensity physical activity or fruit and vegetable intake, nor to decreased consumption of sweets, soda, Western fast foods and fried foods. Only 21.5% of participants desiring weight loss or maintenance reported using a combination of vigorous-intensity physical activity and a reduced fat and calorie diet, while 20.2% tried extreme methods such as fasting, using diet pills, vomiting, or smoking. Conclusions Our findings underscore the need to promote healthy weight management practices among Chinese female college students, with an emphasis on diet and physical activity strategies that encourage balance rather than extremes. PMID:26260670

Bayesian and “Anti-Bayesian” Biases in Sensory Integration for Action and Perception in the Size–Weight Illusion

PubMed Central

Brayanov, Jordan B.

2010-01-01

Which is heavier: a pound of lead or a pound of feathers? This classic trick question belies a simple but surprising truth: when lifted, the pound of lead feels heavier—a phenomenon known as the size–weight illusion. To estimate the weight of an object, our CNS combines two imperfect sources of information: a prior expectation, based on the object's appearance, and direct sensory information from lifting it. Bayes' theorem (or Bayes' law) defines the statistically optimal way to combine multiple information sources for maximally accurate estimation. Here we asked whether the mechanisms for combining these information sources produce statistically optimal weight estimates for both perceptions and actions. We first studied the ability of subjects to hold one hand steady when the other removed an object from it, under conditions in which sensory information about the object's weight sometimes conflicted with prior expectations based on its size. Since the ability to steady the supporting hand depends on the generation of a motor command that accounts for lift timing and object weight, hand motion can be used to gauge biases in weight estimation by the motor system. We found that these motor system weight estimates reflected the integration of prior expectations with real-time proprioceptive information in a Bayesian, statistically optimal fashion that discounted unexpected sensory information. This produces a motor size–weight illusion that consistently biases weight estimates toward prior expectations. In contrast, when subjects compared the weights of two objects, their perceptions defied Bayes' law, exaggerating the value of unexpected sensory information. This produces a perceptual size–weight illusion that biases weight perceptions away from prior expectations. We term this effect “anti-Bayesian” because the bias is opposite that seen in Bayesian integration. Our findings suggest that two fundamentally different strategies for the integration of prior expectations with sensory information coexist in the nervous system for weight estimation. PMID:20089821

Overweight Perception: Associations with Weight Control Goals, Attempts, and Practices among Chinese Female College Students.

PubMed

Tanenbaum, Hilary C; Felicitas, Jamie Q; Li, Yawen; Tobias, Malaika; Chou, Chih-Ping; Palmer, Paula H; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Reynolds, Kim D; Anderson Johnson, C; Xie, Bin

2016-03-01

Concurrent with the dramatic cultural and economic shifts occurring as mainland China becomes increasingly "Westernized," the weight perceptions, ideal body weight, and weight management goals and practices of Chinese females have also undergone significant changes. To investigate relationships between overweight status, weight perception patterns, and weight management goals and practices in Chinese female college students. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with data from 902 female subjects aged 18 to 25 years participating in the China Seven Cities Study, a health promotion and smoking prevention study conducted in mainland China in 2003. Logistic regression models were used to explore associations between overweight status, weight perception, specific weight management goals and practices, and current levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity and food consumption. Based on World Health Organization standards for Asian adults, 16.7% of college females were overweight or obese, although 50.8% considered themselves to be "too heavy." Among participants perceiving themselves as overweight (n=458), 69.2% (n=371) were inaccurate and did not meet criteria for overweight or obese. The percentage of participants attempting weight loss was 48.2%, and 33.1% wanted to maintain their current weight. Attempts to lose or maintain weight were related to actual and perceived weight status, but not to increased vigorous-intensity physical activity or fruit and vegetable intake, nor to decreased consumption of sweets, soda, Western fast foods, and fried foods. Only 21.5% of participants desiring weight loss or maintenance reported using a combination of vigorous-intensity physical activity and a reduced-fat and -calorie diet, whereas 20.2% tried extreme methods such as fasting, using diet pills, vomiting, or smoking. Our findings underscore the need to promote healthy weight management practices among Chinese female college students, with an emphasis on diet and physical activity strategies that encourage balance rather than extremes. Copyright © 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[EATING HABITS, EXCESS WEIGHT AND WEIGHT SELF-PERCEPTION AT SCHOOL].

PubMed

Hernández Camacho, Juan Diego; Rodríguez Lazo, Maria; Bolaños Ríos, Patricia; Ruiz Prieto, Inmaculata; Jáuregui-Lobera, Ignacio

2015-09-01

in the last years the rates of overweight and obesity in adolescents have been increasing simultaneously with a progressive abandon of the Mediterranean dietary patterns. In addition many adolescents misperceive their weight. to analyse the prevalence of overweight/ obesity, to assess the self-perception of weight and to explore the eating habits in a child and adolescent sample. The relationship among these variables and the influence on the psychosocial wellbeing are also analysed. a total of 87 secondary school students participated in this project. Weight and height were obtained, the self-perceived weight was assessed and a series of questionnaires were applied in order to explore the participants´ wellbeing. 28.73% of the sample had overweight and 9.19% obesity, 27.48% of the students misperceived their weight and only a quarter of the sample had a proper Mediterranean dietary pattern. The frequency of weight control was related positively with a higher weight perception. many participants underestimated their weight and a possible association between overweight/obesity and skipping breakfast was observed. A progressive increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents is confirmed and the need to implement nutrition education programs after analyzing the eating habits is proposed. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Middle School Students' Weight Perceptions, Dieting Behaviors, and Life Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esch, Laura; Zullig, Keith J.

2008-01-01

Background: Previous research has posited that significant relationships exist between health status and psychological measures of health (e.g., self-esteem). Less is known about the relationship between perceived quality of life (e.g., life satisfaction), weight perceptions, and dieting behaviors, particularly among middle school adolescents.…

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity and Weight Loss Practice among Beijing Adults, 2011

PubMed Central

Cai, Li; Han, Xiaoyan; Qi, Zhi; Li, Zhe; Zhang, Yumei; Wang, Peiyu; Liu, Aiping

2014-01-01

Objective This study aims to determine the up-to-date prevalence of overweight and obesity, the distributions of body weight perception and weight loss practice in Beijing adults. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011. A total of 2563 men and 4088 women aged 18–79 years from the general population were included. Data were obtained from questionnaire and physical examination. Results The prevalence of overweight (BMI 24–27.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI≥28 kg/m2) was 42.1% and 20.3% in men and 35.6% and 17.1% in women, respectively. Age was inversely associated with overweight in both sexes, and obesity in women. Education level was negatively associated with overweight and obesity in women but not in men. Only 49.1% men and 58.3% women had a correct perception of their body weight. Underestimation of body weight was more common than overestimation, especially in men, the older people, and those with low education level. The percentage of taking action to lose weight was inversely associated with men and old age, and positively associated with higher education level, higher BMI, and self-perception as “fat” (OR = 3.78 in men, OR = 2.91 in women). Only 26.1% of overweight/obese individuals took action to lose weight. The top two weight loss practices were to reduce the amount of food intake and exercise. Conclusion Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent with high incorrect body weight perceptions in the general adult population in Beijing. Weight loss practice was poor in overweight and obese individuals. Actions at multiple levels are needed to slow or control this overweight and obesity epidemic. PMID:25225884

Factors Associated with Parent Concern for Child Weight and Parenting Behaviors

PubMed Central

Peyer, Karissa L.; Bailey-Davis, Lisa; Yang, Shu; Kim, Jae-Kwang

2015-01-01

Abstract Background: A parent's perception about their child's overweight status is an important precursor or determinant of preventative actions. Acknowledgment of, and concern for, overweight may be moderated by the parent's own weight status whereas engaging in healthy behaviors at home may promote healthy weight status. It is hypothesized that normal weight parents are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and acknowledge overweight in their own children whereas heavier parents may report more concern about child weight. Methods: A total of 1745 parents of first- through fifth-grade students completed a questionnaire assessing reactions to a school BMI report and perceptions about BMI issues. Specific items included perceptions of child's weight status, concern for child weight status, and preventive practices. Parents also provided information about their own weight status. Relationships between measured child weight, perceived child weight, parent weight, parent concern, and healthy behaviors were examined. Results: Overweight parents were more likely to identify overweight in their child and report concern about their child's weight. Concern was higher for parents of overweight children than of normal weight children. Normal weight parents and parents of normal weight children reported more healthy behaviors. Conclusions: Results support the hypothesis that normal weight parents are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and that overweight parents are more likely to report concern about child weight. However, overweight parents are also more likely to acknowledge overweight status in their own child. Future research should examine links between parent concern and actual pursuit of weight management assistance. PMID:25734502

Cultural perceptions of healthy weight in rural Appalachian youth.

PubMed

Williams, K J; Taylor, C A; Wolf, K N; Lawson, R F; Crespo, R

2008-01-01

Rates of overweight among US children have been rising over the past three decades. Changes in lifestyle behaviors, including dietary and physical activity habits, have been examined thoroughly to identify correlates of weight status in children. Youth in rural US Appalachia are at a disproportionately greater risk for obesity and related health complications. Inadequate physical activity and poor dietary habits are two primary causes of obesity that have been noted in West Virginia adolescents. Few existing data describes the decisional balance in performing lifestyle behaviors, nor the perceptions of these youth regarding their beliefs about weight. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of a healthy weight in rural Appalachian adolescents. Ninth grade students were recruited from classroom presentations in four high schools throughout West Virginia. Interested parent-caregiver pairs returned forms to indicate interest in participation. Separate focus group interviews were conducted concurrently with adolescent and parents or caregivers to identify the cultural perceptions of a healthy weight. Questions were developed using grounded theory to explore how a healthy weight was defined, what factors dictate body weight, the perceived severity of the obesity issue, and the social or health ramifications of the condition. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed to identify dominant themes, and content analysis provided text segments to describe the themes. This article describes the data obtained from the adolescent focus groups. When asked what defined a healthy weight, the adolescents who participated in the focus groups placed great value on physical appearance and social acceptability. Students believed there was a particular number, either an absolute weight or body mass index value that determined a healthy weight. These numbers were usually conveyed by a physician; however, there was also a general acceptance of being 'thick' or a reliance on 'feeling healthy' as a determinant of maintaining a healthy weight. Despite these beliefs, many teens had unrealistic and unhealthy perceptions of weight. Female participants were more concerned with weight than males, some to the point of obsession. Both males and females expressed a social stigma associated with overweight. Issues of guilt and diminished self-esteem were prevalent. When asked about the extensiveness of the problem of childhood overweight, the students indicated that a degree of familiarity with being overweight has developed and 'you just get used to [seeing] it.' Because of the rising rates of chronic disease in this region, a fear was evident in these youth about the increased risk of developing these conditions in those who are overweight. Experiences with family members with diabetes and cardiovascular disease fueled these concerns, which instilled a fear of becoming overweight in many of the students. Many perceptions of healthy weight and appropriate body size were shaped by the media and entertainment industry. Additionally, some participants admitted to performing unsafe practices to reduce body mass, such as very low calorie diets or fasting. Youth in rural Appalachia present similar perceptions about weight as other children; however, differences in perceived healthy lifestyle habits and a general acceptance of a higher average body weight present additional challenges to addressing the increasing problem of child overweight. Despite the relative isolation of many of these communities, the media has a profound impact on weight valuation that has been intertwined with school-based health education and cultural values of health. These data will provide valuable information for the development of obesity prevention programs in rural Appalachia.

Integrating public risk perception into formal natural hazard risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plattner, Th.; Plapp, T.; Hebel, B.

2006-06-01

An urgent need to take perception into account for risk assessment has been pointed out by relevant literature, its impact in terms of risk-related behaviour by individuals is obvious. This study represents an effort to overcome the broadly discussed question of whether risk perception is quantifiable or not by proposing a still simple but applicable methodology. A novel approach is elaborated to obtain a more accurate and comprehensive quantification of risk in comparison to present formal risk evaluation practice. A consideration of relevant factors enables a explicit quantification of individual risk perception and evaluation. The model approach integrates the effective individual risk reff and a weighted mean of relevant perception affecting factors PAF. The relevant PAF cover voluntariness of risk-taking, individual reducibility of risk, knowledge and experience, endangerment, subjective damage rating and subjective recurrence frequency perception. The approach assigns an individual weight to each PAF to represent its impact magnitude. The quantification of these weights is target-group-dependent (e.g. experts, laypersons) and may be effected by psychometric methods. The novel approach is subject to a plausibility check using data from an expert-workshop. A first model application is conducted by means of data of an empirical risk perception study in Western Germany to deduce PAF and weight quantification as well as to confirm and evaluate model applicbility and flexibility. Main fields of application will be a quantification of risk perception by individual persons in a formal and technical way e.g. for the purpose of risk communication issues in illustrating differing perspectives of experts and non-experts. For decision making processes this model will have to be applied with caution, since it is by definition not designed to quantify risk acceptance or risk evaluation. The approach may well explain how risk perception differs, but not why it differs. The formal model generates only "snap shots" and considers neither the socio-cultural nor the historical context of risk perception, since it is a highly individualistic and non-contextual approach.

Young Adults’ Attitudes and Perceptions of Obesity and Weight Management: Implications for Treatment Development

PubMed Central

Lanoye, Autumn; Gorin, Amy A.; LaRose, Jessica Gokee

2017-01-01

Young adults are underrepresented in standard behavioral weight loss trials, and evidence suggests that they differ from older adults on many weight related constructs. The aim of this review is to explore young adults’ attitudes toward obesity and weight management, with particular attention to those factors that may play a role in development of future treatment efforts. Both intrapersonal and interpersonal considerations unique to young adulthood are assessed; in addition, we examine young adults’ perceptions of specific weight-related behaviors such as dieting, physical activity, and self-weighing. Conclusions are consistent with other findings suggesting that weight management interventions should be adapted and designed specifically for this age group. PMID:26923688

South Asian American perspectives on overweight, obesity, and the relationship between weight and health.

PubMed

Tang, Joyce W; Mason, Maryann; Kushner, Robert F; Tirodkar, Manasi A; Khurana, Neerja; Kandula, Namratha R

2012-01-01

Compared with other racial groups, South Asian adults develop type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a lower body mass index (BMI). Perceptions of weight and the effect of weight on health can influence weight-loss attempts but are not well described in this population. The objective of this study was to examine perceptions of weight appropriateness and the effect of weight on health among South Asian Americans. We recruited 75 South Asian American adults from a single metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. During individual, face-to-face interviews, we asked participants what they think about their weight and how weight affects their health. We measured their weight and height and calculated BMI. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. We conducted analyses using NVivo software. A second investigator coded 20% of interviews to verify coding consensus. Sixty-seven percent of participants were overweight or obese; 40% of overweight participants and 12% of obese participants perceived themselves to be normal weight or underweight. Forty-eight percent of overweight and 82% of obese participants believed their weight affected their health. Participants commonly cited physical problems as being associated with their weight, but few connected their weight with risk for chronic diseases. South Asian Americans may underestimate their weight status and the effect of their weight on their risk for chronic diseases. Interventions to promote weight loss among South Asian Americans should focus on modifying perceptions of normal weight and personalizing the relationship between overweight and chronic diseases.

Maternal perceptions of their child's weight status: the GENESIS study.

PubMed

Manios, Yannis; Kondaki, Katerina; Kourlaba, Georgia; Vasilopoulou, Emilia; Grammatikaki, Evangelia

2009-08-01

The objective of the present work was to quantify mothers' misclassification of pre-school children's weight status and to determine factors associated with the maternal misperception. A representative sample of 2287 children aged 2-5 years was examined (GENESIS study). Mothers' perceptions of their child's weight status and the children's and mothers' anthropometric and other characteristics (sociodemographic and lifestyle) were recorded. Almost 38 % of mothers underestimated their child's weight status. The frequency of underestimation was much higher among 'at risk of being overweight' and 'overweight' children (88.3 % and 54.5 %, respectively) compared with 'underweight/normal-weight' children (18.0 %, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression modelling revealed that the likelihood of mothers' underestimation of their child's weight status was significantly higher in boys, in children engaging in physical activity for less than 3 h/week and in children whose mothers had low education status, compared with their counterparts. Moreover, the higher the BMI-for-age Z-score, the greater the odds that the mother would underestimate her child's weight status. The current study demonstrated that more than one-third of mothers misclassify their children's weight status as being lower than the actual. Given that mother's weight perception might be an important determinant of child's body weight development, clinicians and health professionals should help mothers correctly classify their children's weight status, which could potentially help in the early prevention of overweight and obesity.

Sexual Violence, Weight Perception, and Eating Disorder Indicators in College Females

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groff Stephens, Sara; Wilke, Dina J.

2016-01-01

Objective: To examine the relationships between sexual violence experiences, inaccurate body weight perceptions, and the presence of eating disorder (ED) indicators in a sample of female US college students. Participants: Participants were 6,090 college females 25 years of age and younger. Methods: A secondary analysis of National College Health…

Adolescent Perceptions of Body Weight and Attractiveness: Important Issues in Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Randy M.; And Others

1995-01-01

Examined relationship between adolescent self-perception of body weight and physical attractiveness and the use of alcohol and drugs in high school students (n=1,915). In general, adolescents dissatisfied with their appearance used illicit substances and got drunk more often than those satisfied with their appearance. (SNR)

Self-Reported Weight Perceptions, Dieting Behavior, and Breakfast Eating among High School Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zullig, Keith; Ubbes, Valerie A.; Pyle, Jennifer; Valois, Robert F.

2006-01-01

This study explored the relationships among weight perceptions, dieting behavior, and breakfast eating in 4597 public high school adolescents using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Adjusted multiple logistic regression models were constructed separately for race and gender groups via SUDAAN (Survey Data…

Latino Parents' Perceptions of Pediatric Weight Counseling Terms.

PubMed

Knierim, Shanna Doucette; Newcomer, Sophia; Castillo, Alyssa; Rahm, Alanna Kulchak; Raghunath, Silvia; Clarke, Christina; Wright, Leslie; Haemer, Matthew; Hambidge, Simon J

2018-04-01

Little is known about Latino parents' perceptions of weight-related language in English or Spanish, particularly for counseling obese youth. We sought to identify English and Spanish weight counseling terms perceived by Latino parents across demographic groups as desirable for providers to use, motivating, and inoffensive. Latino parents of children treated at urban safety-net clinics completed surveys in English or Spanish. Parents rated the desirable, motivating, or offensive properties of terms for excess weight using a 5-point scale. We compared parental ratings of terms and investigated the association of parent and child characteristics with parent perceptions of terms. A total of 525 surveys met inclusion criteria (255 English, 270 Spanish). English survey respondents rated "unhealthy weight" and "too much weight for his/her health" the most motivating and among the most desirable and least offensive terms. Spanish survey respondents found "demasiado peso para su salud" highly desirable, highly motivating, and inoffensive, and respondents valued its connection to the child's health. Commonly used clinical terms "overweight"/"sobrepeso" and "high BMI [body mass index]"/"índice de masa corporal alta" were not as desirable or as motivating. "Chubby," "fat," "gordo," and "muy gordo" were the least motivating and most offensive terms. Parents' ratings of commonly used clinical terms varied widely across demographic groups, but more desirable terms had less variability. "Unhealthy weight," "too much weight for his/her health," and its Spanish equivalent, "demasiado peso para su salud," were the most desirable and motivating, and the least offensive terms. Latino parents' positive perceptions of these terms occurred across parent and child characteristics, supporting their use in weight counseling. Copyright © 2017 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perception of weight and psychological variables in a sample of Spanish adolescents

PubMed Central

Jáuregui-Lobera, Ignacio; Bolaños-Ríos, Patricia; Santiago-Fernández, María José; Garrido-Casals, Olivia; Sánchez, Elsa

2011-01-01

Background: This study explored the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and weight perception, self-esteem, positive body image, food beliefs, and mental health status, along with any gender differences in weight perception, in a sample of adolescents in Spain. Methods: The sample comprised 85 students (53 females and 32 males, mean age 17.4 ± 5.5 years) with no psychiatric history who were recruited from a high school in Écija, Seville. Weight and height were recorded for all participants, who were then classified according to whether they perceived themselves as slightly overweight, very overweight, very underweight, slightly underweight, or about the right weight, using the question “How do you think of yourself in terms of weight?”. Finally, a series of questionnaires were administered, including the Irrational Food Beliefs Scale, Body Appreciation Scale, Self Esteem Scale, and General Health Questionnaire. Results: Overall, 23.5% of participants misperceived their weight. Taking into account only those with a normal BMI (percentile 5–85), there was a significant gender difference with respect to those who perceived themselves as overweight (slightly overweight and very overweight); 13.9% of females and 7.9% of males perceived themselves as overweight (χ2 = 3.957, P < 0.05). There was a significant difference for age, with participants who perceived their weight adequately being of mean age 16.34 ± 3.17 years and those who misperceived their weight being of mean age 18.50 ± 4.02 years (F = 3.112, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Misperception of overweight seems to be more frequent in female adolescents, and mainly among older ones. Misperception of being overweight is associated with a less positive body image, and the perception of being very underweight is associated with higher scores for general psychopathology. PMID:21792323

What is common becomes normal: the effect of obesity prevalence on maternal perception.

PubMed

Binkin, N; Spinelli, A; Baglio, G; Lamberti, A

2013-05-01

This analysis investigates the poorly-known effect of local prevalence of childhood obesity on mothers' perception of their children's weight status. In 2008, a national nutritional survey of children attending the third grade of elementary school was conducted in Italy. Children were measured and classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese, using the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs for body mass index (BMI). A parental questionnaire included parental perception of their child's weight status (underweight, normal, a little overweight and a lot overweight). Regions were classified by childhood obesity prevalence (<8%, 8-12%, ≥13%). The association between incorrect maternal perception and regional obesity prevalence, and maternal and child characteristics were examined using bivariate and logistic regression analyses. Complete data were available for 37 590 children, of whom 24% were overweight and 12% obese. Mothers correctly identified the status of 84% of normal weight, 52% of overweight and 14% of obese children. Among overweight children, factors associated with underestimation of the child's weight included lower maternal education (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-2.4), residence in a high-obesity region (aOR 2.2; 95% CI 1.9-2.6), male gender (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.6) and child's BMI. Higher regional obesity prevalence is associated with lower maternal perception, suggesting that what is common has a greater likelihood of being perceived as normal. As perception is a first step to change, it may be harder to intervene in areas with high-obesity prevalence where intervention is most urgent. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Are parents aware that their children are overweight or obese?

PubMed Central

He, Meizi; Evans, Anita

2007-01-01

OBJECTIVE To compare children’s actual weight status with their parents’ perceptions of their weight status. DESIGN Cross-sectional study, including a self-administered questionnaire. SETTING Seven elementary schools in Middlesex-London, Ont. PARTICIPANTS A convenience sample of pupils in grades 4 to 6 and their parents. Of the 770 child-parent pairs targeted, 355 pairs participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Children’s weight, height, and body mass index (BMI). Parents’ perceptions of their children’s weight status, family demographics, and parents’ self-reported body weight and height. The United States Centers for Disease Control’s BMI-for-age references were used to define children’s weight status (underweight, overweight, or obese). RESULTS Response rate was 46%. Children’s actual weight status (ie, 29.9% overweight or obese and 1.4% underweight) was different from their parents’ perceptions of their weight status (ie, 18.3% overweight or obese and 17.2% slightly underweight or underweight). Factors suchas children’s sex and ethnicity and mothers’ weight influenced parents’ ability to recognize their children’s weight status. Parents’ misperceptions of their children’s weight status seemed to be unrelated to their levelsof education, their family income, or their children’s ages. CONCLUSION A large proportion of parents did not recognize that their children were overweight or obese. Effective public health strategies to increase parents’ awareness of their children’s weight status could be the first key steps in an effort to prevent childhood obesity. PMID:17872878

Canine obesity: is there a difference between veterinarian and owner perception?

PubMed

White, G A; Hobson-West, P; Cobb, K; Craigon, J; Hammond, R; Millar, K M

2011-12-01

The overall aim of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between dog-ownership and canine obesity, explored in two cohorts of overweight/obese or non-overweight dogs (n=125). This paper concentrates on the owners' perception of dog weight. A researcher-mediated questionnaire was used to collect data from dog owners attending a small veterinary practice. Interviewees (n=121) were asked qualitative and quantitative questions, designed to examine the owners' views of their relationship with their dogs. Although a high proportion of owners claimed to have discussed the dog's weight with their veterinarian, some discrepancies were apparent between owner perception of animal weight and the veterinarian's evaluation of body condition score. Owner disagreement was significantly greater for the veterinarian-defined overweight dogs (P=0·005). Owners often provide personal narratives to account for their dog's weight status. This study confirms the important role of the vet in providing information about the issue of dog weight but also suggests that providing verbal information is sometimes insufficient. The study also indicates the potential value of qualitative research methods to further understand client perception of complex animal care issues and highlights the need for further in-depth research. © 2011 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

Neural differences in self-perception during illness and after weight-recovery in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

McAdams, Carrie J; Jeon-Slaughter, Haekyung; Evans, Siobahn; Lohrenz, Terry; Montague, P Read; Krawczyk, Daniel C

2016-11-01

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe mental illness characterized by problems with self-perception. Whole-brain neural activations in healthy women, women with AN and women in long-term weight recovery following AN were compared using two functional magnetic resonance imaging tasks probing different aspects of self-perception. The Social Identity-V2 task involved consideration about oneself and others using socially descriptive adjectives. Both the ill and weight-recovered women with AN engaged medial prefrontal cortex less than healthy women for self-relevant cognitions, a potential biological trait difference. Weight-recovered women also activated the inferior frontal gyri and dorsal anterior cingulate more for direct self-evaluations than for reflected self-evaluations, unlike both other groups, suggesting that recovery may include compensatory neural changes related to social perspectives. The Faces task compared viewing oneself to a stranger. Participants with AN showed elevated activity in the bilateral fusiform gyri for self-images, unlike the weight-recovered and healthy women, suggesting cognitive distortions about physical appearance are a state rather than trait problem in this disease. Because both ill and recovered women showed neural differences related to social self-perception, but only recovered women differed when considering social perspectives, these neurocognitive targets may be particularly important for treatment. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press.

Women and cigarette smoking: does amount of weight gain following a failed quit attempt affect social disapproval?

PubMed

Knauss, Faye; Martz, Denise; Parker, Amy; Curtin, Lisa; Pai, Shilpa

2005-05-01

This study examined the perception of social attractiveness and approval of smoking in a vignette of an American college female smoker after a failed quit attempt. It was hypothesized that she would be perceived more favorably when she was smoking to control her weight, compared to a non-weight related excuse during a failed quit attempt. The design was a 2 (gender: male vs. female)x4 (condition: control, 5, 10, 20 lb gain)x3 (participants' smoking status: never, former, or current smoker) factorial design with the Social Attraction Index and Perception of Smoking Index as dependent variables. Contrary to the hypothesis, perceptions of the female were not affected by her disclosed amount of weight gain. However, consistent with the literature on stigmatization of smokers, smoking participants perceived the female target as most socially attractive and nonsmokers perceived her to be the least attractive.

Weight Management, Weight Perceptions, and Health-Compromising Behaviours Among Adolescent Girls in the COMPASS Study.

PubMed

Raffoul, Amanda; Leatherdale, Scott T; Kirkpatrick, Sharon I

2018-06-16

Evidence suggests associations between weight management intentions, weight perceptions, and health-compromising behaviours among adolescent girls. Drawing on cross-sectional data for 21,456 girls, we employed multinomial logistic regression to examine whether smoking, binge drinking, and breakfast-skipping were associated with weight management intentions and weight perceptions. According to self-reported heights and weights, 61.4% of girls were in the healthy weight category. However, most reported trying to manage their weight, with 58% trying to lose, 4.5% trying to gain, and 18% trying to maintain their weight. Smokers were more likely than non-smokers to report intentions to lose, gain, or maintain weight versus to do nothing. However, smokers were less likely than non-smokers to perceive themselves as underweight or overweight versus about the right weight. Binge drinkers were more likely than other girls to report an intention to gain and less likely to be trying to maintain their weight versus doing nothing, and breakfast-skippers were more likely to report trying to lose or gain weight but less likely to report trying to maintain weight versus doing nothing. Binge drinkers and breakfast-skippers were more likely than non-binge drinkers and non-breakfast-skippers, respectively, to perceive themselves as underweight, overweight or very overweight versus about the right weight. In sum, the majority of girls reported trying to manage their weight, and those engaging in other health-compromising behaviours were more likely to do so, though the exact nature of the associations differed by behaviour. Recognition of shared underlying risk factors for this clustering of behaviours may inform comprehensive health promotion efforts.

Respiratory load perception in overweight and asthmatic children.

PubMed

MacBean, Victoria; Wheatley, Lorna; Lunt, Alan C; Rafferty, Gerrard F

2017-05-01

Overweight asthmatic children report greater symptoms than normal weight asthmatics, despite comparable airflow obstruction. This has been widely assumed to be due to heightened perception of respiratory effort. Three groups of children (healthy weight controls, healthy weight asthmatics, overweight asthmatics) rated perceived respiratory effort throughout an inspiratory resistive loading protocol. Parasternal intercostal electromyogram was used as an objective marker of respiratory load; this was expressed relative to tidal volume and reported as a ratio of the baseline value (neuroventilatory activity ratio (NVEAR)). Significant increases in perception scores (p<0.0001), and decreases in NVEAR (p<0.0001) were observed from lowest to highest resistive load. Higher BMI increased overall perception scores, with no influence of asthma or BMI-for-age percentile on the resistance-perception relationships. These data, indicating elevated overall respiratory effort in overweight asthmatic children but comparable responses to dynamic changes in load, suggest that the greater disease burden in overweight asthmatic children may be due to altered respiratory mechanics associated with increased body mass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of Body Weight and Nutritional Practices among Male and Female National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Valerie J.; Goldufsky, Tatum M.; Schlaff, Rebecca A.

2016-01-01

Objective: This study investigated body weight and nutritional behavior perceptions among Division II collegiate athletes. Participants: The sample was composed of 155 collegiate athletes who responded to a survey. Methods: Data were self-reported by athletes via questionnaire. Independent-sample t tests were used to identify significant gender…

Misperception of weight status and associated factors among undergraduate students.

PubMed

Mogre, Victor; Aleyira, Samuel; Nyaba, Rauf

2015-01-01

We compared participants' self-perception of their weight with the World Health Organisation (WHO) definition for BMI categories among undergraduate university students undertaking health related academic programmes in Ghana. Also, we investigated factors associated to the underestimation of weight status in this sample. This cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 368 undergraduate students. Anthropometric measurements of weight and height were measured with appropriate tools and computed into Body Mass Index (BMI) categorised based on WHO classifications. Waist and hip circumferences were also measured appropriately. Participants' self-perception of weight status was assessed by the question: How do you perceive your weight? (a) Underweight, (b) normal weight, (c) overweight, and (d) obese. The BMI-measured weight status was compared to the self-perceived weight status by cross-tabulation, Kappa statistics of agreement and χ(2) for trend analysis. Factors associated with misperception of weight status was measured using univariate and multivariable analysis. Thirteen percent (n=48) of the participants were overweight/obesity (BMI) and 31.5% had central obesity. Overall, 20.6% of the participants misperceived their weight status in which 78.9% of them underestimated it. Among overweight/obese participants, 41.7% self-perceived themselves accurately. Whereas 10.6% of normal weight participants underestimated their weight status, over half (58.3%) of overweight/obese participants did so. Factors that were associated with underestimation of weight status were having overweight/obesity (BMI) and central obesity. Underestimation of weight status was frequent. Health professionals and related government agencies should develop intervention programmes to empower young people to have accurate weight status perception. Copyright © 2015 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fit Families Program Improves Self-Perception in Children.

PubMed

Archuleta, Martha; VanLeeuwen, Dawn; Turner, Carol

2016-06-01

To determine the impact of the Fit Families youth weight management program on self-perception of participants. Fit Families was delivered through Cooperative Extension and provided education to overweight and obese children and their families on healthful eating and physical activity along with building self-esteem and social competence. At the beginning and end of the 7-week program, a convenience sample of 46 youth completed the Self-Perception Profile for Children questionnaire to evaluate changes in self-perception. Youth had improved self-perception in the areas of athletic competence (P = .04) and physical appearance (P = .007) after participating in Fit Families. Fit Families provides a holistic approach to weight management that promotes positive self-perception, which may decrease the burden of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem obese youth face. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children's perceptions of weight, obesity, nutrition, physical activity and related health and socio-behavioural factors.

PubMed

Economos, Christina D; Bakun, Peter J; Herzog, Julia Bloom; Dolan, Peter R; Lynskey, Vanessa M; Markow, Dana; Sharma, Shanti; Nelson, Miriam E

2014-01-01

Approximately one-third of children in the USA are either overweight or obese. Understanding the perceptions of children is an important factor in reversing this trend. An online survey was conducted with children to capture their perceptions of weight, overweight, nutrition, physical activity and related socio-behavioural factors. Within the USA. US children (n 1224) aged 8-18 years. Twenty-seven per cent of children reported being overweight; 47·1% of children overestimated the rate of overweight/obesity among US children. A higher percentage of self-classified overweight children (81·9%) worried about weight than did self-classified under/normal weight children (31·1%). Most children (91·1%) felt that it was important to not be overweight, for both health-related and social-related reasons. The majority of children believed that if someone their age is overweight they will likely be overweight in adulthood (93·1%); get an illness such as diabetes or heart disease in adulthood (90·2%); not be able to play sports well (84·5%); and be teased or made fun of in school (87·8%). Children focused more on food/drink than physical activity as reasons for overweight at their age. Self-classified overweight children were more likely to have spoken with someone about their weight over the last year than self-classified under/normal weight children. Children demonstrated good understanding of issues regarding weight, overweight, nutrition, physical activity and related socio-behavioural factors. Their perceptions are important and can be helpful in crafting solutions that will resonate with children.

Patients' perceptions of their general practitioner's health and weight influences their perceptions of nutrition and exercise advice received.

PubMed

Fraser, Sally E; Leveritt, Michael D; Ball, Lauren E

2013-12-01

General practitioners (GPs) play an important role in the management of patients who are overweight or obese. Previous research suggests that GPs' physical characteristics may influence patients' perceptions of health care received during consultations, mediating the likelihood of patients following health advice provided by GPs. This study aimed to explore patients' perceptions of their GP's health status and its influence on patients' perceptions of healthy eating and exercise advice. An interpretive approach to phenomenology underpinned the qualitative inquiry and study design. Twenty-one participants (aged 55.9 ± 6.5 years; 14 females, 7 males) who had previously received healthy eating and/or exercise advice from a GP participated in an individual semi-structured interview. A constant comparison approach to thematic analysis was conducted. Participants identified three key indicators of perceived health of their GP. These included the GP's physical appearance, particularly weight status; perceived absence of ill health; and disclosure of a GP's health behaviours. Participants expressed favourable perceptions of the weight status of their GP. Participants expected their GP to be a healthy role model and often, but not always, felt more confident receiving advice from a GP that they perceived as healthy. The findings highlight that a GP's perceived health status influences patients' perceptions of the health advice received during consultations. These findings provide a foundation for future research that may allow GPs to modify patients' perceptions of their health status in order to facilitate behaviour change in overweight or obese patients.

Self-reported body weight perception and dieting practices in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Strassnig, Martin; Brar, Jaspreet S; Ganguli, Rohan

2005-06-15

Many patients with schizophrenia are exposed to serious health risks associated with their excess body weight. Evidence exists that even a moderate amount of weight loss may have significant health benefits. Thus, weight control in schizophrenia patients has become an important treatment goal. Although studies in the general population show that satisfaction with body weight is an important predictor for engagement in various weight loss measures, the perspective of schizophrenia patients has not been assessed. Information on self-reported weight perception, desire to lose weight as well as weight loss attempts was obtained according to methods employed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Cycle III (NHANES III). Body weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Perception of body weight and desire to lose weight were correlated to BMI. Both obese female and male subjects (BMI30) were aware of their weight status. However, whereas overweight females (BMI>25< or =29.9) accurately perceived themselves so, males in this category had difficulties perceiving themselves overweight, and consequently neither wanted to lose weight, nor tried to lose weight. As means of weight loss, caloric restriction (diet) was most frequently employed (by more than 80% of study subjects); yet only a third of study subjects (34.4%) engaged in the recommended combination of diet and exercise to lose weight. Questionable weight loss practices were also frequently employed, especially among women. Obese patients (BMI> or =30) were generally aware of their excess body weight and wanted to lose weight. Only non-obese, yet overweight males (BMI>25< or =29.9) did not perceive themselves as overweight and consequently did not try to lose weight. Weight loss practices did not always follow established recommendations. Especially women were likely to approach weight loss with questionably appropriate and unsafe methods.

The influence of a defendant's body weight on perceptions of guilt.

PubMed

Schvey, N A; Puhl, R M; Levandoski, K A; Brownell, K D

2013-09-01

To investigate the influence of a defendant's weight on simulated jurors' perceptions of guilt. Participants were 471 lean and overweight adults (mean body mass index: 25.34±5.91) who read a vignette describing a case of check fraud while viewing one of four images of the alleged defendant (a lean male, a lean female, an obese male or an obese female). Participants rated the defendant's culpability on a 5-point Likert scale and completed measures of anti-fat attitudes. Male respondents endorsed greater overall weight bias than females (F (1470)=23.815, P<0.01, η(2)=0.048). A three-way interaction was detected between participant sex, defendant sex and defendant weight on perceptions of guilt such that when the defendant was female, male participants were significantly more likely to find her guilty if she was obese than if she was lean (guilt ratings=4.05±0.83; 3.31±1.03, respectively; F(1467)=5.935, P=0.015, R(2)=0.060). In addition, lean male participants were significantly more likely to believe that the obese female defendant met criteria for check fraud, and indicated greater belief she would be a repeat offender, compared with the lean female defendant (t(90)=2.081, P=0.040; t(90)=2.395 P=0.019, respectively). There were no differences in perceptions of guilt or responsibility between the obese male and the lean male defendants. The results of this novel study indicate that both weight and gender of a defendant may affect juror perceptions of guilt and responsibility.

[Evaluation of the maternal perception of her child's weight and body mass index heritability in mestizas dyads in Southeastern Mexico].

PubMed

Flores-Peña, Yolanda; Camal-Ríos, Nayla Y; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M

2011-12-01

Descriptive correlational study. The objectives were the following: 1) evaluate maternal perception of her child's weight through two test, Word-perception (WVP) test and the Body mass index (BMI) of the child as perceived by the mother (Body weight index perception [BWIP]); 2)evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the tests, and 3) quantify BMI heritability (h2) in 173 mother-child dyads. WP was assessed by asking the question, How do you think your child is? For assessing BWIP, the mother referred the child's eight and height, and we calculated the child's BMI as perceived by the mother. The weight and height of the mothers and their children were measured. We found that 10.3% of mothers of children with Overweight (OW) and 1.8% of mothers of children with Obesity (OB) perceived their children adequately by means of WP; by means of the BWIP test, 38.5 and 67.3% of mothers of children with OW and OB, respectively, exhibited adequate perception. BWIP sensitivity was 55.3% and specificity was 54.4%. BWI h2 was 15%. We was concluded that mothers did not perceive the OW-OB of their children, and that asking the mother for the weight and height of the child (BMIP) will aids her to perceive the OW-OB of her child. The BWI h2 indicate that the lifestyle factors of this population contribute to OW-OB. Given the broad socioeconomic and cultural diversity, these results of the southeastern Mexican state of Campeche should be evaluated with similar study designs.

Realistic weight perception and body size assessment in a racially diverse community sample of dieters.

PubMed

Cachelin, F M; Striegel-Moore, R H; Elder, K A

1998-01-01

Recently, a shift in obesity treatment away from emphasizing ideal weight loss goals to establishing realistic weight loss goals has been proposed; yet, what constitutes "realistic" weight loss for different populations is not clear. This study examined notions of realistic shape and weight as well as body size assessment in a large community-based sample of African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and white men and women. Participants were 1893 survey respondents who were all dieters and primarily overweight. Groups were compared on various variables of body image assessment using silhouette ratings. No significant race differences were found in silhouette ratings, nor in perceptions of realistic shape or reasonable weight loss. Realistic shape and weight ratings by both women and men were smaller than current shape and weight but larger than ideal shape and weight ratings. Compared with male dieters, female dieters considered greater weight loss to be realistic. Implications of the findings for the treatment of obesity are discussed.

Perceptions and beliefs about body size, weight, and weight loss among obese African American women: a qualitative inquiry.

PubMed

Befort, Christie A; Thomas, Janet L; Daley, Christine M; Rhode, Paula C; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S

2008-06-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore perceptions and beliefs about body size, weight, and weight loss among obese African American women in order to form a design of weight loss intervention with this target population. Six focus groups were conducted at a community health clinic. Participants were predominantly middle-aged with a mean Body Mass Index of 40.3 +/- 9.2 kg/m(2). Findings suggest that participants (a) believe that people can be attractive and healthy at larger sizes; (b) still feel dissatisfied with their weight and self-conscious about their bodies; (c) emphasize eating behavior as the primary cause for weight gain; (d) view pregnancy, motherhood, and caregiving as major precursors to weight gain; (e) view health as the most important reason to lose weight; (f) have mixed experiences and expectations for social support for weight loss; and (g) prefer treatments that incorporate long-term lifestyle modification rather than fad diets or medication.

Effect of Low-Carbohydrate Claims on Consumer Perceptions about Food Products' Healthfulness and Helpfulness for Weight Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labiner-Wolfe, Judith; Lin, Chung-Tung Jordan; Verrill, Linda

2010-01-01

Objective: Evaluate effect of low-carbohydrate claims on consumer perceptions about food products' healthfulness and helpfulness for weight management. Design: Experiment in which participants were randomly assigned 1 of 12 front-of-package claim conditions on bread or a frozen dinner. Seven of the 12 conditions also included Nutrition Facts (NF)…

Caregiver's Country of Birth Is a Significant Determinant of Accurate Perception of Preschool-Age Children's Weight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natale, Ruby; Uhlhorn, Susan B.; Lopez-Mitnik, Gabriela; Camejo, Stephanie; Englebert, Nicole; Delamater, Alan M.; Messiah, Sarah E.

2016-01-01

Background: One in four preschool-age children in the United States are currently overweight or obese. Previous studies have shown that caregivers of this age group often have difficulty accurately recognizing their child's weight status. The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with accurate/inaccurate perception of child body…

Pregnant women's perceptions of gestational weight gain: A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative research.

PubMed

Vanstone, Meredith; Kandasamy, Sujane; Giacomini, Mita; DeJean, Deirdre; McDonald, Sarah D

2017-10-01

Excess gestational weight gain has numerous negative health outcomes for women and children, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and cesarean section (maternal) and high birth weight, trauma at birth, and asphyxia (infants). Excess weight gain in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of long-term obesity in both mothers and children. Despite a concerted public health effort, the proportion of pregnant women gaining weight in excess of national guidelines continues to increase. To understand this phenomenon and offer suggestions for improving interventions, we conducted a systematic review of qualitative research on pregnant women's perceptions and experiences of weight gain in pregnancy. We used the methodology of qualitative meta-synthesis to analyze 42 empirical qualitative research studies conducted in high-income countries and published between 2005 and 2015. With this synthesis, we provide an account of the underlying factors and circumstances (barriers, facilitators, and motivators) that pregnant women identify as important for appropriate weight gain. We also offer a description of the strategies identified by pregnant women as acceptable and appropriate ways to promote healthy weight gain. Through our integrative analysis, we identify women's common perception on the struggle to enact health behaviors and physical, social, and environmental factors outside of their control. Effective and sensitive interventions to encourage healthy weight gain in pregnancy must consider the social environment in which decisions about weight take place. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Physical self-perception and motor performance in normal-weight, overweight and obese children.

PubMed

Morano, M; Colella, D; Robazza, C; Bortoli, L; Capranica, L

2011-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among physical self-perception, body image and motor performance in Italian middle school students. Two hundred and sixty children were categorized into normal-weight (n=103), overweight (n=86) or obese (n=71) groups. Perceived coordination, body fat and sports competence were assessed using the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire, while body image was measured using Collins' Child Figure Drawings. Individuals' perceptions of strength, speed and agility were assessed using the Perceived Physical Ability Scale. Tests involving the standing long jump, 2 kg medicine-ball throw, 10 × 5 m shuttle-run and 20 and 30 m sprints were also administered. Girls, when compared with boys, and overweight and obese participants, when compared with normal-weight peers, reported lower perceived and actual physical competence, higher perceived body fat and greater body dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction mediated all the associations between body mass index (BMI) and the different aspects of physical self-perception in boys, but not in girls. The same pattern of results was found for physical self-perception as a mediator of the relationship between BMI and body dissatisfaction. In conclusion, obesity proved to have adverse effects on both motor performance and physical self-perception. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The size-weight illusion induced through human echolocation.

PubMed

Buckingham, Gavin; Milne, Jennifer L; Byrne, Caitlin M; Goodale, Melvyn A

2015-02-01

Certain blind individuals have learned to interpret the echoes of self-generated sounds to perceive the structure of objects in their environment. The current work examined how far the influence of this unique form of sensory substitution extends by testing whether echolocation-induced representations of object size could influence weight perception. A small group of echolocation experts made tongue clicks or finger snaps toward cubes of varying sizes and weights before lifting them. These echolocators experienced a robust size-weight illusion. This experiment provides the first demonstration of a sensory substitution technique whereby the substituted sense influences the conscious perception through an intact sense. © The Author(s) 2014.

Desire to Be Underweight: Exploratory Study on a Weight Loss App Community and User Perceptions of the Impact on Disordered Eating Behaviors

PubMed Central

Reddy, Madhu C; Booth, Kayla M; Kvasny, Lynette; Blair, Johnna L; Li, Victor; Poole, Erika S

2017-01-01

Background Mobile health (mHealth) apps for weight loss (weight loss apps) can be useful diet and exercise tools for individuals in need of losing weight. Most studies view weight loss app users as these types of individuals, but not all users have the same needs. In fact, users with disordered eating behaviors who desire to be underweight are also utilizing weight loss apps; however, few studies give a sense of the prevalence of these users in weight loss app communities and their perceptions of weight loss apps in relation to disordered eating behaviors. Objective The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of users’ body mass indices (BMIs) in a weight loss app community and examples of how users with underweight BMI goals perceive the impact of the app on disordered eating behaviors. Methods We focused on two aspects of a weight loss app (DropPounds): profile data and forum posts, and we moved from a broader picture of the community to a narrower focus on users’ perceptions. We analyzed profile data to better understand the goal BMIs of all users, highlighting the prevalence of users with underweight BMI goals. Then we explored how users with a desire to be underweight discussed the weight loss app’s impact on disordered eating behaviors. Results We found three main results: (1) no user (regardless of start BMI) starts with a weight gain goal, and most users want to lose weight; (2) 6.78% (1261/18,601) of the community want to be underweight, and most identify as female; (3) users with underweight BMI goals tend to view the app as positive, especially for reducing bingeing; however, some acknowledge its role in exacerbating disordered eating behaviors. Conclusions These findings are important for our understanding of the different types of users who utilize weight loss apps, the perceptions of weight loss apps related to disordered eating, and how weight loss apps may impact users with a desire to be underweight. Whereas these users had underweight goals, they often view the app as helpful in reducing disordered eating behaviors, which led to additional questions. Therefore, future research is needed. PMID:29025694

Physical self-concept and body dissatisfaction among Special Olympics athletes: A comparison between sex, weight status, and culture.

PubMed

Pan, Cheng-Chen; Maïano, Christophe; Morin, Alexandre J S

2018-05-01

Little research has looked at the associations between sex, weight status and culture, and the physical self-perceptions and body dissatisfaction of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) involved in Special Olympics (SO) sports. To examine sex- (male vs female), weight status- (non-overweight/obese vs. overweight/obese), and culture-based (North American vs. Asian) differences in physical self-concept and body dissatisfaction among SO athletes. A total of 139 SO athletes (aged 12-30 years) with ID participated in this study and completed measures of physical self-perceptions and body dissatisfaction. Differences according to sex, weight status, culture, and their interactions were examined. Males SO athletes presented higher levels of self-perceived physical strength and ideal body shape than females. Additionally, non-overweight/obese SO athletes presented higher levels of self-perceived physical appearance and physical condition than their overweight/obese counterparts, as well as lower actual body shape perceptions and body dissatisfaction. Moreover, North-American SO athletes presented higher levels of self-perceived physical appearance and sport competence than their Asians counterparts, as well as lower actual body shapes perceptions and body dissatisfaction. This study reveals substantial sex-, weight status-, and culture-based differences in the physical self-concept and body dissatisfaction of SO athletes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Treatment preferences of patients with binge eating disorder.

PubMed

Brody, Michelle L; Masheb, Robin M; Grilo, Carlos M

2005-05-01

The current study examined the treatment preferences of obese patients with binge eating disorder (BED). Participants were 103 consecutive patients with BED who responded to advertisements for treatment studies looking for persons who wanted to "stop binge eating and lose weight." In addition to completing comprehensive assessment batteries, participants were provided descriptions of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral weight loss therapy (BWL) after which they were asked to choose and rate their preferred treatment. Sixty-three percent of participants stated they preferred CBT. Treatment preferences were not associated with (1) histories of obesity, dieting, binge eating, or weight cycling, (2) current obesity or eating disorder features, or (3) psychological features such as depression or self-esteem levels. In contrast, participants' stated treatment preferences were aligned with their perception of their primary problem (eating disorder vs. obesity) and their primary goals for treatment (stop binge eating vs. lose weight). The patients who preferred CBT based their treatment selection more on their problem perception than on their primary treatment goal, whereas the patients who preferred BWL selected treatment based more on their primary treatment goal (weight loss) than on their problem perception. Obese patients with BED express treatment preferences that are not associated with variability in their clinical characteristics but are aligned with their perception of their primary problem and with their primary goals for treatment. Copyright 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

'Mum's the word': Predictors and outcomes of weight concerns in pre-adolescent and early adolescent girls.

PubMed

Thøgersen-Ntoumani, Cecilie; Ng, Johan Yau Yin; Ntoumanis, Nikos; Chatzisarantis, Nikos; Vlachopoulos, Symeon; Katartzi, Ermioni S; Nikitaras, Nikitas

2016-03-01

Predictors and outcomes of weight concerns in pre-adolescent and adolescent girls are well known, but few models have incorporated concerns reported directly by mothers as a predictor, and both eating and exercise outcomes. Using questionnaires, a comprehensive model of 232 pre-adolescent and early adolescent girls' weight concerns, eating restraint, and exercise behavior was tested. Structural equation modeling showed that daughters' weight concerns were predicted primarily by their perceptions of their mothers' concerns about the daughters' weight, as well as by daughters' BMI, appearance conversations with friends, and perceived media pressure. Mothers' concerns with their daughters' weight were indirectly associated with daughters' own concerns, via the daughters' perceptions of their mothers' concerns. Daughters' concerns with their weight were a strong predictor of eating restraint, but not exercise behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of body image perception and preferred weight loss strategies in schizophrenia: a controlled pilot study.

PubMed

Loh, C; Meyer, J M; Leckband, S G

2008-02-01

Obesity in severely mentally ill (SMI) populations is an increasing problem, but there is no controlled data regarding the relationship between SMI and weight perception. Fifty patients with schizophrenia and 50 demographically matched control participants were recruited. Weight, height, and body image accuracy were assessed for all participants, and assessments of mood, psychotic symptom severity and anxiety, and preferred modes of weight loss were assessed for the schizophrenia sample. Patients with schizophrenia were significantly more likely to be obese than controls (46% vs. 18%, P < 0.005), and most patients expressed an interest in losing weight. Obese participants with schizophrenia underestimated their body size (11.0%) more than controls (4.9%) (P < 0.05). Patients with schizophrenia are more likely to underestimate their body size, independent of the effects of obesity. However, they also express concern about weight issues and willingness to participate in psychoeducational groups targeted at weight loss.

Overweight and Obesity, Weight Perception, and Weight Management Practices Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) Participants in Georgia: A Needs Assessment.

PubMed

Bailey, Claudette; Lee, Jung Sun

2017-05-01

Examine associations among weight status, weight perception, and weight management practices of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) participants in Georgia. Self-reported weight, height, and weight-related practices were assessed and analyzed in 270 SNAP-Ed participants. Almost three quarters of the sample self-reported overweight or obesity. Among overweight and obese subjects, 39% and 69%, respectively, accurately perceived themselves as overweight. More than half of the sample desired weight loss and 44% had attempted weight loss in the past year. Overweight/obese subjects who accurately perceived their weight were more likely to desire and to have attempted weight loss than those who under-perceived their weight. Approximately 58% of all subjects who had attempted to lose weight reported use of both methods suggested for weight loss: exercise and dietary changes. The high prevalence of self-reported overweight/obesity combined with a desire to lose weight among the study sample demonstrated the necessity to develop SNAP-Ed curricula emphasizing weight management. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Women's work. Maintaining a healthy body weight.

PubMed

Welch, Nicky; Hunter, Wendy; Butera, Karina; Willis, Karen; Cleland, Verity; Crawford, David; Ball, Kylie

2009-08-01

This study describes women's perceptions of the supports and barriers to maintaining a healthy weight among currently healthy weight women from urban and rural socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Using focus groups and interviews, we asked women about their experiences of maintaining a healthy weight. Overwhelmingly, women described their healthy weight practices in terms of concepts related to work and management. The theme of 'managing health' comprised issues of managing multiple responsibilities, time, and emotions associated with healthy practices. Rural women faced particular difficulties in accessing supports at a practical level (for example, lack of childcare) and due to the gendered roles they enacted in caring for others. Family background (in particular, mothers' attitudes to food and weight) also appeared to influence perceptions about healthy weight maintenance. In the context of global increases in the prevalence of obesity, the value of initiatives aimed at supporting healthy weight women to maintain their weight should not be under-estimated. Such initiatives need to work within the social and personal constraints that women face in maintaining good health.

Objective and Perceived Weight: Associations with Risky Adolescent Sexual Behavior

PubMed Central

Akers, Aletha Y.; Cohen, Elan D.; Marshal, Michael P.; Roebuck, Geoff; Yu, Lan; Hipwell, Alison E.

2016-01-01

CONTEXT Studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased sexual risk-taking, particularly among adolescent females, but the relationships between obesity, perceived weight and sexual risk behaviors are poorly understood. METHODS Integrative data analysis was performed that combined baseline data from the 1994–1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (from 17,606 respondents in grades 7–12) and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (from 7,752 respondents aged 12–16). Using six sexual behaviors measured in both data sets (age at first intercourse, various measures of contraceptive use and number of partners), cluster analysis was conducted that identified five distinct behavior clusters. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis examined associations between adolescents’ weight status (categorized as underweight, normal-weight, overweight or obese) and weight perception and their cluster membership. RESULTS Among males, being underweight, rather than normal-weight, was negatively associated with membership in increasingly risky clusters (odds ratio, 0.5), as was the perception of being overweight, as opposed to about the right weight (0.8). However, being overweight was positively associated with males’ membership in increasingly risky clusters (1.3). Among females, being obese, rather than normal-weight, was negatively correlated with membership in increasingly risky clusters (0.8), while the perception of being overweight was positively correlated with such membership (1.1). CONCLUSIONS Both objective and subjective assessments of weight are associated with the clustering of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents, and these behavioral patterns differ by gender. PMID:27608419

Objective and Perceived Weight: Associations with Risky Adolescent Sexual Behavior.

PubMed

Akers, Aletha Y; Cohen, Elan D; Marshal, Michael P; Roebuck, Geoff; Yu, Lan; Hipwell, Alison E

2016-09-01

Studies have shown that obesity is associated with increased sexual risk-taking, particularly among adolescent females, but the relationships between obesity, perceived weight and sexual risk behaviors are poorly understood. Integrative data analysis was performed that combined baseline data from the 1994-1995 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (from 17,606 respondents in grades 7-12) and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (from 7,752 respondents aged 12-16). Using six sexual behaviors measured in both data sets (age at first intercourse, various measures of contraceptive use and number of partners), cluster analysis was conducted that identified five distinct behavior clusters. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis examined associations between adolescents' weight status (categorized as underweight, normal-weight, overweight or obese) and weight perception and their cluster membership. Among males, being underweight, rather than normal-weight, was negatively associated with membership in increasingly risky clusters (odds ratio, 0.5), as was the perception of being overweight, as opposed to about the right weight (0.8). However, being overweight was positively associated with males' membership in increasingly risky clusters (1.3). Among females, being obese, rather than normal-weight, was negatively correlated with membership in increasingly risky clusters (0.8), while the perception of being overweight was positively correlated with such membership (1.1). Both objective and subjective assessments of weight are associated with the clustering of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents, and these behavioral patterns differ by gender. Copyright © 2016 by the Guttmacher Institute.

Acculturation, body perception, and weight status among Vietnamese American students.

PubMed

Choi, Jin Young; Hwang, Jessica; Yi, Jenny

2011-12-01

The effects of acculturation, body perception, and health behaviors on weight status among Vietnamese American students in Houston, Texas were examined for our research. A survey was mailed to 600 randomly selected Vietnamese American students at one university, and 261 complete surveys (response rate, 43.5%) were used for final analyses. Respondents were classified as overweight or normal weight based on the World Health Organization recommended overweight cutoff for Asians (BMI of 23 kg/m(2)). About 32% of respondents were overweight. Men, undergraduate students, and those with an acceptable body perception were more likely to be overweight. Nativity and its interaction with length of US residence were significant predictors of weight status after controlling for other variables. Foreign-born respondents were less likely to be overweight than US-born respondents, but the risk of being overweight with increasing years of US residence was much greater for the foreign-born than for the US-born. The results suggest the need for culturally tailored overweight and obesity prevention programs for Vietnamese Americans.

Effects of concerns about pathogens on conservatism and anti-fat prejudice: are they mediated by moral intuitions?

PubMed

Park, Justin H; Isherwood, Edward

2011-01-01

Threat perceptions are associated with politically conservative attitudes. Research has also found that specific forms of threat perception (e.g., concerns about pathogens) are associated with functional reactions (e.g., anti-fat prejudice). Recently, moral intuitions have been implicated in explaining political orientation: Liberals tend to place greater weight on "individualizing foundations" (justice and care concerns) in particular, whereas conservatives tend to place high weight on "binding foundations" (loyalty, respect, and purity concerns) as well. A recent study attempted to integrate the above strands of research by showing that the effect of threat perceptions on conservatism is mediated by a tendency to place relatively greater weight on the binding foundations. The present study was intended to replicate and extend past research by testing (a) whether concerns about pathogens predict conservatism and anti-fat prejudice and (b) whether those effects are mediated by a tendency to place relatively greater weight on the binding foundations.

Inpatient treatment has no impact on the core thoughts and perceptions in adolescents with anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Fennig, Silvana; Brunstein Klomek, Anat; Shahar, Ben; Sarel-Michnik, Zohar; Hadas, Arie

2017-06-01

Examine changes in core perceptions and thoughts during the weight restoration phase of inpatient treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Forty-four adolescents with anorexia nervosa consecutively admitted (2009-2012) to an inpatient paediatric-psychiatric unit specializing in eating disorders. The programme consisted of a complete inpatient intervention combining weight restoration by structured supervised meals with individual and group cognitive-behavioural therapy, parental training/family intervention and educational activities, followed by a half-way day-treatment weight-stabilizing phase and progressive reintroduction to the community. The study focused on changes from hospital admission to discharge in patients' responses to self-report questionnaires on eating disorder symptoms, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. No significant changes in core anorexic thoughts and perceptions as Body dissatisfaction, Drive for thinness, Weight concern and Shape concern were noted. However, a reduction in the general severity of eating disorder symptoms (including Restraint and Eating concern) was observed, mainly related to the treatment structure. Levels of depression significantly decreased but remained within pathological range. We also found a concerning increase in suicidal ideation not correlated with a concomitant increase in depressive symptomatology. Inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents does not significantly modify core anorexic thoughts and perceptions. This may explain the high relapse rates. Changes in core beliefs may be crucial for recovery and prevention of relapse in anorexia nervosa at this critical age. This study may have clinical implications for the development of better treatment strategies to target the gap between disturbed thoughts and distorted perceptions - the core aspects of anorexia nervosa and physical recovery during and after the weight restoration phase. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Perceptions and behaviours towards high body weight among adults in Northeast China.

PubMed

Gao, Chunshi; Lv, Xin; Yin, Yutian; Song, Yuanyuan; Zhang, Peng; Wang, Rui; Jiang, Lingling; Wang, Yuhan; Yu, Yaqin; Li, Bo

2017-06-01

To determine the prevalence of high weight at different characteristics, understand the perceptions and behaviours towards high body weight, and determine potential influencing factors of body weight misperception among high-weight adults in Jilin Province. A cross-sectional survey with complex sampling design was conducted. We described the prevalence and perception of high body weight. Northeast China in 2012. Adults (n 20 552) aged 18-79 years. Of overweight individuals, 37·4 % considered themselves as 'normal weight', 4·8 % reported themselves as being 'very thin' and only 53·1 % were aware of their own weight being 'overweight'. About 1·8 % of both male and female obese individuals perceived themselves as 'very thin'. Only 29·1 % of obese people thought of themselves as 'too fat'. Nearly 30·0 % of centrally obese men and women perceived that their waist circumference was about right and they were of 'normal weight'; 5·7 % of the centrally obese even perceived themselves as being 'very thin'. Only 51·8 and 12·5 % of centrally obese individuals reported themselves to be 'overweight' or 'too fat'. Body weight misperception was more common in rural residents (OR; 95 % CI: 1·340; 1·191, 1·509). The prevalence of body weight misperception increased with age (middle age: 1·826; 1·605, 2·078; old people: 3·101; 2·648, 3·632) and declined with increased education level (junior middle school: 0·628; 0·545, 0·723; senior middle school: 0·498; 0·426, 0·583; undergraduate and above: 0·395; 0·320, 0·487). Body weight misperception was common among adults from Jilin Province.

Individual, social and environmental factors and their association with weight in rural-dwelling women.

PubMed

Harrison, Cheryce L; Teede, Helena J; Kozica, Samantha; Zoungas, Sophia; Lombard, Catherine B

2016-11-20

Obesity is a major public health concern and women living in rural settings present a high-risk group. With contributing factors poorly explored, we evaluated their association with weight in rural Australian women. Women aged 18-50 years of any body mass index (BMI) were recruited between October 2012 and April 2013 as part of a larger, randomised controlled trial within 42 rural towns. Measured weight and height as well as self-reported measures of individual health, physical activity, dietary intake, self-management, social support and environmental perception were collected. Statistical analysis included linear regression for continuous variables as well as chi-squared and logistic regression for categorical variables with all results adjusted for clustering. 649 women with a mean baseline age and BMI of 39.6±6.7 years and 28.8±6.9 kg/m 2 respectively, were studied. Overall, 65% were overweight or obese and 60% overall reported recent weight gain. There was a high intention to self-manage weight, with 68% attempting to lose weight recently, compared to 20% of women reporting health professional engagement for weight management. Obese women reported increased weight gain, energy intake, sitting time and prevalence of pre-existing health conditions. There was an inverse relationship between increased weight and scores for self-management, social support and health environment perception. Many women in rural communities reported recent weight gain and were attempting to self-manage their weight with little external support. Implications for Public Health: Initiatives to prevent weight gain require a multifaceted approach, with self-management strategies and social support in tandem with building a positive local environmental perception. © 2016 Public Health Association of Australia.

The influence of social power on weight perception.

PubMed

Lee, Eun Hee; Schnall, Simone

2014-08-01

Three studies explored whether social power affects the perception of physical properties of objects, testing the hypothesis that the powerless find objects to be heavier than the powerful do. Correlational findings from Study 1 revealed that people with a low personal sense of power perceived loaded boxes to be heavier than people with a high personal sense of power perceived them to be. In Study 2, experimentally manipulated power indicated that participants in the powerless condition judged the boxes to be heavier than did participants in the powerful condition. Study 3 further indicated that lacking power actively influences weight perception relative to a neutral control condition, whereas having power does not. Although much research on embodied perception has shown that various physiological and psychosocial resources influence visual perception of the physical environment, this is the first demonstration suggesting that power, a psychosocial construct that relates to the control of resources, changes the perception of physical properties of objects. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Dieting behaviors, body shape perceptions, and body satisfaction: cross-cultural differences in Argentinean and Swedish 13-year-olds.

PubMed

Holmqvist, Kristina; Lunde, Carolina; Frisén, Ann

2007-06-01

This exploratory study represents a cross-cultural effort to examine differences in dieting practices and weight loss attempts, perceived body shape, and body satisfaction between young Argentinean and Swedish adolescents. The study group consisted of 358 Argentinean (193 girls, 165 boys) and 874 Swedish (474 girls, 400 boys) 13-year-olds. A main finding was that Argentinean and Swedish adolescents did not differ on body satisfaction, although girls in both countries displayed greater body dissatisfaction than did boys. Dieting and weight loss attempts were more prevalent among the Argentinean adolescents, especially among girls, and did not appear to depend on overweight or perception of body shape. The samples also differed in their perceptions of body shape and the effect those perceptions had on their body satisfaction, with Swedish adolescents suffering more from negative body shape perceptions.

The Perception of Obese Persons: Cross Cultural Considerations.

PubMed

Oksel, Esra; Gündüzoğlu, Nazmiye Çray; Topçu, Sevcan

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of obesity in adults. The study sample included 586 participants (body mass index ≥30 kg/m and age ≥18 years). A questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was developed by the researchers in accordance with the literature. A statistically significant difference was found between the description and perception of weight as a threat to health (χ = 57.65; P = .001). The perception of a threat to health was significantly higher in the group that described itself as overweight than other groups, and the group that described itself as having a normal weight had a significantly lower perception of a threat to health than other groups. The most important result of this investigation was that obesity was described by people but there was no awareness of the disease. It is suggested that future studies would increase people's awareness of obesity management.

Impact of Physician BMI on Obesity Care and Beliefs

PubMed Central

Bleich, Sara N.; Bennett, Wendy L.; Gudzune, Kimberly A.; Cooper, Lisa A.

2013-01-01

Using a national cross-sectional survey of 500 primary care physicians conducted between 9 February and 1 March 2011, the objective of this study was to assess the impact of physician BMI on obesity care, physician self-efficacy, perceptions of role-modeling weight-related health behaviors, and perceptions of patient trust in weight loss advice. We found that physicians with normal BMI were more likely to engage their obese patients in weight loss discussions as compared to overweight/obese physicians (30% vs. 18%, P = 0.010). Physicians with normal BMI had greater confidence in their ability to provide diet (53% vs. 37%, P = 0.002) and exercise counseling (56% vs. 38%, P = 0.001) to their obese patients. A higher percentage of normal BMI physicians believed that overweight/obese patients would be less likely to trust weight loss advice from overweight/obese doctors (80% vs. 69%, P = 0.02). Physicians in the normal BMI category were more likely to believe that physicians should model healthy weight-related behaviors—maintaining a healthy weight (72% vs. 56%, P = 0.002) and exercising regularly (73% vs. 57%, P = 0.001). The probability of a physician recording an obesity diagnosis (93% vs. 7%, P < 0.001) or initiating a weight loss conversation (89% vs. 11%, P ≤ 0.001) with their obese patients was higher when the physicians’ perception of the patients’ body weight met or exceeded their own personal body weight. These results suggest that more normal weight physicians provided recommended obesity care to their patients and felt confident doing so. PMID:22262162

Family Food Providers’ Perceptions of the Causes of Obesity and Effectiveness of Weight Control Strategies in Five Countries in the Asia Pacific Region: A Cross-Sectional Survey

PubMed Central

Worsley, Anthony; Wang, Wei; Sarmugam, Rani; Pham, Quynh; Februhartanty, Judhiastuty; Ridley, Stacey

2017-01-01

The rise of the middle classes in developing countries and the associated epidemiological transition raises the importance of assessing this population group’s awareness of the causes of obesity and effective weight control strategies in order to develop effective health promotion strategies. The study aimed to examine the perceptions of the causes of obesity and weight control strategies held by middle class household food providers in Melbourne, Singapore, Shanghai, Indonesia and Vietnam. An online survey was conducted in late 2013, early 2014 among 3945 respondents. Information about body weight concerns, perceived causes of obesity, effectiveness of weight control methods, demographics, self-reported height and weight, and personal values was elicited. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) derived nine reliable factors which were used in structural equation modelling (SEM). Two thirds of respondents were trying to change their body weight, of them, 71% were trying to lose weight. The CFA and SEM showed that demographics, region of residence, personal values and perceptions of the causes of obesity (Unhealthy food behaviours, influences Beyond personal control and Environmental influences) had direct and indirect associations with three weight control methods factors, named: Healthy habits, Eat less, sit less, and Dieting. Middle class food providers in the study regions share public health views of obesity causation and personal weight control. These findings could inform public health and food policies, and the design of public health interventions and communications. Further research is required among lower socio economic status (SES) populations. PMID:28106781

Low Income, Mexican Mothers' Perception of Their Infants' Weight Status and Beliefs about Their Foods and Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez-Cruz, Arturo; Bacardi-Gascon, Montserrat; Castillo-Ruiz, Octelina; Mandujano-Trujillo, Zally; Pichardo-Osuna, Alexandra

2010-01-01

Childhood obesity is being considered a global health epidemic, and one of the countries mostly affected by it is Mexico. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of low-income mothers with regard to their child's weight status and physical activity and their beliefs about healthy and high-density foods. A total of 813 mothers attending…

PERCEPTION OF BODY WEIGHT AMONG SAUDI SCHOOL CHILDREN

PubMed Central

Abalkhail, Baha; Shawky, Sherine; Ghabrah, Tawfik

2002-01-01

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to explore the perception of body weight among students in schools in Jeddah City and identify the main determinants of self-perceived obesity, weight management goals and practices. Material and Methods: Data were collected from a sample of Saudi school children of 42 boys’ and 42 girls’ schools in Jeddah city during the month of April 2000. Personal interviews were conducted to collect data on socio-demographic factors, food choices, perception of body weight, weight management goals and weight management practices, as well as the actual measurement of weight and height. Students were asked about their perception of their body weight [responses included: very underweight (thin), slightly underweight, about right weight, slightly overweight and grossly overweight (obese)]. Proportion, prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for an attempt to lose weight and weight management practices. Results: The distribution of self-perception of body size was nearly similar to the measured body mass index (BMI) classification except for the overweight students, where 21.3% perceived themselves, as slightly overweight and 5.5% as very overweight although 13.4% were actually overweight and 13.5% were obese by BMI standards. Approximately half the students took at least 3 pieces of fruit or fruit juice servings, and a third ate at least 4 vegetable servings per day. A third of the students managed to lose weight. This coincides with the proportion of those actually overweight and obese. Around 28.0% of the students ate less food, fat or calories, 31.0% took exercise and 17.6% were engaged in vigorous exercise to lose weight or prevent weight gain. Staying for at least 24 hours without food which is a potentially harmful means of weight control was practiced by 10.0% of students. Females were less likely than males to be overweight and obese but more likely to perceive themselves as grossly overweight and more likely to try to lose weight. Factors associated with efforts to lose weight by eating less fat or fewer calories were older age, high social class, being actually obese and perceiving oneself as being obese. Staying for at least 24 hours without eating was mainly practiced by females, older age groups, and the actually obese. Exercise was done mainly by the older age groups, those with educated and highly educated mothers, obese and perceiving oneself as being obese. Vigorous exercise was mainly performed by males, younger age groups, taking < 3 pieces of fruit or fruit juice servings per day, eating < 4 vegetable servings per day, and those perceiving themselves as obese. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity are prevalent among our youth and not all obese have a correct image of their body size. Highly recommended are intervention programs of education on nutrition starting in childhood through school age to promote and ensure healthy food choices, improve student's awareness of ideal body size and clinical obesity, encourage physical exercise but discourage potentially harmful weight control measures. PMID:23008679

Self-perception and quality of life among overweight and obese rural housewives in Kelantan, Malaysia.

PubMed

Muda, Wan Abdul Manan Wan; Kuate, Dieudonne; Jalil, Rohana Abdul; Nik, Wan Suriati Wan; Awang, Siti Azima

2015-02-12

Obesity, in the past was perceived to be the problem of the rich, but recent studies have reported that the problem of obesity is a worldwide problem and rural population is no less affected. Self-perceived health and weight appropriateness is an important component of weight-loss and eating behaviors and may be mediated by local, social and cultural patterning. In addition to the quality of life assessment, it should therefore be an important focal point for the design and implementation of clinical and public health policies. The present study was carried out to assess the self-perception of weight appropriateness as well as the quality of life of overweight and obese individual among the rural population particularly among housewives. A total of 421 respondents participated in the study which consisted of 36.6% in the overweight and 63.4% in the obese categories. the analysis of the survey revealed that self-perception regarding obesity among respondents show common similarities, particularly in self reporting on health, dietary habit and also the concept of beauty and a beautiful body. Character and behavior are highly regarded in evaluating a person's self-worth in society. The results on the quality of life using the ORWELL 97 instrument show that the quality of life of respondents was moderate. Most of the respondents were aware of their body weight and indicated an intention to lose weight but also reported themselves as healthy or very healthy. The results of the survey indicated that perception on obesity did not differed very much between respondents, in fact there existed a lot of similarities in their perception about health, quality of life, personal health and self-satisfaction with own body. However, their quality of life was within the normal or moderate level based on the ORWELL 97 assessment. Even though most of the respondents were aware of their body weight and indicated an intention to lose weight they also reported themselves as healthy or very healthy, suggesting that public health messages intended for rural housewives need to be more tailored to health-related consequences of fatness.

Singaporean Mothers’ Perception of Their Three-year-old Child’s Weight Status: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Cheung, Yin Bun; Chan, Jerry Kok Yen; Tint, Mya Thway; Godfrey, Keith M.; Gluckman, Peter D.; Kwek, Kenneth; Saw, Seang Mei; Chong, Yap-Seng; Lee, Yung Seng; Yap, Fabian; Lek, Ngee

2016-01-01

Objective Inaccurate parental perception of their child’s weight status is commonly reported in Western countries. It is unclear whether similar misperception exists in Asian populations. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of Singaporean mothers to accurately describe their three-year-old child’s weight status verbally and visually. Methods At three years post-delivery, weight and height of the children were measured. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and converted into actual weight status using International Obesity Task Force criteria. The mothers were blinded to their child’s measurements and asked to verbally and visually describe what they perceived was their child’s actual weight status. Agreement between actual and described weight status was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa statistic (κ). Results Of 1237 recruited participants, 66.4% (n = 821) with complete data on mothers’ verbal and visual perceptions and children’s anthropometric measurements were analysed. Nearly thirty percent of the mothers were unable to describe their child’s weight status accurately. In verbal description, 17.9% under-estimated and 11.8% over-estimated their child’s weight status. In visual description, 10.4% under-estimated and 19.6% over-estimated their child’s weight status. Many mothers of underweight children over-estimated (verbal 51.6%; visual 88.8%), and many mothers of overweight and obese children under-estimated (verbal 82.6%; visual 73.9%), their child’s weight status. In contrast, significantly fewer mothers of normal-weight children were inaccurate (verbal 16.8%; visual 8.8%). Birth order (p<0.001), maternal (p = 0.004) and child’s weight status (p<0.001) were associated with consistently inaccurate verbal and visual descriptions. Conclusions Singaporean mothers, especially those of underweight and overweight children, may not be able to perceive their young child’s weight status accurately. To facilitate prevention of childhood obesity, educating parents and caregivers about their child’s weight status is needed. PMID:26820665

Asymmetric Oscillation Distorts the Perceived Heaviness of Handheld Objects.

PubMed

Amemiya, T; Maeda, T

2008-01-01

Weight perception has been of great interest for over three centuries. Most research has been concerned with the weight of static objects, and some illusions have been discovered. Here, we show a new illusion related to the perception of the heaviness of oscillating objects. We performed experiments that involved comparing the weight of two objects of identical physical appearance but with different gross weights and oscillation patterns (vibrating vertically at frequencies of 5 or 9 cycles per second with symmetric and asymmetric acceleration patterns). The results show that the perceived weight of an object vibrating with asymmetric acceleration increases compared to that with symmetric acceleration when the acceleration peaks in the gravity direction. In contrast, almost no heaviness perception change was observed in the anti-gravity direction. We speculate that the reason for the divergence between these results is caused by the differential impact of these two hypothesized perceptual mechanisms as follows: the salience of pulse stimuli appears to have a strong influence in the gravity direction, whereas filling-in could explain our observations in the anti-gravity direction. The study of this haptic illusion can provide valuable insights into not only human perceptual mechanisms but into the design of ungrounded haptic interfaces.

Parents' perceptions of their children's weight, eating habits, and physical activities at home and at school.

PubMed

Jaballas, Elvira; Clark-Ott, Dorothy; Clasen, Carla; Stolfi, Adrienne; Urban, Marianne

2011-01-01

Parental perceptions of their young children's weight and habits may play an important role in determining whether children develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. This study was conducted to determine perceptions of parents of third-grade children in an urban school setting regarding their children's weight, eating habits, and physical activities. Parents anonymously completed surveys about their child's weight, eating habits, and daily activities. The survey also asked about how schools could encourage healthy eating and increased physical activity. Overall, 26% of the parents perceived their child to be overweight and expressed concern, but 40% of these parents believed that overweight is a condition that will be outgrown. Parents who reported eating more than eight meals per week with their child were less likely to report their child as overweight and more likely to believe that their child's physical activity level was appropriate. Most parents of third-grade students demonstrated concern regarding their child's weight and perceive obesity as a problem. Parents support school interventions such as nutrition education and fitness classes. Copyright © 2011 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Undergraduate, Female, Nutrition Students' Perceptions of Curricular Influence on Attitudes toward Individuals with Obesity.

PubMed

Dwyer, John J M; Starr, Andrea; Mills, Christine; Haines, Jess

2016-12-01

This qualitative study, guided by a phenomenological approach, explored senior-level undergraduate, nutrition students' perceptions of how obesity and weight bias were addressed in the undergraduate curricula and how the curricula influenced their attitudes toward individuals with obesity. Twenty senior-level undergraduate, nutrition students from the University of Guelph participated in interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis entailed open, axial, and selective coding. Participants' sources of information about obesity in the curricula included nutrition courses, case studies, and non-nutrition courses. Regarding sources of information about weight bias in the curricula, they discussed nutrition courses, non-nutrition courses, and limited coverage of weight bias. Themes for curricular influence on attitudes toward people with obesity were increased knowledge of obesity, understanding the complexity of obesity, increased empathy toward individuals with obesity, and better ability to avoid stereotypes toward people with obesity. The perceptions among nutrition students varied regarding the amount and type of obesity and weight-bias information in the curricula, as well as the influence of the curricula on attitudes toward individuals with obesity, suggesting that obesity and weight bias warrant more coordinated coverage in the nutrition curricula.

[Exploratory population study of overweight and obese subjects' perceptions: Searching for improved management practices].

PubMed

Crutze, C; Pétré, B; Dardenne, N; Donneau, A-F; Streel, S; Albert, A; Scheen, A; Husson, E; Guillaume, M

2017-06-01

Overweight and obesity are major public health problems of growing concern. Few studies have investigated the representations and perceptions of subjects with overweight and obesity, especially in the general population, as compared to people in a medical weight loss process. The objective of this study was to fill this gap by enabling participants to express their feelings and experience about their overweight, and to assess the extent of the body mass index (BMI) as a determinant of these perceptions. A total of 4155 persons participated in an exploratory study conducted in Wallonia (Belgium). Data were collected by means of a web-based questionnaire. This study investigated the following parameters: sociodemographic and anthropometric factors, perceived health, quality of life, diet perception, enrolment in a weight loss process and weight loss target. The influence of BMI was considered, on one hand, looking at how the above variables evolve according to BMI category, secondly, as a mediation factor in the relationship between socioeconomic level and these same variables. A large majority (87.5%) of subjects were overweight (32.2%) or obese (obese class I 29.9%, class II 14.8%, class III 10.6%). Perceived health was found to deteriorate with the BMI (P<0.0001); obese class III had a 5.9-fold risk to present bad perceived health compared to subjects with normal weight. The physical and psychological quality of life reported by the subjects decreased significantly with the BMI (P<0.0001) particularly for the physical quality of life. The percentage of poor diet perception (frustration, weight gain, aggressiveness, inefficacy and impossibility) as well as the weight loss targeted by the subjects increased with the BMI. Between overweight subjects and obese class III subjects, weight loss target increased from 13% to 34% of the initial weight. The majority of subjects judged that diet represents "aggressiveness", "weight gain" and "impossibility". A partial mediation role of BMI was identified in the relationship between social status and the variables of interest. This study focused on a sample of people from the general population. It confirmed previous results of others studies. All results gave a feeling of resignation and powerlessness which can seize obese individuals (especially when BMI increases). As a consequence, there is a need for more adapted weight management to achieve a genuine therapeutic alliance. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Infants' Grip Strength Predicts Mu Rhythm Attenuation during Observation of Lifting Actions with Weighted Blocks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Upshaw, Michaela B.; Bernier, Raphael A.; Sommerville, Jessica A.

2016-01-01

Research has established that the body is fundamentally involved in perception: bodily experience influences activation of the shared neural system underlying action perception and production during action observation, and bodily characteristics influence perception of the spatial environment. However, whether bodily characteristics influence…

Weight-Based Victimization toward Overweight Adolescents: Observations and Reactions of Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puhl, Rebecca M.; Luedicke, Joerg; Heuer, Cheslea

2011-01-01

Background: Weight-based victimization has become increasingly reported among overweight youth, but little is known about adolescents' perceptions and observations of weight-based teasing and bullying. This study examined adolescents' observations of and reactions to weight-based victimization toward overweight students at school. Methods:…

The body mass index in relation with the self-perception of weight and the body composition from different populational groups.

PubMed

Barzuca, D; Vlaicu, Brigitha; Mircioaga, Adriana; Mircioaga, Elena; Carabas, I

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the self-perception of weight in relation with the body mass index and the body composition of three working groups composed of physically untrained young students, young athletes and patients diagnosed with chronic diseases. The working groups consisted of 110 participants: untrained students, athletes and dialysed patients; 50.9% women and 49.1% men; with an average age of 26.03. The BMI of the patients is significantly higher than the BMI of the athletes and untrained students. No significant differences were found between groups in terms of self-perception of weight. Compared to the physically untrained students and patients, the athletes have a significantly higher level of muscle tissue. The athletes also have a significantly lower adipose tissue than that of the physically untrained students and patients.

Correlates of Body Mass Index, Weight Goals, and Weight-Management Practices among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paxton, Raheem J.; Valois, Robert F.; Drane, J. Wanzer

2004-01-01

The study examined associations among physical activity, cigarette smoking, body mass index, perceptions of body weight, weight-management goals, and weight-management behaviors of public high school adolescents. The CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey provided a cross-sectional sample (n = 3,089) of public high school students in South Carolina.…

Weight information labels on media models reduce body dissatisfaction in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Veldhuis, Jolanda; Konijn, Elly A; Seidell, Jacob C

2012-06-01

To examine how weight information labels on variously sized media models affect (pre)adolescent girls' body perceptions and how they compare themselves with media models. We used a three (body shape: extremely thin vs. thin vs. normal weight) × three (information label: 6-kg underweight vs. 3-kg underweight vs. normal weight) experimental design in three age-groups (9-10 years, 12-13 years, and 15-16 years; n = 184). The girls completed questionnaires after exposure to media models. Weight information labels affected girls' body dissatisfaction, social comparison with media figures, and objectified body consciousness. Respondents exposed to an extremely thin body shape labeled to be of "normal weight" were most dissatisfied with their own bodies and showed highest levels of objectified body consciousness and comparison with media figures. An extremely thin body shape combined with a corresponding label (i.e., 6-kg underweight), however, induced less body dissatisfaction and less comparison with the media model. Age differences were also found to affect body perceptions: adolescent girls showed more negative body perceptions than preadolescents. Weight information labels may counteract the generally media-induced thin-body ideal. That is, when the weight labels appropriately informed the respondents about the actual thinness of the media model's body shape, girls were less affected. Weight information labels also instigated a normalization effect when a "normal-weight" label was attached to underweight-sized media models. Presenting underweight as a normal body shape, clearly increased body dissatisfaction in girls. Results also suggest age between preadolescence and adolescence as a critical criterion in responding to media models' body shape. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

PubMed

Cooper, Lesley; Ells, Louisa; Ryan, Cormac; Martin, Denis

2018-03-01

To gain insight into the lived experience of adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Knowledge gained will inform healthcare professionals about the complexity of the weight-pain relationship and enable more effective engagement with this population. Quantitative studies show links between weight and pain. Adults with overweight/obesity are more likely to experience comorbidity; however, qualitative research describing the complexities of the relationship is limited. A purposive sample of adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain participated in face-to-face interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Eighteen adults (16 female) aged 29-71, body mass index ≥25-46, participated in this study. Three superordinate themes emerged: "pain as a motivator and barrier to weight loss"; "fear of weight causing more damage"; and "activity is positive." Pain motivates some individuals to lose weight while simultaneously inhibiting weight loss efforts. Participants' perception that extra pressure caused by their weight further damaged joints contributed to fear and catastrophising. Fear is often exacerbated by healthcare professionals' descriptions of musculoskeletal damage, or participants' perception of healthcare professionals' attitude towards people with overweight/obesity. Conversely, individuals acknowledged the benefits of increased activity. Adults with overweight/obesity and chronic musculoskeletal pain in this study identified a bidirectional relationship between their weight and pain that challenged their weight loss efforts. Overweight/obesity contributed to fear and catastrophising, which resulted in avoidance of exercise that would have assisted their weight loss. Healthcare professionals need to understand the complex relationship between weight and pain, and their patients' understanding of that relationship. Healthcare professionals should use therapeutic communication to reduce the fear of weight causing damage, and thus promote physical activities that will contribute to weight loss. It is also important to ensure that the language used with this patient group does not stigmatise individuals, or cause or exacerbate fear of normal movement. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Associations between self-perception of weight, food choice intentions, and consumer response to calorie information: a retrospective investigation of public health center clients in Los Angeles County before the implementation of menu-labeling regulation.

PubMed

Nianogo, Roch A; Kuo, Tony; Smith, Lisa V; Arah, Onyebuchi A

2016-01-22

Although obesity continues to rise and remains a great public health concern in the U.S., a number of important levers such as self-perception of weight and calorie postings at point-of-purchase in restaurants are still not well-characterized in the literature, especially for low-income and minority groups in Los Angeles County (LAC). To study this gap, we examined the associations of self-perception of weight (as measured by body weight discrepancy) with food choice intentions and consumer response to calorie information among low-income adults residing in LAC during the pre-menu labeling regulation era. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the aforementioned associations utilizing data from the 2007-2008 Calorie and Nutrition Information Survey (CNIS). The CNIS was a local health department study of 639 low-income adults recruited from five large, multi-purpose public health centers in LAC. Survey participants who reported that their desired weight was less than their current weight (versus desired weight the same as current weight) had (i) higher odds of intending to select lower-calorie foods under the scenario that calorie information was available at point-of-purchase (aOR = 2.0; 95 % CI: 1.0-3.9); and (ii) had higher odds of reporting that it is "very important" to have these calorie postings on food items in grocery stores (aOR = 3.1; 95 % CI: 0.90-10.7) and in fast-food restaurants (aOR = 3.4; 95 % CI: 1.0-11.4). Self-perception of weight was found to be associated with the intention to select lower-calorie foods under the scenario that calorie information was available at point-of-purchase. Future public health efforts to support menu labeling implementation should consider these and other findings to inform consumer education and communications strategies that can be tailored to assist restaurant patrons with this forthcoming federal law.

Vibrotactile perception and effects of short-term exposure to hand-arm vibration.

PubMed

Burström, Lage; Lundström, Ronnie; Hagberg, Mats; Nilsson, Tohr

2009-07-01

This study clarifies whether the established frequency weighting procedure for evaluating exposure to hand-transmitted vibration can effectively evaluate the temporary changes in vibrotactile perception thresholds due to pre-exposure to vibration. In addition, this study investigates the relationship between changes of the vibrotactile perception thresholds and the normalized energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration. The fingers of 10 healthy subjects, five male and five female, were exposed to vibration under 16 conditions with a combination of different frequencies, intensities, and exposure times. The vibration frequencies were 31.5 and 125 Hz and exposure lasted between 2 and 16 min. According to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 5349-1, the energy-equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration for the experimental time of 16 min is 2.5 or 5.0 m s(-2) root-mean-square, corresponding to a 8-h equivalent acceleration, A(8), of approximately 0.5 and 0.9 m s(-2), respectively. A measure of the vibrotactile perception thresholds was conducted before the different exposures to vibration. Immediately after the vibration exposure, the acute effect was measured continuously on the exposed index finger for the first 75 s, followed by 30 s of measures every minute for a maximum of 10 min. If the subject's thresholds had not recovered, the measures continued for a maximum of 30 min with measurements taken every 5 min. Pre-exposure to vibration significantly influenced vibrotactile thresholds. This study concludes that the influence on the thresholds depends on the frequency of the vibration stimuli. Increased equivalent frequency-weighted acceleration resulted in a significant change in threshold, but the thresholds were unaffected when changes in the vibration magnitude were expressed as the frequency-weighted acceleration or the unweighted acceleration. Moreover, the frequency of the pre-vibration exposure significantly influenced (up to 25 min after exposure) recovery time of the vibrotactile thresholds. This study shows that the frequency weighting procedure in ISO 5349-1 is unable to predict the produced acute changes in the vibrotactile perception. Moreover, the results imply that the calculation of the 'energy-equivalent' frequency-weighted acceleration does not reflect the acute changes of the vibration perception thresholds due to pre-exposure to vibration. Furthermore, when testing for the vibrotactile thresholds, exposure to vibration on the day of a test might influence the results. Until further knowledge is obtained, the previous practice of 3 h avoidance of vibration exposure before assessment is recommended.

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN WEIGHT-TEASING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN ADOLESCENTS

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Priscila Iumi; Fontana, Fabio Eduardo; da Silva, Michael Pereira; Mazzardo, Oldemar; Bacil, Eliane Denise Araújo; de Campos, Wagner

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the association between weight-teasing and physical activity in students from public schools of Curitiba, Paraná (Southern Brazil). Methods: The sample consisted of 95 students (48 boys and 47 girls) aged 12 to 14 years old. The Perception of Weight Teasing (POTS) and The Perception of Weight Teasing during Physical Activity Scale assessed the frequency of weight-teasing experienced by the participants. Accelerometers measured physical activity. BMI assessed the weight status of the participants. Pearson correlations analyzed the association between the teasing and physical activity variables at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The relationship between teasing variables and physical activity was not significant. A large proportion of participants failed to meet the recommended levels of physical activity regardless of sex (72%), and girls were significantly less physically active than boys (56.3% of boys and 89.4% of girls; p<0.01). Conclusions: Some participants were targets of weight-teasing, but teasing was not related to physical activity. Interventions are necessary to educate middle school students about the harmful consequences of weight teasing. PMID:28977290

Understanding the Essential Meaning of Measured Changes in Weight and Body Composition Among Women During and After Adjuvant Treatment for Breast Cancer: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PubMed

Pedersen, Birgith; Groenkjaer, Mette; Falkmer, Ursula; Delmar, Charlotte

Changes in weight and body composition among women during and after adjuvant antineoplastic treatment for breast cancer may influence long-term survival and quality of life. Research on factual weight changes is diverse and contrasting, and their influence on women's perception of body and self seems to be insufficiently explored. The aim of this study was to expand the understanding of the association between changes in weight and body composition and the women's perception of body and selves. A mixed-methods research design was used. Data consisted of weight and body composition measures from 95 women with breast cancer during 18 months past surgery. Twelve women from this cohort were interviewed individually at 12 months. Linear mixed model and logistic regression were used to estimate changes of repeated measures and odds ratio. Interviews were analyzed guided by existential phenomenology. Joint displays and integrative mixed-methods interpretation demonstrated that even small weight gains, extended waist, and weight loss were associated with fearing recurrence of breast cancer. Perceiving an ambiguous transforming body, the women moved between a unified body subject and the body as an object dissociated in "I" and "it" while fighting against or accepting the body changes. Integrating findings demonstrated that factual weight changes do not correspond with the perceived changes and may trigger existential threats. Transition to a new habitual body demand health practitioners to enter a joint narrative work to reveal how the changes impact on the women's body and self-perception independent of how they are displayed quantitatively.

Modeling the Perception of Audiovisual Distance: Bayesian Causal Inference and Other Models

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Studies of audiovisual perception of distance are rare. Here, visual and auditory cue interactions in distance are tested against several multisensory models, including a modified causal inference model. In this causal inference model predictions of estimate distributions are included. In our study, the audiovisual perception of distance was overall better explained by Bayesian causal inference than by other traditional models, such as sensory dominance and mandatory integration, and no interaction. Causal inference resolved with probability matching yielded the best fit to the data. Finally, we propose that sensory weights can also be estimated from causal inference. The analysis of the sensory weights allows us to obtain windows within which there is an interaction between the audiovisual stimuli. We find that the visual stimulus always contributes by more than 80% to the perception of visual distance. The visual stimulus also contributes by more than 50% to the perception of auditory distance, but only within a mobile window of interaction, which ranges from 1 to 4 m. PMID:27959919

A Longitudinal Analysis of Adolescent Smoking: Using Smoking Status to Differentiate the Influence of Body Weight Measures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Traci; Johnson, Carolyn

2013-01-01

Background: Previous research has reported mixed results on the association between body weight measures (ie, perception of weight and weight loss goal) and cigarette smoking prevalence--and how these associations vary by sex and race. This longitudinal study assessed the relationship between these 2 body weight measures and smoking prevalence by…

Weight-Loss Strategies Used by the General Population: How Are They Perceived?

PubMed Central

Julia, Chantal; Péneau, Sandrine; Andreeva, Valentina A.; Méjean, Caroline; Fezeu, Léopold; Galan, Pilar; Hercberg, Serge

2014-01-01

Background The rising prevalence of obesity and the social pressure for thinness increase the prevalence of dieting. However, little is known about the overall perception of dieting strategies actually used by the general population. Objectives Our main objective was to investigate perceptions of weight-loss practices in an observational study in order to identify the most favourable strategy. Design Adults from the ongoing Nutrinet-Santé cohort study who had reported engaging in dieting in the three previous years were included in the study. For each diet, detailed information was collected on types of diets, circumstances and perception of the diet, and outcomes. Perceptions were compared across diets using sex-specific mixed effects models. Result Among the 48 435 subjects who had completed the respective questionnaire, 12 673 (26.7%, 87.8% of women) had followed at least one weight-loss diet in the previous three years. Diet plans prescribed by health professionals and diets conforming to official dietary recommendations were the most favourably perceived among all assessed weight-loss strategies. Alternatively, commercial diet plans and self-imposed dietary restrictions were more negatively perceived (Odds ratios (OR) for adherence difficulty 1.30 (95% confidence interval (0.99;1.7)) in men and OR 1.92 (1.76;2.10) in women compared to official nutritional guidelines; OR 1.06 (0.82;1.38) in men and OR 1.39 (1.26;1.54) in women respectively) compared to official nutritional guidelines. Conclusion Official dietary recommendations could be useful tools for maintaining a dietary balance while following a weight-loss diet. PMID:24852440

Protective Misperception? Prospective Study of Weight Self-Perception and Blood Pressure in Adolescents With Overweight and Obesity.

PubMed

Unger, Emily S; Kawachi, Ichiro; Milliren, Carly E; Sonneville, Kendrin R; Thurston, Idia B; Gooding, Holly C; Richmond, Tracy K

2017-06-01

Underestimating one's weight is often seen as a barrier to weight loss. However, recent research has shown that weight underperception may be beneficial, with lower future weight gain and fewer depressive symptoms. Here, we examine the relationship between adolescent weight underperception and future blood pressure. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we obtained a nationally representative sample of 2,463 adolescents with overweight and obesity (students in grades 8-12 in 1996). We used multivariable linear regression to prospectively examine the relationship between weight self-perception in adolescence and blood pressure in adulthood (year 2008; follow-up rate 80.3%), controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking, alcohol consumption, education level, household income, and body mass index. Additional analyses were stratified by gender and race/ethnicity. Youth with overweight/obesity who underperceived their weight had lower blood pressure in adulthood than those who perceived themselves to be overweight. The decrease in systolic blood pressure was -2.5 mm Hg (95% confidence interval: -4.3, -0.7; p = .006). Although the interaction by gender was statistically insignificant (p = .289), important differences appeared upon stratification by gender. Young men showed no significant difference in adult blood pressure related to weight self-perception. Conversely, in young women, weight underperception was associated with an average decrease in systolic blood pressure of -4.3 mm Hg (95% confidence interval: -7.0, -1.7; p = .002). Contrary to conventional wisdom, weight underperception is associated with improved health markers in young women. The observed differences in blood pressure are clinically relevant in magnitude, and interventions to correct weight underperception should be re-examined for unintended consequences. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"I am a fat baby, who moved to a fat child, who moved to a fat teenager, who moved to a fat adult": Women's reflections of a lifetime of body and weight concern.

PubMed

Pila, Eva; Solomon-Krakus, Shauna; Egelton, Kara; Sabiston, Catherine M

2018-01-01

The present study explored how women aged 50-65 years reflect and make meaning of a lifetime of body and weight struggles. Seven purposefully selected women with longstanding body image challenges participated in interviews and reflected on their perceptions, thoughts, and emotions around their body and weight since childhood. Findings revealed consistent and consuming concerns about the body; prevalent body-related self-conscious emotions; influential social experiences that impact physical self-perceptions; and enduring impacts of weight bias, stigma, and discrimination. Collectively, these findings provide support for the stability of body disturbances and highlight the need to explore the unique body-related narratives of women in midlife.

Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy vs. Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass on Eating Behavior and Sweet Taste Perception in Subjects with Obesity.

PubMed

Nance, Katie; Eagon, J Christopher; Klein, Samuel; Pepino, Marta Yanina

2017-12-24

The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that weight loss induced by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has greater effects on taste perception and eating behavior than comparable weight loss induced by sleeve gastrectomy (SG). We evaluated the following outcomes in 31 subjects both before and after ~20% weight loss induced by RYGB ( n = 23) or SG ( n = 8): (1) sweet, savory, and salty taste sensitivity; (2) the most preferred concentrations of sucrose and monosodium glutamate; (3) sweetness palatability, by using validated sensory testing techniques; and (4) eating behavior, by using the Food Craving Inventory and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. We found that neither RYGB nor SG affected sweetness or saltiness sensitivity. However, weight loss induced by either RYGB or SG caused the same decrease in: (1) frequency of cravings for foods; (2) influence of emotions and external food cues on eating behavior; and (3) shifted sweetness palatability from pleasant to unpleasant when repetitively tasting sucrose (all p -values ≤ 0.01). Therefore, when matched on weight loss, SG and RYGB cause the same beneficial effects on key factors involved in the regulation of eating behavior and hedonic component of taste perception.

Overweight in children and its perception by parents: cross-sectional observation in a general pediatric outpatient clinic.

PubMed

Nemecek, Daniela; Sebelefsky, Christian; Woditschka, Astrid; Voitl, Peter

2017-12-22

Childhood overweight is a growing problem in industrialized countries. Parents play a major role in the development and the treatment of overweight in their children. A key factor here is the perception of their child's weight status. As we know of other studies, parental perception of children's weight status is very poor. This study aimed to determine factors associated with childhood overweight and parental misperception of weight status. The height and weight of children, as reported by parents were compared with measured data. The study was conducted at a general pediatric outpatient clinic in Vienna, Austria. A total of 600 children (aged 0-14 years) participated in the study. Collection of data was performed by means of a questionnaire comprising items relating to parental weight and social demographics. The parents were also asked to indicate their children's weight and height, as well as the estimated weight status. Children were weighed and measured and BMI was calculated, allowing a comparison of estimated values and weight categories with the measured data. Parental BMI, parental weight and a higher birth weight were identified as factors associated with childhood overweight. No association with the parents' educational status or citizenship could be proven. We compared parents' estimations of weight and height of their children with measured data. Here we found, that parental estimated values often differ from measured data. Using only parental estimated data to define weight status leads to misclassifications. It could be seen that parents of overweight children tend to underestimate the weight status of their children, compared to parents of children with normal weight. Pediatricians should bear in mind that parental assessment often differs from the measured weight of their children. Hence children should be weighed and measured regularly to prevent them from becoming overweight. This is of particular importance in children with higher birth weight and children of overweight parents. Study was not registered. The study was approved by the Ethic committee of the city of Vienna. (EK 13-146-VK).

A Cross-sectional Study of the Pattern of Body Image Perception among Female Students of BBM College in Vijayapur, North Karnataka

PubMed Central

Patil, Shailaja S.; Angadi, Mahabaleshwar Mahantappa; Pattankar, Tanuja P.

2016-01-01

Introduction Body image is an essential aspect of young girls’ self-definition and individual identity which is influenced by various biological, psychological and social factors. Excessive concern about body image, body image misconception are leading to dissatisfaction, disturbed eating patterns, affecting the nutritional status and also leading to depression and anxiety disorders. This concept of body image has been less explored in Indian context, especially among young girls. Aims The objectives of the study were to assess the body image perception among young college going girls, using a visual analog scale and to compare body image perception and satisfaction with their BMI levels and weight changing methods adopted. Materials and Methods An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted among 63 female students studying BBM course at a private commerce institution in Vijayapur city. Data was collected using a self administered questionnaire containing details of basic socio-demographic information and a validated visual analogue scale. Height was measured by Seca Stadiometer, weight was measured using Digital weighing machine and Body Mass Index levels were calculated. Percentages were calculated for descriptive variables. Chi-square test was applied for analysing categorical variables. Spearman Rank correlation test was applied for analysing ordinal data. Results A 39.7% of participants were underweight and 15.9% were overweight/obese. Majority of underweight and overweight girls (72% and 89%, respectively) perceived themselves as normal weight. Body image satisfaction of participants was found to be significantly associated with their body image perception, mothers’ educational status and also with relatives’ and peer group’s opinions about their body weight. Unhealthy weight changing patterns like skipping meals (13%), increasing quantity and frequency of meals (17%) were reported among study participants Conclusion This exploratory study highlights the gap between young girls’ body image perception and their BMI levels, indicating body image misconception. Lower literacy level of mothers and opinions of relatives and friends significantly influenced body image satisfaction among study participants. Higher percentage of underweight (39.7%) coupled with unhealthy weight changing patterns reportedly adopted by participants (30%) indicates need for further research on this issue, to help inform public health nutrition programmes. PMID:27630869

A Cross-sectional Study of the Pattern of Body Image Perception among Female Students of BBM College in Vijayapur, North Karnataka.

PubMed

Rashmi, B M; Patil, Shailaja S; Angadi, Mahabaleshwar Mahantappa; Pattankar, Tanuja P

2016-07-01

Body image is an essential aspect of young girls' self-definition and individual identity which is influenced by various biological, psychological and social factors. Excessive concern about body image, body image misconception are leading to dissatisfaction, disturbed eating patterns, affecting the nutritional status and also leading to depression and anxiety disorders. This concept of body image has been less explored in Indian context, especially among young girls. The objectives of the study were to assess the body image perception among young college going girls, using a visual analog scale and to compare body image perception and satisfaction with their BMI levels and weight changing methods adopted. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted among 63 female students studying BBM course at a private commerce institution in Vijayapur city. Data was collected using a self administered questionnaire containing details of basic socio-demographic information and a validated visual analogue scale. Height was measured by Seca Stadiometer, weight was measured using Digital weighing machine and Body Mass Index levels were calculated. Percentages were calculated for descriptive variables. Chi-square test was applied for analysing categorical variables. Spearman Rank correlation test was applied for analysing ordinal data. A 39.7% of participants were underweight and 15.9% were overweight/obese. Majority of underweight and overweight girls (72% and 89%, respectively) perceived themselves as normal weight. Body image satisfaction of participants was found to be significantly associated with their body image perception, mothers' educational status and also with relatives' and peer group's opinions about their body weight. Unhealthy weight changing patterns like skipping meals (13%), increasing quantity and frequency of meals (17%) were reported among study participants. This exploratory study highlights the gap between young girls' body image perception and their BMI levels, indicating body image misconception. Lower literacy level of mothers and opinions of relatives and friends significantly influenced body image satisfaction among study participants. Higher percentage of underweight (39.7%) coupled with unhealthy weight changing patterns reportedly adopted by participants (30%) indicates need for further research on this issue, to help inform public health nutrition programmes.

A Comparison Study of United States and African Students on Perceptions of Obesity and Thinness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cogan, Jeanine C.; And Others

1996-01-01

College students in Ghana (n=349) and the United States (n=219) completed questionnaires about perceptions about weight, dieting, and ideal bodies. Students in Ghana were more accepting of large body size. Findings illustrated that perceptions of ideal body size and corresponding behaviors are influenced by culture and gender. (SLD)

Child-feeding practices and child overweight perceptions of family day care providers caring for preschool-aged children.

PubMed

Brann, Lynn S

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes, feeding practices, and child overweight perceptions of family day-care providers caring for preschool-aged children and to examine whether child feeding practices differ based on child weight perceptions. One hundred twenty-three family day-care providers participated in this cross-sectional exploratory study and completed a self-administered survey measuring feeding attitudes and practices from the Child Feeding Questionnaire, demographic information, and self-reported height and weight. Participants selected a cut point to identify childhood overweight using male and female child figure drawings. Participants reported a high level of responsibility in feeding and monitoring of children's food intake. Differences were found in child feeding practices between family day-care providers based on their child weight perceptions for girls. Providers who selected the smaller girl figures as the cut point for overweight were more concerned about the children becoming overweight and used more restriction in child feeding compared with the providers who selected the larger girl figures. Health professionals should continue working with this population to promote positive feeding environments. Copyright 2010 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Weight status and body image perceptions in adolescents: current perspectives.

PubMed

Voelker, Dana K; Reel, Justine J; Greenleaf, Christy

2015-01-01

Adolescence represents a pivotal stage in the development of positive or negative body image. Many influences exist during the teen years including transitions (eg, puberty) that affect one's body shape, weight status, and appearance. Weight status exists along a spectrum between being obese (ie, where one's body weight is in the 95th percentile for age and gender) to being underweight. Salient influences on body image include the media, which can target adolescents, and peers who help shape beliefs about the perceived body ideal. Internalization of and pressures to conform to these socially prescribed body ideals help to explain associations between weight status and body image. The concepts of fat talk and weight-related bullying during adolescence greatly contribute to an overemphasis on body weight and appearance as well as the development of negative body perceptions and dissatisfaction surrounding specific body parts. This article provides an overview of the significance of adolescent development in shaping body image, the relationship between body image and adolescent weight status, and the consequences of having a negative body image during adolescence (ie, disordered eating, eating disorders, and dysfunctional exercise). Practical implications for promoting a healthy weight status and positive body image among adolescents will be discussed.

A cluster randomised trial testing an intervention to improve parents' recognition of their child's weight status: study protocol.

PubMed

Parkinson, Kathryn N; Jones, Angela R; Tovee, Martin J; Ells, Louisa J; Pearce, Mark S; Araujo-Soares, Vera; Adamson, Ashley J

2015-06-12

Parents typically do not recognise their child's weight status accurately according to clinical criteria, and thus may not take appropriate action if their child is overweight. We developed a novel visual intervention designed to improve parental perceptions of child weight status according to clinical criteria for children aged 4-5 and 10-11 years. The Map Me intervention comprises age- and sex-specific body image scales of known body mass index and supporting information about the health risks of childhood overweight. This cluster randomised trial will test the effectiveness of the Map Me intervention. Primary schools will be randomised to: paper-based Map Me; web-based Map Me; no information (control). Parents of reception (4-5 years) and year 6 (10-11 years) children attending the schools will be recruited. The study will work with the National Child Measurement Programme which measures the height and weight of these year groups and provides feedback to parents about their child's weight status. Before receiving the feedback, parents will complete a questionnaire which includes assessment of their perception of their child's weight status and knowledge of the health consequences of childhood overweight. The control group will provide pre-intervention data with assessment soon after recruitment; the intervention groups will provide post-intervention data after access to Map Me for one month. The study will subsequently obtain the child height and weight measurements from the National Child Measurement Programme. Families will be followed-up by the study team at 12 months. The primary outcome is any difference in accuracy in parental perception of child weight status between pre-intervention and post-intervention at one month. The secondary outcomes include differences in parent knowledge, intention to change lifestyle behaviours and/or seek advice or support, perceived control, action planning, coping planning, and child weight status at 12 month follow-up. The Map Me tool has potential to make a positive impact on children's health at a population level by introducing it into current intervention programmes to improve accuracy of parental perception of child's weight status. This trial will inform the action of researchers, educators, health professionals and policy makers. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN91136472. Registered 3 May 2013.

Body Weight and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescent Females: The Role of Self-Perceptions.

PubMed

Minor, Travis; Ali, Mir M; Rizzo, John A

2016-03-01

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents and recent data indicate that the suicide rate, particularly for young girls, is increasing. Excess body weight among adolescents has also been documented widely over the last two decades and is considered one of the most pressing public health concerns today. Previous literature has examined the relationship between actual body weight and suicidal behavior, but there is little evidence on self-perception of weight and suicidal behaviors. This study examines the relationship between body weight and suicidal behaviors using a rich longitudinal data set of a large nationally-representative sample of female adolescents to account for a number of confounding factors. The study explores the relationship, not only between actual weight status and suicidal behaviors, but also between self-perception of weight and suicidal behaviors. Using data from a nationally-representative sample of adolescents in the United States, the study ascertains the effect of body weight status on suicidal behaviors by estimating endogeneity-corrected models including school-level fixed effects to account for bi-directionality and unobserved confounders. Actual body weight status was calculated using interviewer-measured height and weight. The study also used a measure of self-perceived weight status to compare how actual versus self-perceived weight status affects suicidal behavior. Thinking about committing suicide and attempting to commit suicide in the past 12 months were utilized as dichotomous measures of suicidal behaviors. Potential mediators between suicidal behaviors and weight status such as family history of suicide, participation in risky health behaviors and parental characteristics were also controlled for in the analysis. The analytical sample consists of 5,430 adolescent females aged 11 to 18. The results suggest that both self-perceived and measured weight status (overweight or obese) increase a female adolescent's probability of suicidal ideation, with self-perceived weight status causing a larger increase in suicidal ideation. There is some evidence that body weight status affects suicide attempts, but these results are much less robust. Finally, endogeneity bias is shown to be of concern in all estimates, and failing to account for this bias is likely to understate any estimated effect. The results have important implications for the design of public health programs to prevent adolescent suicide, especially among female adolescents. Understanding the mechanisms through which adolescents are motivated to take such dire actions will help to allocate resources into the treatment areas which are most effective in stemming the rise of suicidal behaviors. This study identifies one key factor, self-perception of weight, which may be an avenue for mental health care providers to continue exploring. Further research on this topic could include not only studying the impact of body weight on suicidal behaviors, but also examining the relationships between body weight and other important mental health outcomes such as psychological distress and major depressive episodes.

The Effect of Temporal Perception on Weight Perception

PubMed Central

Kambara, Hiroyuki; Shin, Duk; Kawase, Toshihiro; Yoshimura, Natsue; Akahane, Katsuhito; Sato, Makoto; Koike, Yasuharu

2013-01-01

A successful catch of a falling ball requires an accurate estimation of the timing for when the ball hits the hand. In a previous experiment in which participants performed ball-catching task in virtual reality environment, we accidentally found that the weight of a falling ball was perceived differently when the timing of ball load force to the hand was shifted from the timing expected from visual information. Although it is well known that spatial information of an object, such as size, can easily deceive our perception of its heaviness, the relationship between temporal information and perceived heaviness is still not clear. In this study, we investigated the effect of temporal factors on weight perception. We conducted ball-catching experiments in a virtual environment where the timing of load force exertion was shifted away from the visual contact timing (i.e., time when the ball hit the hand in the display). We found that the ball was perceived heavier when force was applied earlier than visual contact and lighter when force was applied after visual contact. We also conducted additional experiments in which participants were conditioned to one of two constant time offsets prior to testing weight perception. After performing ball-catching trials with 60 ms advanced or delayed load force exertion, participants’ subjective judgment on the simultaneity of visual contact and force exertion changed, reflecting a shift in perception of time offset. In addition, timing of catching motion initiation relative to visual contact changed, reflecting a shift in estimation of force timing. We also found that participants began to perceive the ball as lighter after conditioning to 60 ms advanced offset and heavier after the 60 ms delayed offset. These results suggest that perceived heaviness depends not on the actual time offset between force exertion and visual contact but on the subjectively perceived time offset between them and/or estimation error in force timing. PMID:23450805

Is channel segmentation necessary to reach a multiethnic population with weight-related health promotion? An analysis of use and perception of communication channels

PubMed Central

Nierkens, Vera; Cremer, Stephan W.; Verhoeff, Arnoud; Stronks, Karien

2014-01-01

Objective To explore similarities and differences in the use and perception of communication channels to access weight-related health promotion among women in three ethnic minority groups. The ultimate aim was to determine whether similar channels might reach ethnic minority women in general or whether segmentation to ethnic groups would be required. Design Eight ethnically homogeneous focus groups were conducted among 48 women of Ghanaian, Antillean/Aruban, or Afro-Surinamese background living in Amsterdam. Our questions concerned which communication channels they usually used to access weight-related health advice or information about programs and whose information they most valued. The content analysis of data was performed. Results The participants mentioned four channels – regular and traditional healthcare, general or ethnically specific media, multiethnic and ethnic gatherings, and interpersonal communication with peers in the Netherlands and with people in the home country. Ghanaian women emphasized ethnically specific channels (e.g., traditional healthcare, Ghanaian churches). They were comfortable with these channels and trusted them. They mentioned fewer general channels – mainly limited to healthcare – and if discussed, negative perceptions were expressed. Antillean women mentioned the use of ethnically specific channels (e.g., communication with Antilleans in the home country) on balance with general audience–oriented channels (e.g., regular healthcare). Perceptions were mixed. Surinamese participants discussed, in a positive manner, the use of general audience–oriented channels, while they said they did not use traditional healthcare or advice from Surinam. Local language proficiency, time resided in the Netherlands, and approaches and messages received seemed to explain channel use and perception. Conclusion The predominant differences in channel use and perception among the ethnic groups indicate a need for channel segmentation to reach a multiethnic target group with weight-related health promotion. The study results reveal possible segmentation criteria besides ethnicity, such as local language proficiency and time since migration, worthy of further investigation. PMID:24750018

Is channel segmentation necessary to reach a multiethnic population with weight-related health promotion? An analysis of use and perception of communication channels.

PubMed

Hartman, Marieke A; Nierkens, Vera; Cremer, Stephan W; Verhoeff, Arnoud; Stronks, Karien

2015-01-01

To explore similarities and differences in the use and perception of communication channels to access weight-related health promotion among women in three ethnic minority groups. The ultimate aim was to determine whether similar channels might reach ethnic minority women in general or whether segmentation to ethnic groups would be required. Eight ethnically homogeneous focus groups were conducted among 48 women of Ghanaian, Antillean/Aruban, or Afro-Surinamese background living in Amsterdam. Our questions concerned which communication channels they usually used to access weight-related health advice or information about programs and whose information they most valued. The content analysis of data was performed. The participants mentioned four channels - regular and traditional health care, general or ethnically specific media, multiethnic and ethnic gatherings, and interpersonal communication with peers in the Netherlands and with people in the home country. Ghanaian women emphasized ethnically specific channels (e.g., traditional health care, Ghanaian churches). They were comfortable with these channels and trusted them. They mentioned fewer general channels - mainly limited to health care - and if discussed, negative perceptions were expressed. Antillean women mentioned the use of ethnically specific channels (e.g., communication with Antilleans in the home country) on balance with general audience-oriented channels (e.g., regular health care). Perceptions were mixed. Surinamese participants discussed, in a positive manner, the use of general audience-oriented channels, while they said they did not use traditional health care or advice from Surinam. Local language proficiency, time resided in the Netherlands, and approaches and messages received seemed to explain channel use and perception. The predominant differences in channel use and perception among the ethnic groups indicate a need for channel segmentation to reach a multiethnic target group with weight-related health promotion. The study results reveal possible segmentation criteria besides ethnicity, such as local language proficiency and time since migration, worthy of further investigation.

Visual Perception Based Rate Control Algorithm for HEVC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Zeqi; Liu, PengYu; Jia, Kebin

2018-01-01

For HEVC, rate control is an indispensably important video coding technology to alleviate the contradiction between video quality and the limited encoding resources during video communication. However, the rate control benchmark algorithm of HEVC ignores subjective visual perception. For key focus regions, bit allocation of LCU is not ideal and subjective quality is unsatisfied. In this paper, a visual perception based rate control algorithm for HEVC is proposed. First bit allocation weight of LCU level is optimized based on the visual perception of luminance and motion to ameliorate video subjective quality. Then λ and QP are adjusted in combination with the bit allocation weight to improve rate distortion performance. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm reduces average 0.5% BD-BR and maximum 1.09% BD-BR at no cost in bitrate accuracy compared with HEVC (HM15.0). The proposed algorithm devotes to improving video subjective quality under various video applications.

Self-reporting and measurement of body mass index in adolescents: refusals and validity, and the possible role of socioeconomic and health-related factors.

PubMed

Chau, Nearkasen; Chau, Kénora; Mayet, Aurélie; Baumann, Michèle; Legleye, Stéphane; Falissard, Bruno

2013-09-08

Body mass index assessment using self-reported height and weight (BMIsr) can encounter refusals and under/over-reporting while for assessment with measured data (BMIm) refusals can be more frequent. This could relate to socioeconomic and health-related factors. We explored these issues by investigating numerous potential factors: gender, age, family structure, father's occupation, income, physical/sports activity, subjective weight perception, school performance, unhealthy behaviours, physical/psychological health, social relationships, living environment, having sustained violence, sexual abuse, and involvement in violence. The sample included 1559 adolescents from middle schools in north-eastern France. They completed a questionnaire including socioeconomic and health-related data, self-reported height/weight, measured height/weight, and weight perception (participation rate 94%). Data were analysed using logistic regression models. BMIsr encountered under-reporting (with change in BMI category, 11.8%), over-reporting (6.0%), and reporting refusals (3.6%). BMIm encountered more numerous refusals (7.9%). Reporting refusal was related to living with a single parent, low school performance, lack of physical/sports activity, sustained violence, poor psychological health, and poor social relationships (gender/age-adjusted odds ratios 1.95 to 2.91). Further to these factors, measurement refusal was related to older age, having divorced/separated parents, a father being a manual worker/inactive, insufficient family income, tobacco/cannabis use, involvement in violence, poor physical health, and poor living environment (1.30 to 3.68). Under-reporting was related to male gender, involvement in violence, poor psychological health, and overweight/obesity (as assessed with BMIm) (1.52 to 11). Over-reporting was related to male gender, younger age, alcohol consumption, and underweight (1.30 to 5.35). Weight perception was linked to reporting refusals and under/over-reporting, but slightly linked to measurement refusal. The contributions of socioeconomic and health-related factors to the associations of weight perception with reporting refusal and under/over-reporting ranged from -82% to 44%. There were substantial discrepancies in the associations between socioeconomic/health-related factors and overweight/obesity assessed with BMIsr and BMIm. BMIsr and BMIm were affected by numerous biases related to vulnerability which were also obesity risk factors. BMIsr encountered under/over-reporting which were related to some socioeconomic and health-related factors, weight perception, and BMIm. BMIm was more affected by refusals than BMIsr due to socioeconomic and health-related factors. Further research is needed.

The influence of weight-of-evidence strategies on audience perceptions of (un)certainty when media cover contested science.

PubMed

Kohl, Patrice Ann; Kim, Soo Yun; Peng, Yilang; Akin, Heather; Koh, Eun Jeong; Howell, Allison; Dunwoody, Sharon

2016-11-01

Controversy in science news accounts attracts audiences and draws attention to important science issues. But sometimes covering multiple sides of a science issue does the audience a disservice. Counterbalancing a truth claim backed by strong scientific support with a poorly backed argument can unnecessarily heighten audience perceptions of uncertainty. At the same time, journalistic norms often constrain reporters to "get both sides of the story" even when there is little debate in the scientific community about which truth claim is most valid. In this study, we look at whether highlighting the way in which experts are arrayed across truth claims-a strategy we label "weight-of-evidence reporting"-can attenuate heightened perceptions of uncertainty that can result from coverage of conflicting claims. The results of our study suggest weight-of-evidence strategies can indeed play a role in reducing some of the uncertainty audiences may perceive when encountering lop-sided truth claims. © The Author(s) 2015.

The evaluation of a mass media campaign aimed at weight gain prevention among young Dutch adults.

PubMed

Wammes, Birgitte; Oenema, Anke; Brug, Johannes

2007-11-01

The objective was to evaluate a 3-year nationwide mass media campaign aimed at preventing weight gain. The campaign was aimed primarily at raising awareness of the importance of weight-gain prevention and bringing these issues to the attention of the Dutch public. Eleven serial, independent, cross-sectional, population-based telephone surveys were used to assess campaign awareness and impact (N ranged between 483 and 493 for each of the 11 surveys). The surveys were conducted before and after six campaign waves. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were used to test for trends over time and for differences among the surveys for campaign awareness, message recall, perceived body weight status, overweight-related risk perceptions, attitudes, perceived social support, self-efficacy expectations, and motivations for preventing weight gain. Campaign awareness ranged from 61% after the 1st campaign wave to 88.4% after the final wave. The campaign's television broadcasting activities were an important source of campaign awareness, from both the campaign's television commercials and television-based free publicity. Message recall ranged from 41.9% to 68.1%. Small positive differences were found in attitudes, perceived social support, and intentions for preventing weight gain. Additionally, the results suggest mixed effects on self-efficacy expectations and a negative effect on risk perception. The campaign resulted in high campaign awareness, especially as a result of television commercials and free publicity on television. The results suggest that the campaign was able to create more positive attitudes and motivation but lower risk perceptions and efficacy for preventing weight gain.

"Whatever average is:" understanding African-American mothers' perceptions of infant weight, growth, and health.

PubMed

Thompson, Amanda L; Adair, Linda; Bentley, Margaret E

2014-06-01

Biomedical researchers have raised concerns that mothers' inability to recognize infant and toddler overweight poses a barrier to stemming increasing rates of overweight and obesity, particularly among low-income or minority mothers. Little anthropological research has examined the sociocultural, economic or structural factors shaping maternal perceptions of infant and toddler size or addressed biomedical depictions of maternal misperception as a "socio-cultural problem." We use qualitative and quantitative data from 237 low-income, African-American mothers to explore how they define 'normal' infant growth and infant overweight. Our quantitative results document that mothers' perceptions of infant size change with infant age, are sensitive to the size of other infants in the community, and are associated with concerns over health and appetite. Qualitative analysis documents that mothers are concerned with their children's weight status and assess size in relation to their infants' cues, local and societal norms of appropriate size, interactions with biomedicine, and concerns about infant health and sufficiency. These findings suggest that mothers use multiple models to interpret and respond to child weight. An anthropological focus on the complex social and structural factors shaping what is considered 'normal' and 'abnormal' infant weight is critical for shaping appropriate and successful interventions.

Correlates of Parental Misperception of Their Child’s Weight Status: The ‘Be Active, Eat Right’ Study

PubMed Central

Remmers, Teun; van Grieken, Amy; Renders, Carry M.; Hirasing, Remy A.; Broeren, Suzanne M. L.; Raat, Hein

2014-01-01

Objective This study reported on correlates of parental perception of their child’s weight status. Associations between parental misperception (i.e., underestimation of the child’s weight) and parental intention to improve their child’s overweight-related health behaviors and their child meeting guidelines regarding these behaviors were also investigated. Methods Baseline data from the population-based ‘Be active, eat right study’ were used. The population for analysis consisted of 630 overweight and 153 obese five year-old children and their parents. Questionnaires were used to measure parental perception of the child’s weight status, correlates of misperception (i.e., child age, child gender, child BMI, parental age, parental gender, parental country of birth, parental educational level and parental weight status), overweight-related health behaviors (i.e., child playing outside, having breakfast, drinking sweet beverages, and watching TV), and parental intention to improve these behaviors. Height and weight were measured using standardized protocols. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results In total, 44.40% of the parents misperceived their child’s weight status. Parental misperception was associated with lower child BMI, the parent being the father, a foreign parental country of birth, and a lower parental education level (p<0.05). Parental misperception was not associated with parental intention to improve child overweight-related health behavior, nor with child meeting the guidelines of these behaviors. Discussion This study showed that almost half of the parents with an overweight or obese child misperceived their child’s weight status. A correct parental perception may be a small stepping-stone in improving the health of overweight and obese children. PMID:24551191

Physical activity, eating behaviour and body image perception among young adolescents in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.

PubMed

Farah Wahida, Z; Mohd Nasir, M T; Hazizi, A S

2011-12-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine physical activity, eating behaviour, body weight management knowledge, perception of body image and their association with body weight status of adolescents. Respondents were 360 adolescents, aged between 13 to 14 years, from six randomly selected secondary schools in Kuantan, Pahang. Physical activity, eating behaviour, body weight management knowledge and perception of body image were measured by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), Weight Management Knowledge Inventory (WMKI) and Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS), respectively. Almost half of the respondents were categorised as having a normal BMI, while 30.3% were severely thin and thin and 20.3% were overweight and obese. Mean physical activity score was 2.06 +/- 0.45 with more males (35.0%) being physically active than females (17.3%). Mean eating behaviour score was 15.41 +/- 10.37, with 27.8% of the respondents being at-risk for eating disorders. Mean weight management knowledge score was 5.35 +/- 1.80, with more females (77.7%) having higher mean scores than males (42.3%). Further, mean discrepancy score for body image perception was 1.24 +/- 0.99, with 78.1% of the respondents being dissatisfied with their current body size. Positive associations were found between eating behaviour (r = 0.28, p < 0.05) and body image (r = 0.35, p < 0.05) with BMI. Respondents with high eating behaviour scores and body image discrepancy scores were more likely to have greater BMI. This study shows the need for healthy eating and body image intervention programmes to prevent overweight and obesity problems among adolescents.

Body mass index through self-reported data and body image perception in Spanish adults attending dietary consultation.

PubMed

Acevedo, Paula; López-Ejeda, Noemí; Alférez-García, Irene; Martínez-Álvarez, Jesús R; Villarino, Antonio; Cabañas, M Dolores; Marrodán, M Dolores

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to explore, based on sex and age, knowledge regarding weight, height, and the perception of body shape in Spanish adults who attend dietary consultation. We also wanted to determine the participants' desired body shapes and what they considered their best health status. The sample consisted of 8100 women and 1220 men from Spain. They were between the ages of 18 and 75 y. Weight (kg) and height (cm) were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Participants were nutritionally classified following the cutoffs proposed by the World Health Organization. Each individual was asked about his or her weight and height and self-reported BMI was calculated. They also answered a test of body image perception through drawings of human silhouettes that corresponded to an exact BMI. With this, perceived BMI, desired BMI, and BMI considered healthy were estimated. Parametric statistic tests for contrast of mean and percentages were applied. Self-reported and perceived BMI underestimate the BMI obtained through anthropometry. Differences between measured and self-reported BMI are lower in women and increase with age in both sexes. The same result was obtained when comparing measured BMI with perceived BMI through silhouette test. On average, desired BMI and healthy BMI were in the limits of normal weight for all ages and both sexes. However, the difference between them was also lower in women. Age and sex influence the perception of excess weight and body image. This could condition the demand of dietary treatment to improve the nutritional status. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of perceived and calculated weight status classification congruence between pre- and post-bariatric surgery patients.

PubMed

Ferriby, Megan; Pratt, Keeley; Noria, Sabrena; Needleman, Bradley

2017-08-01

One prominent reason patients undergo bariatric surgery is to reduce their excess weight and body mass index. Weight status classifications (WSCs), based on calculated body mass index, organize patients into distinct groups (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, class I obesity, class II obesity, and class III obesity) for treatment recommendations, including surgery for patients with obesity. Bariatric patients' perceptions of their WSC is important to consider, because patients who accurately perceive their WSC presurgery have greater motivation for health behavior changes; alternatively, incongruence between perceived and calculated WSC could deter motivation and ultimately their health changes postsurgery. This study seeks to understand the congruence between patients' perceived and calculated WSC, and to determine if there are differences in congruence between groups of pre- or postsurgery, male and female, and emerging/early adulthood and middle/late adulthood patients. University Hospital. Self-report measures. Results indicate the presurgery patients were more congruent in their perceptions of WSC compared with their postsurgery peers and emerging/early adulthood patients were more congruent in their perceptions of WSC compared with middle/late adulthood patients. No gender differences emerged in the full sample, but when divided by surgical status, presurgery females reported more congruent perceptions of WSC compared with their postsurgery peers. Males did not differ in their rates of congruence. These rates of incongruence may suggest a need for assessment of patients' perceived WSC, particularly postsurgery. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Factors associated with parental underestimation of child's weight status.

PubMed

Warkentin, Sarah; Mais, Laís A; Latorre, Maria do Rosário D O; Carnell, Susan; Taddei, José Augusto A C

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of parental misperception of child weight status, and identify socioeconomic, anthropometric, behavioral and dietary factors associated with underestimation. Cross-sectional study. Data was collected in 14 Brazilian private schools. Parents of children aged 2-8 years (n=976) completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing their perception of their child's weight status, and sociodemographic, anthropometric, behavioral and dietary information. To measure the agreement between parental perception about child weight status and actual child weight status, the Kappa coefficient was estimated, and to investigate associations between parental underestimation and independent variables, chi-squared tests were performed, followed by multiple logistic regression, considering p≤0.05 for statistical significance. Overall, 48.05% of the parents incorrectly classified their child's weight. Specifically, 45.08% underestimated their child's weight status, with just 3% of parents overestimating. Children with higher body mass index (OR=2.03; p<0.001) and boys (OR=1.70; p<0.001) were more likely to have their weight status underestimated by parents. Since awareness of weight problems is essential for prevention and treatment, clinical practitioners should help parents at high risk of misperception to correctly evaluate their child's weight status. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Investigating Perceived vs. Medical Weight Status Classification among College Students: Room for Improvement Exists among the Overweight and Obese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffrin, Christopher; Eakin, Angela; Bertrand, Brenda; Barber-Heidel, Kimberly; Carraway-Stage, Virginia

2011-01-01

The American College Health Association estimated that 31% of college students are overweight or obese. It is important that students have a correct perception of body weight status as extra weight has potential adverse health effects. This study assessed accuracy of perceived weight status versus medical classification among 102 college students.…

Differences in modifiable feeding factors by overweight status in Latino infants.

PubMed

Cartagena, Diana; McGrath, Jacqueline M; Masho, Saba W

2016-05-01

Obesity prevalence remains disproportionally high for young American children from low-socioeconomic and ethnic minorities. Modifiable feeding factors may lead to infant overfeeding and an increased risk for obesity. This study explored differences in modifiable feeding factors by overweight status (>85% weight-for-length) in the first year of life of Latino infants. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional pilot study of 62 low-income immigrant Latina mothers and their infants (ages 4-12 months). Measures included maternal feeding practices, feeding pattern, infant's 24-hour dietary recall, and maternal perception of infant weight. Chi-square and t-tests were used for comparisons between healthy weight and overweight infants. Birth weight z-scores did not significantly differ by weight status. Overweight status was not associated with maternal feeding practices, feeding pattern or infant dietary intake. A trend toward significance was seen in the maternal perception of infant weight. Overweight infants were similar to healthy weight infants in their birth weight z-scores and supports the premise that modifiable feeding factors are in play and thus targeted early feeding interventions may prove effective in decreasing obesity risk in Latinos. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived fussy eating in Australian children at 14 months of age and subsequent use of maternal feeding practices at 2 years.

PubMed

Byrne, Rebecca; Jansen, Elena; Daniels, Lynne

2017-09-11

Concerns about fussy eating are common amongst parents of young children. However, studies of the long-term impact of fussy eating show mixed results with regard to adequacy of dietary intake and child growth. This may be in part because there is no accepted definition of fussy eating and studies measure the construct in different ways, commonly relying on parent perception. This longitudinal analysis explores maternal and child characteristics associated with maternal perception of her toddler as a fussy eater in early toddlerhood and subsequent use of feeding practices at 2 years. Mothers completed a self-administered questionnaire at child age 14 months, describing perception of their child as fussy/not fussy and child behaviour. Intake was assessed using a single 24-h recall and weight was measured by research staff. At child age 2 years mothers completed the validated 28-item Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ-28). Weight-for-age z-score (WAZ) was derived from WHO standards. Gram daily intake of fruit, vegetables and meat/alternative and a dietary diversity score were determined. Maternal/child characteristics independently associated (p ≤ 0.05) with perception of child as a fussy eater were determined using logistic regression. Variables were combined in a structural equation model assessing the longitudinal relationship between child/maternal characteristics, perception of child as a fussy eater and eight FPSQ factors. Mothers' (n = 330) perception of her child as a fussy eater at age 14 months, was associated with higher frequency of food refusal and lower WAZ (R 2  = 0.41) but not dietary intake. Maternal perception as fussy (age 14 months) was associated with four FPSQ factors at 2 years (n = 279) - Reward for Eating, Reward for Behaviour, Persuasive Feeding and Overt Restriction, x 2 /df = 1.42, TLI = 0.95, CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.04(0.03-0.05), PCLOSE = 0.99. Lower relative child weight and food refusal prompted mothers to perceive their child as fussy. These behaviours in healthy weight children most likely reflect self-regulation of energy intake and neophobia. This perception was prospectively associated with use of non-responsive feeding practices, which may increase obesity risk. Future interventions could directly address perceptions of growth and fussiness, supporting parents to understand food refusal as developmentally appropriate behaviour in healthy young children. ACTRN12608000056392 . Registered 29 January 2008.

Weight status and the perception of body image in men

PubMed Central

Gardner, Rick M

2014-01-01

Understanding the role of body size in relation to the accuracy of body image perception in men is an important topic because of the implications for avoiding and treating obesity, and it may serve as a potential diagnostic criterion for eating disorders. The early research on this topic produced mixed findings. About one-half of the early studies showed that obese men overestimated their body size, with the remaining half providing accurate estimates. Later, improvements in research technology and methodology provided a clearer indication of the role of weight status in body image perception. Research in our laboratory has also produced diverse findings, including that obese subjects sometimes overestimate their body size. However, when examining our findings across several studies, obese subjects had about the same level of accuracy in estimating their body size as normal-weight subjects. Studies in our laboratory also permitted the separation of sensory and nonsensory factors in body image perception. In all but one instance, no differences were found overall between the ability of obese and normal-weight subjects to detect overall changes in body size. Importantly, however, obese subjects are better at detecting changes in their body size when the image is distorted to be too thin as compared to too wide. Both obese and normal-weight men require about a 3%–7% change in the width of their body size in order to detect the change reliably. Correlations between a range of body mass index values and body size estimation accuracy indicated no relationship between these variables. Numerous studies in other laboratories asked men to place their body size into discrete categorizes, ranging from thin to obese. Researchers found that overweight and obese men underestimate their weight status, and that men are less accurate in their categorizations than are women. Cultural influences have been found to be important, with body size underestimations occurring in cultures where a larger body is found to be desirable. Methodological issues are reviewed with recommendations for future studies. PMID:25114606

Perceptions of Barriers to Effective Obesity Care: Results from the National ACTION Study.

PubMed

Kaplan, Lee M; Golden, Angela; Jinnett, Kimberly; Kolotkin, Ronette L; Kyle, Theodore K; Look, Michelle; Nadglowski, Joseph; O'Neil, Patrick M; Parry, Thomas; Tomaszewski, Kenneth J; Stevenin, Boris; Lilleøre, Søren Kruse; Dhurandhar, Nikhil V

2018-01-01

ACTION (Awareness, Care, and Treatment in Obesity maNagement) examined obesity-related perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors among people with obesity (PwO), health care providers (HCPs), and employer representatives (ERs). A total of 3,008 adult PwO (BMI ≥ 30 by self-reported height and weight), 606 HCPs, and 153 ERs completed surveys in a cross-sectional design. Despite several weight loss (WL) attempts, only 23% of PwO reported 10% WL during the previous 3 years. Many PwO (65%) recognized obesity as a disease, but only 54% worried their weight may affect future health. Most PwO (82%) felt "completely" responsible for WL; 72% of HCPs felt responsible for contributing to WL efforts; few ERs (18%) felt even partially responsible. Only 50% of PwO saw themselves as "obese," and 55% reported receiving a formal diagnosis of obesity. Despite HCPs' reported comfort with weight-related conversations, time constraints deprioritized these efforts. Only 24% of PwO had a scheduled follow-up to initial weight-related conversations. Few PwO (17%) perceived employer-sponsored wellness offerings as helpful in supporting WL. Although generally perceived as a disease, obesity is not commonly treated as such. Divergence in perceptions and attitudes potentially hinders better management. This study highlights inconsistent understanding of the impact of obesity and need for both self-directed and medical management. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

Acute effects of violent video-game playing on blood pressure and appetite perception in normal-weight young men: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Siervo, M; Sabatini, S; Fewtrell, M S; Wells, J C K

2013-12-01

Watching television and playing video game being seated represent sedentary behaviours and increase the risk of weight gain and hypertension. We investigated the acute effects of violent and non-violent video-game playing on blood pressure (BP), appetite perception and food preferences. Forty-eight young, normal-weight men (age: 23.1±1.9 years; body mass index: 22.5±1.9 kg/m(2)) participated in a three-arm, randomized trial. Subjects played a violent video game, a competitive, non-violent video game or watched TV for 1 h. Measurements of BP, stress and appetite perception were recorded before a standardized meal (∼300 kcal) and then repeated every 15 min throughout the intervention. Violent video-game playing was associated with a significant increase in diastolic BP (Δ±s.d.=+7.5±5.8 mm Hg; P=0.04) compared with the other two groups. Subjects playing violent video games felt less full (P=0.02) and reported a tendency towards sweet food consumption. Video games involving violence appear to be associated with significant effects on BP and appetite perceptions compared with non-violent gaming or watching TV.

Perception of fore-and-aft whole-body vibration intensity measured by two methods.

PubMed

Forta, Nazım Gizem; Schust, Marianne

2015-01-01

This experimental study investigated the perception of fore-and-aft whole-body vibration intensity using cross-modality matching (CM) and magnitude estimation (ME) methods. Thirteen subjects were seated on a rigid seat without a backrest and exposed to sinusoidal stimuli from 0.8 to 12.5 Hz and 0.4 to 1.6 ms(-2) r.m.s. The Stevens exponents did not significantly depend on vibration frequency or the measurement method. The ME frequency weightings depended significantly on vibration frequency, but the CM weightings did not. Using the CM and ME weightings would result in higher weighted exposures than those calculated using the ISO (2631-1, 1997) Wd. Compared with ISO Wk, the CM and ME-weighted exposures would be greater at 1.6 Hz and lesser above that frequency. The CM and ME frequency weightings based on the median ratings for the reference vibration condition did not differ significantly. The lack of a method effect for weightings and for Stevens exponents suggests that the findings from the two methods are comparable. Frequency weighting curves for seated subjects for x-axis whole-body vibration were derived from an experiment using two different measurement methods and were compared with the Wd and Wk weighting curves in ISO 2631-1 (1997).

Weight status and body image perceptions in adolescents: current perspectives

PubMed Central

Voelker, Dana K; Reel, Justine J; Greenleaf, Christy

2015-01-01

Adolescence represents a pivotal stage in the development of positive or negative body image. Many influences exist during the teen years including transitions (eg, puberty) that affect one’s body shape, weight status, and appearance. Weight status exists along a spectrum between being obese (ie, where one’s body weight is in the 95th percentile for age and gender) to being underweight. Salient influences on body image include the media, which can target adolescents, and peers who help shape beliefs about the perceived body ideal. Internalization of and pressures to conform to these socially prescribed body ideals help to explain associations between weight status and body image. The concepts of fat talk and weight-related bullying during adolescence greatly contribute to an overemphasis on body weight and appearance as well as the development of negative body perceptions and dissatisfaction surrounding specific body parts. This article provides an overview of the significance of adolescent development in shaping body image, the relationship between body image and adolescent weight status, and the consequences of having a negative body image during adolescence (ie, disordered eating, eating disorders, and dysfunctional exercise). Practical implications for promoting a healthy weight status and positive body image among adolescents will be discussed. PMID:26347007

Women's perceptions of discussions about gestational weight gain with health care providers during pregnancy and postpartum: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Nikolopoulos, Hara; Mayan, Maria; MacIsaac, Jessica; Miller, Terri; Bell, Rhonda C

2017-03-24

Maternal body weight is an indicator of the health of a mother and her developing fetus. Risks of poor maternal and fetal health issues increase when women gain too little or too much weight during pregnancy. A study of 600 women from Alberta, Canada, reported approximately 30, 46, 80, and 80% of underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese women, respectively, gained in excess of Health Canada gestational weight gain guidelines. Behavioural interventions during pregnancy have shown to be effective at supporting women achieve gestational weight gain (GWG) recommendations and return to their pre-pregnancy weight postpartum, yet few women are counseled about weight gain during pregnancy. A discrepancy exists between health care providers' (HCP) reported counseling behaviours and women's perceptions of counseling by HCPs; most HCPs report counseling women about GWG; conversely, most women report not receiving counseling about GWG. This study explored women's experiences with GWG and their perceptions of discussions about GWG with HCPs during pregnancy and postpartum. This will help to identify gaps in service delivery and highlight areas for improvement that may better support women to achieve GWG recommendations leading to better health outcomes for women and children. Five focus groups (n = 26) were conducted with women up to 1 year postpartum across the five Alberta health zones. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. GWG is important to women, for their health and for the health of their baby. In-depth conversations with HCPs about GWG or weight loss do not occur; however, women want the opportunity to discuss weight gain/loss with HCPs. Women would like discussions about gestational weight gain/loss to become part of standard care and offered to all women. Women suggested that discussions about GWG should occur with all women, and that HCPs should initiate these discussions by asking women how they feel about discussing weight. Conversations should begin early on in pregnancy and continue through to the postpartum period. Interventions assessing discussions about GWG should be implemented and evaluated as this has been identified as a gap in prenatal service delivery.

Video quality assessment using a statistical model of human visual speed perception.

PubMed

Wang, Zhou; Li, Qiang

2007-12-01

Motion is one of the most important types of information contained in natural video, but direct use of motion information in the design of video quality assessment algorithms has not been deeply investigated. Here we propose to incorporate a recent model of human visual speed perception [Nat. Neurosci. 9, 578 (2006)] and model visual perception in an information communication framework. This allows us to estimate both the motion information content and the perceptual uncertainty in video signals. Improved video quality assessment algorithms are obtained by incorporating the model as spatiotemporal weighting factors, where the weight increases with the information content and decreases with the perceptual uncertainty. Consistent improvement over existing video quality assessment algorithms is observed in our validation with the video quality experts group Phase I test data set.

The relationship of weight-related attitudes with suicidal behaviors in Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Kim, Jun-Su; Lee, Kayoung

2010-11-01

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between weight-related attitudes and suicidal behavior after consideration of depressive mood in Korean adolescents. The study population consisted of a nationally representative sample of 74,698 adolescents (n = 39,466 boys, 35,232 girls) in middle and high school who completed the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS) in 2007. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationships between measures of weight-related and self-reported suicidal behavior, controlling for demographics, depressive mood, stress perception, level of school achievement, and substance use. Suicide attempts were surveyed among those reported to have suicidal ideation (n = 7,579 boys, 10,204 girls). Significantly more girls than boys reported suicidal ideation (29 vs. 19%) and suicide attempts (7.7 vs. 4.5%). Factors significantly associated with suicidal ideation were overestimation of weight (vs. correct estimation) and behaviors to lose or gain weight (vs. no weight control) among boys and overestimation of weight and attempting to lose weight among girls. In contrast, the odds of suicide attempts were significantly higher among boys who tried to lose, gain, or maintain their weight (vs. no weight control) and girls who underestimated their weight (vs. correct estimation) and tried to lose weight (vs. no weight control). Boys and girls classified as overweight or at risk for overweight were significantly less likely to report suicide attempts compared to those classified as underweight. Weight-related attitudes, such as incorrect weight perception and weight control behaviors, seem to be useful indicators for identifying Korean adolescents who are at risk for suicidal behaviors.

Corruption, inequality and population perception of healthcare quality in Europe

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Evaluating the quality of healthcare and patient safety using general population questionnaires is important from research and policy perspective. Using a special wave of the Eurobarometer survey, we analysed the general population’s perception of health care quality and patient safety in a cross-country setting. Methods We used ordered probit, ordinary least squares and probit analysis to estimate the determinants of health care quality, and ordered logit analysis to analyse the likelihood of being harmed by a specific medical procedure. The models used population weights as well as country-clustered standard errors. Results We found robust evidence for the impact of socio-demographic variables on the perception of quality of health care. More specifically, we found a non-linear impact of age on the perception of quality of health care and patient safety, as well as a negative impact of poverty on both perception of quality and patient safety. We also found robust evidence that countries with higher corruption levels were associated with worse perceptions of quality of health care. Finally, we found evidence that income inequality affects patients’ perception vis-à-vis safety, thus feeding into the poverty/health care quality nexus. Conclusions Socio-demographic factors and two macro variables (corruption and income inequality) explain the perception of quality of health care and likelihood of being harmed by adverse events. The results carry significant policy weight and could explain why targeting only the health care sector (without an overall reform of the public sector) could potentially be challenging. PMID:24215401

Corruption, inequality and population perception of healthcare quality in Europe.

PubMed

Nikoloski, Zlatko; Mossialos, Elias

2013-11-11

Evaluating the quality of healthcare and patient safety using general population questionnaires is important from research and policy perspective. Using a special wave of the Eurobarometer survey, we analysed the general population's perception of health care quality and patient safety in a cross-country setting. We used ordered probit, ordinary least squares and probit analysis to estimate the determinants of health care quality, and ordered logit analysis to analyse the likelihood of being harmed by a specific medical procedure. The models used population weights as well as country-clustered standard errors. We found robust evidence for the impact of socio-demographic variables on the perception of quality of health care. More specifically, we found a non-linear impact of age on the perception of quality of health care and patient safety, as well as a negative impact of poverty on both perception of quality and patient safety. We also found robust evidence that countries with higher corruption levels were associated with worse perceptions of quality of health care. Finally, we found evidence that income inequality affects patients' perception vis-à-vis safety, thus feeding into the poverty/health care quality nexus. Socio-demographic factors and two macro variables (corruption and income inequality) explain the perception of quality of health care and likelihood of being harmed by adverse events. The results carry significant policy weight and could explain why targeting only the health care sector (without an overall reform of the public sector) could potentially be challenging.

Cultural attitudes toward weight, diet, and physical activity among overweight African American girls.

PubMed

Boyington, Josephine E A; Carter-Edwards, Lori; Piehl, Mark; Hutson, Jeanne; Langdon, Debbe; McManus, Shilpa

2008-04-01

The growing epidemic of childhood obesity has led to an increasing focus on strategies for prevention. However, little is known about attitudes and perceptions toward weight, diet, and physical activity among American youth, and particularly among young African American females. This pilot study sought to qualitatively explore cultural attitudes and perceptions toward body image, food, and physical activity among a sample of overweight African American girls. We recruited 12 overweight girls, aged 12 to 18 years, from a hospital-based pediatric diabetes screening and prevention program. Five semistructured group interviews were conducted to explore attitudes on weight, diet, and physical activity. Sessions averaged 1 hour and were conducted by trained interviewers. Data were transcribed and evaluated for content and relevant themes. The following themes emerged: weight and body size preferences were primarily determined by the individual and her immediate social circle and were less influenced by opinions of those outside of the social circle; food choices depended on texture, taste, appearance, and context more than on nutritional value; engagement in recreational physical activity was influenced by time constraints from school and extracurricular activities and by neighborhood safety; participation in structured exercise was limited because of the cost and time related to maintenance of personal aesthetics (hair and nails); and celebrities were not perceived as role models for diet and physical activity habits. In this sample of girls, the findings imply that perceptions of weight and healthy lifestyle behaviors are largely determined by environmental and personal influences. These factors should be considered in the development of healthy-weight interventions for African American girls.

Perceived barriers to achieving a healthy weight: a qualitative study using focus groups at public and private schools in Guatemala City.

PubMed

Madrigal, Luisa; Adams, Inez; Chacon, Violeta; Barnoya, Joaquin

2017-01-05

Overweight prevalence among Guatemalan girls is higher in public than in private schools. Little is known about adolescent girls' perceptions of the right ways to achieve a healthy weight. This study examines public and private school adolescent girls' perceptions of a "healthy weight," and barriers and facilitators to achieving it. We conducted 4 focus groups in public and private schools in Guatemala City with girls from 13 to 15 years old. The discussion guide included open-ended questions and activities aimed at examining perceptions of "healthy weight" and barriers and motivators to achieving it within the school environment. Focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data analyses followed established methods of content analysis. Twenty-eight girls (private school, n = 12; public school, n = 16) of ages ranging from 13.1 to 15.9 years (median, 14, IQR, 13.6-14.9) participated in the study. Girls identified images of thin and fit women as healthy. They cited healthy eating and physical activity as ways to achieve a healthy weight. Within the school environment, barriers to maintaining a healthy weight included a lack of healthy food options and the prioritization of sports for boys over girls. In public schools, facilities were less than optimal; in private schools, girls' access to facilities was limited. Public school girls stated that their uniforms were inappropriate for exercising. Our findings support the need to provide more healthy food options in Guatemalan schools. In addition, physical activity for girls should be promoted and facilities made available for their use.

Body size preference and body weight perception among two migrant groups of non-Western origin.

PubMed

Nicolaou, Mary; Doak, Colleen; Dam, Rob van; Hosper, Karen; Seidell, Jaap; Stronks, Karien

2008-12-01

To evaluate body size preference, body weight perception and their relationship with actual weight in two migrant groups of non-Western origin, Turks and Moroccans; additionally, to study the association between body size preference and acculturation. Cross-sectional study. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Males and females (18-30 years) were randomly selected from the population registry (n 451); participants, or at least one of their parents, were born in Turkey or Morocco. Body size preference was assessed using seven silhouette drawings and body weight perception was assessed by asking participants' opinion of own weight. Acculturation variables were generation status and two scale measures, cultural orientation and social contacts. Participants showed preference for a thin body size. The discrepancy between ideal and current size was significant in women but not men (P < 0.001). Perceived current body size was correlated with BMI (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.60, P < 0.001 (men) and 0.73, P < 0.001 (women)). Among overweight participants (BMI = 25.0-29.9 kg/m2), 63-82 % of men and 35 % of women perceived themselves as 'average'. Paying attention to own body weight was associated with a discrepancy between ideal and current size among women and with perceiving oneself as 'overweight' among men. Body size preference was not significantly associated with the three acculturation variables. We did not observe a preference for large body sizes in these two non-Western migrant groups. Similar to Western populations, most women wished to be thinner than they were. This was not the case among men, the majority of whom were also unaware of being overweight.

Adolescent Nutrition and Physical Fitness. Selected Indicators. Findings for 9th-12th Grade Students from the 1993 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikow, Victoria A.

A survey of 2,439 high school students (the 1993 Youth Risk Behavior Survey) in North Carolina found that students present a mixed picture of healthy and risky physical, nutritional, and weight management practices. The survey examined perception of body weight; weight control by gender; method of weight control; consumption of fruit or fruit…

An Analysis of Specific Life Satisfaction Domains and Disordered Eating among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Molly; Zullig, Keith J.; Ward, Rose Marie; Horn, Thelma; Huebner, E. Scott

2012-01-01

Research has revealed that overall life satisfaction (LS) is negatively related to disordered eating. This study examined whether specific LS domains (e.g., family, friends, etc.) were more strongly associated with eating behaviors/weight perceptions (e.g., exercising to lose weight, using laxatives to lose weight, etc.) in 723 randomly selected…

Matching and correlation computations in stereoscopic depth perception.

PubMed

Doi, Takahiro; Tanabe, Seiji; Fujita, Ichiro

2011-03-02

A fundamental task of the visual system is to infer depth by using binocular disparity. To encode binocular disparity, the visual cortex performs two distinct computations: one detects matched patterns in paired images (matching computation); the other constructs the cross-correlation between the images (correlation computation). How the two computations are used in stereoscopic perception is unclear. We dissociated their contributions in near/far discrimination by varying the magnitude of the disparity across separate sessions. For small disparity (0.03°), subjects performed at chance level to a binocularly opposite-contrast (anti-correlated) random-dot stereogram (RDS) but improved their performance with the proportion of contrast-matched (correlated) dots. For large disparity (0.48°), the direction of perceived depth reversed with an anti-correlated RDS relative to that for a correlated one. Neither reversed nor normal depth was perceived when anti-correlation was applied to half of the dots. We explain the decision process as a weighted average of the two computations, with the relative weight of the correlation computation increasing with the disparity magnitude. We conclude that matching computation dominates fine depth perception, while both computations contribute to coarser depth perception. Thus, stereoscopic depth perception recruits different computations depending on the disparity magnitude.

Feeling 'too fat' rather than being 'too fat' increases unhealthy eating habits among adolescents - even in boys.

PubMed

van Vliet, Jolanda S; Gustafsson, Per A; Nelson, Nina

2016-01-01

Adolescence is a period of gender-specific physical changes, during which eating habits develop. To better understand what factors determine unhealthy eating habits such as dieting to lose weight, skipping meals, and consumption of unhealthy foods, we studied how physical measurements and body perception relate to eating habits in boys and girls, before and during adolescence. For this cross-sectional study, we obtained data from both written questionnaires and physical measurements of height, weight, and waist circumference (WC). Dieting to lose weight and skipping breakfast were more common among adolescents than among younger boys and girls (p<0.05). The strongest risk factor for dieting in both boys and girls was perception of overweight, which persisted after adjusting for age and for being overweight (p<0.01). Another independent risk factor for dieting behaviour was overweight, as defined by body mass index (BMI) among boys (p<0.01) and WC among girls (p<0.05). In both boys and girls, skipping breakfast was associated with both a more negative body perception and higher BMI (p<0.05). Skipping breakfast was also associated with age- and gender-specific unhealthy eating habits such as skipping other meals, lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, and higher consumption of sweets and sugary drinks (p<0.05). Body perception among adolescents is an important factor relating to unhealthy eating habits, not only in girls, but even in boys. Focus on body perception and eating breakfast daily is crucial for the development of healthy food consumption behaviours during adolescence and tracking into adulthood.

Weight Control in Adolescents: Focus Groups With Korean Adolescents and Their Teachers.

PubMed

Chae, Sun-Mi; Yeo, Ji-Young; Hwang, Ji-Hye; Lee, Ji-Hye; Lim, Jiyoung; Kwon, Insook

This qualitative descriptive study sought to identify perceptions about and status of weight control in adolescents from the perspective of adolescents and their teachers. Focus groups were used with six separate groups, 20 adolescents divided into four groups and 14 teachers divided into two groups. The qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic analysis in NVivo 11.0. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) were followed. We extracted three themes and 12 sub-themes with 52 meaningful codes. Both adolescents and teachers stated that perceptions about weight control in adolescents were overly weighted toward management of one's appearance. The adolescents reported an increase in weight gained during adolescence, especially after entering high school, and they noted a lack of participation in physical activities and the presence of unhealthy dietary behaviors. However, adolescents perceived excessive weight gain during adolescence as natural, as long as they studied hard. Their teachers and parents were also permissive about weight gain resulted from study. The participants suggested that a weight control program for adolescents should be conducted in schools and should include every student in order to avoid discrimination. In addition, teacher involvement was emphasized to promote participation of adolescents in a school program. Our findings indicate that adolescents, especially those in a society emphasizing academics, need to practice healthy weight control behaviors. A school-based weight control program involving teachers and peers would be suitable and should be provided to all students regardless of weight classification. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Auditory Spectral Integration in the Perception of Static Vowels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Robert Allen; Jacewicz, Ewa; Chang, Chiung-Yun

2011-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate potential contributions of broadband spectral integration in the perception of static vowels. Specifically, can the auditory system infer formant frequency information from changes in the intensity weighting across harmonics when the formant itself is missing? Does this type of integration produce the same results in the lower…

Elementary School Students' Perceptions of Overweight Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillman, Tracey; Kehle, Thomas J.; Bray, Melissa A.; Chafouleas, Sandra M.; Grigerick, Sarah

2007-01-01

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. Children who are overweight tend to participate in fewer activities, to withdraw from social situations, and to be less physically active than their normal-weight peers. Additionally, they have lower self-image and often suffer from depression. Research on children's perceptions of overweight…

Haptic Distal Spatial Perception Mediated by Strings: Haptic "Looming"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabe, Patrick A.

2011-01-01

Five experiments tested a haptic analog of optical looming, demonstrating string-mediated haptic distal spatial perception. Horizontally collinear hooks supported a weighted string held taut by a blindfolded participant's finger midway between the hooks. At the finger, the angle between string segments increased as the finger approached…

From "overweight" to "about right": evidence of a generational shift in body weight norms.

PubMed

Burke, Mary A; Heiland, Frank W; Nadler, Carl M

2010-06-01

In this article, we describe differences in the self-perception of weight status in the United States between the two most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) periods (1988-1994 and 1999-2004), and test the hypothesis that secular increases in adult mean BMI, adult obesity, and childhood obesity contributed to changes over time in weight perceptions. We find that the probability of self-classifying as overweight is significantly lower on average in the more recent survey, for both women and men, controlling for objective weight status and other factors. Among women, the decline in the tendency to self-classify as overweight is concentrated in the 17-35 age range, and is more pronounced among women with normal BMI than those with overweight BMI. Among men, the shift away from feeling overweight is roughly equal across age groups. Overweight men exhibit a sharper decline in feeling overweight than normal weight men. Despite the declines in feeling overweight between surveys, weight misperception did not increase significantly for men and decreased by a sizable margin among women. We interpret the findings as evidence of a generational shift in social norms related to body weight. As a result, people may be less likely to desire weight loss than previously, limiting the effectiveness of public health campaigns aimed at weight reduction. On the other hand, there may be health benefits associated with improved body image.

Perceptions and Knowledge of Nuts amongst Health Professionals in New Zealand

PubMed Central

Brown, Rachel C.; Yong, Lee Ching; Gray, Andrew R.; Tey, Siew Ling; Chisholm, Alexandra; Leong, Sook Ling

2017-01-01

Despite their nutritional value, population-level nut consumption remains low. Studies suggest that individuals would eat more nuts on their doctor’s advice, making health professionals potentially important for promoting nut consumption. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the perceptions and knowledge of nuts and the predictors of nut promotion among health professionals in New Zealand. Dietitians, general practitioners (GPs), and practice nurses were identified from the Electoral Roll and invited to complete a questionnaire (n = 318, 292, and 149 respondents respectively). Over one-fifth of GPs and practice nurses believed that eating nuts could increase blood cholesterol concentrations and cause weight gain. The most common perceptions overall were that nuts are healthy; high in protein, fat, and calories; and are satiating. Nut consumption was recommended for reasons relating to these perceptions and because of nuts’ selenium content. Conversely, reasons for suggesting the consumption of fewer nuts included that they were high in calories and fat, would cause weight gain, and concerns regarding allergies and cost. All groups of health professionals were more likely to promote nut consumption if they perceived nuts to reduce the risk of diabetes (all p ≤ 0.034). Education could improve health professionals’ knowledge regarding the effects of nut consumption on blood cholesterol and body weight, alongside other health benefits, which should improve the advice given to patients and may thereby increase nut consumption. PMID:28257045

AGREEMENT BETWEEN MEASURED AND PERCEIVED NUTRITIONAL STATUS REPORTED BY PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S MOTHERS

PubMed Central

Pedraza, Dixis Figueroa; Sousa, Carolina Pereira da Cunha; de Olinda, Ricardo Alves

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify the agreement between nutritional status perceived by mothers and that diagnosed in preschool children, by providing the differences according to children’s sex and age. Methods: Study with data from a cohort of 269 preschool children assisted in public daycare centers of Campina Grande, Paraíba (Northeast Brazil). Children’s information about their date of birth, sex and nutritional status (weight/stature Z scores) was collected. Furthermore, the mothers were asked about their perception of children’s weight. The diagnostic agreement between the measured nutritional status and that perceived by mothers was assessed through the weighted Kappa test, with a 5% significance level. Results: The percentage of disagreement between the measured nutritional status and that perceived by mothers was 32.7%, with Kappa of 0.122, which is considered insignificant. There was a remarkable overweight underestimation (69.6%). Agreement between maternal perception of overweight and the diagnosed nutritional status was higher for older children (36-59 months versus 24-35 months) and for girls. Conclusions: The study regarding maternal perception of preschool children’s nutritional status showed the difficulty that mothers face in recognizing the real nutritional status of their children, especially the underestimation of overweight. Maternal perception of overweight in children is misrepresented in boys and in younger children with more importance. PMID:28977296

Weight stigma predicts inhibitory control and food selection in response to the salience of weight discrimination.

PubMed

Araiza, Ashley M; Wellman, Joseph D

2017-07-01

Fear and stigmatization are often used to motivate individuals with higher body weight to engage in healthy behaviors, but these strategies are sometimes counterproductive, leading to undesirable outcomes. In the present study, the impact of weight-based stigma on cognition (i.e., inhibitory control) and food selection (i.e., calories selected) was examined among individuals who consider themselves to be overweight. It was predicted that participants higher in perceived weight stigma would perform more poorly on an inhibitory control task and order more calories on a food selection task when they read about discrimination against individuals with higher weight versus discrimination against an out-group. Participants completed online prescreen measures assessing whether they considered themselves to be overweight and their perceptions of weight stigma. Individuals who considered themselves to be overweight were invited into the laboratory to complete tasks that manipulated weight-based discrimination, then inhibitory control and food selection were measured. The higher participants were in perceived weight stigma, the more poorly they performed on the inhibitory control task and the more calories they ordered when they read about discrimination against individuals with higher body weight. These relationships were not observed when participants read about discrimination against an out-group. The present findings provide evidence that perceptions of weight stigma are critical in understanding the impact of weight-based discrimination. Additionally, these results have theoretical and practical implications for both understanding and addressing the psychological and physical consequences of weight-based stigma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"A little on the heavy side": a qualitative analysis of parents' and grandparents' perceptions of preschoolers' body weights.

PubMed

Eli, Karin; Howell, Kyndal; Fisher, Philip A; Nowicka, Paulina

2014-12-11

Parents' difficulties in perceiving children's weight status accurately pose a barrier for family-based obesity interventions; however, the factors underlying weight misinterpretation still need to be identified. This study's objective was to examine parents and grandparents' perceptions of preschoolers' body sizes. Interview questions also explored perceptions of parental responsibility for childhood obesity and appropriate contexts in which to discuss preschoolers' weights. Semistructured interviews, which were videotaped, transcribed and analysed qualitatively. Eugene and the Springfield metropolitan area, Oregon, USA PARTICIPANTS: Families of children aged 3-5 years were recruited in February-May 2011 through advertisements about the study, published in the job seekers' sections of a classified website (Craigslist) and in a local newspaper. 49 participants (22 parents and 27 grandparents, 70% women, 60% with overweight/obesity) from 16 low-income families of children aged 3-5 years (50% girls, 56% with overweight/obesity) were interviewed. There are important gaps between clinical definitions and lay perceptions of childhood obesity. While parents and grandparents were aware of their preschoolers' growth chart percentiles, these measures did not translate into recognition of children's overweight or obesity. The participants spoke of obesity as a problem that may affect the children in the future, but not at present. Participants identified childhood obesity as being transmitted from one generation to the next, and stigmatised it as resulting from 'lazy' parenting. Parents and grandparents avoided discussing the children's weights with each other and with the children themselves. The results suggest that clinicians should clearly communicate with parents and grandparents about the meaning and appearance of obesity in early childhood, as well as counteract the social stigma attached to obesity, in order to improve the effectiveness of family-based interventions to manage obesity in early childhood. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Perception of Weight Status in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-15 Years, 2005-2012

MedlinePlus

... Larger FIPRs indicate greater income. Data source and methods Data from NHANES were used for these analyses. ... percentages were estimated using Taylor series linearization, a method that incorporates the sample weights and sample design. ...

Weighting of Amplitude and Formant Rise Time Cues by School-Aged Children: A Mismatch Negativity Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varghese, Peter; Kalashnikova, Marina; Burnham, Denis

2018-01-01

Purpose: An important skill in the development of speech perception is to apply optimal weights to acoustic cues so that phonemic information is recovered from speech with minimum effort. Here, we investigated the development of acoustic cue weighting of amplitude rise time (ART) and formant rise time (FRT) cues in children as measured by mismatch…

Prevalence of Overweight and Mothers' Perception of Weight Status of Their Children with Intellectual Disabilities in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ha, Yeongmi; Jacobson Vann, Julie C.; Choi, Eunsook

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of overweight and examine relationships between weight status of children with intellectual disabilities (IDs), mothers' perceived weight status of children, and socioeconomic status (SES). A cross-sectional study of 206 mothers of children with IDs in six special schools in Seoul, South…

Body weight has no impact on self-esteem of minority children living in inner city, low-income neighborhoods: a cross-sectional study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The relationship between body weight and self-esteem among underserved minority children is not well documented. We measured the self-esteem profile using the Self-Perception Profile for Children among 910 minority children at 17 Houston community centers. Weight status had no effect on any of the s...

An Exploration of the Psychosocial Aspects of Weight among College Students in the College Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jacqueline G.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to explore the psychosocial aspects of weight and the daily-lived experiences of college students within the college environment. Two research questions guided this qualitative research: (a) How, and in what ways, does perception of weight influence identity development among college students before and during college;…

The bid to lose weight: impact of social media on weight perceptions, weight control and diabetes.

PubMed

Das, Leah; Mohan, Ranjini; Makaya, Tafadzwa

2014-01-01

Over the last decade the internet has come to permeate every aspect of our lives. With huge leaps in accessibility of the internet via mobile personal devices such as smart cellular phones and tablets, individuals are connected to the internet virtually all the time. It is no surprise therefore that social media now dominates the lives of many people within society. The authors take a look at how social media is influencing diabetes with particular focus on weight perception, weight management and eating behaviours. The authors explore the concept of how the advertising of Size 0 models and photo-shopping of images which are easily available on line and via social media is causing an increase in the number of young people with distorted body images. This has led to an increased number of people resorting to sometimes drastic weight loss programmes. We focus on the bid for 'low-fat' consumption and highlight how this could actually be leading to an increased risk for developing diabetes or worsening the complications of diabetes. We also discuss the increase of eating disorder in diabetes related to this distorted body image.

Disordered eating and group membership among members of a pro-anorexic online community.

PubMed

Rodgers, Rachel F; Skowron, Sabrina; Chabrol, Henri

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore motivations to become a member of a French-language 'pro-ana' online community, perceptions of support provided by other members and the nature of the information provided. A sample of 29 members of an online community were assessed for disordered eating and responded to open-ended questions exploring perceptions of the online community. All participants reported high levels of disordered eating (Eating Attitudes Test > 30). The main motive for joining the online community was to be provided with both advice regarding weight loss and support. The majority of them equated thinness with happiness and were satisfied with their membership. Participants also described the types of advice that they had received concerning weight loss. Members of pro-ana online communities are likely to display high levels of disordered eating. Furthermore, membership to the online community was motivated not only by weight concerns but also by the support provided. Our findings confirmed the role of these online communities in encouraging harmful weight-loss and weight-control practices. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Obese Women Have Lower Monosodium Glutamate Taste Sensitivity and Prefer Higher Concentrations Than Do Normal-weight Women

PubMed Central

Pepino, M. Yanina; Finkbeiner, Susana; Beauchamp, Gary K.; Mennella, Julie A.

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to determine whether obese women exhibit altered umami and sweet taste perception compared to normal-weight women. A total of 57 subjects (23 obese and 34 normal weight) participated in a 2-day study separated by 1 week. Half of the women in each group were evaluated using monosodium glutamate (MSG; prototypical umami stimulus) on the first test day and sucrose on the second test day; the order was reversed for the remaining women. We used two-alternative forced-choice staircase procedures to measure taste detection thresholds, forced-choice tracking technique to measure preferences, the general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) to measure perceived intensity of suprathreshold concentrations, and a triangle test to measure discrimination between 29 mmol/l MSG and 29 mmol/l NaCl. Obese women required higher MSG concentrations to detect a taste and preferred significantly higher MSG concentrations in a soup-like vehicle. However, their perception of MSG at suprathreshold concentrations, their ability to discriminate MSG from salt, and their preference for sucrose were similar to that observed in normal-weight women. Regardless of their body weight category, 28% of the women did not discriminate 29 mmol/l MSG from 29 mmol/l NaCl (nondiscriminators). Surprisingly, we found that, relative to discriminators, nondiscriminators perceived less savoriness when tasting suprathreshold MSG concentrations and less sweetness from suprathreshold sucrose concentrations but had similar MSG and sucrose detection thresholds. Taken together, these data suggest that body weight is related to some components of umami taste and that different mechanisms are involved in the perception of threshold and suprathreshold MSG concentrations. PMID:20075854

Parental perceptions, feeding practices, feeding styles, and level of acculturation of Chinese Americans in relation to their school-age child's weight status.

PubMed

Pai, Hsiao-Liang; Contento, Isobel

2014-09-01

Parents influence their child's eating behavior and attitudes directly as food providers and indirectly through their parental feeding styles and feeding concerns and practices. Chinese American parents' practices are likely influenced by culture. The objective of this study was to explore the relationships between parental perceptions, feeding practices, feeding styles, level of parental acculturation (LPA), and child weight status via a self-administered questionnaire. This survey study involved a convenience sample of 712 individuals who were parents of 5- to 10-year old children attending Chinese language after-school programs. The prevalence of overweight was 11.5% and obesity was 11.1%. LPA was not directly predictive of child overweight in multiple regression but from categorical data, Chinese American parents tended to use indulgent (33.2%) and authoritarian (27.9%) feeding styles, with the former increasing with acculturation and the latter decreasing. Indulgent parents had more than expected overweight and obese children, and authoritarian and authoritative parents, fewer. LPA was negatively predictive of pressure to eat healthy foods (p < .01), which was negatively correlated with child weight status (p < .01). LPA was also independently positively correlated to responsiveness to child needs (p < .01), monitoring of child intake (p < .01), and perceived responsibility for child feeding. Parental perceptions and concerns about child weight were predictors of child weight. Consequently, parental concerns and responsiveness to child needs without also encouragement (demandingness) to eat healthy foods (indulgent feeding style) may promote overweight. The authoritative parental feeding style may contribute to children having healthy weights and therefore healthy lives. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Analysis of body image perception of university students in navarra].

PubMed

Soto Ruiz, Ma Nelia; Marin Fernández, Blanca; Aguinaga Ontoso, Inés; Guillén-Grima, Francisco; Serrano Mozó, Inmaculada; Canga Armayor, Navidad; Hermoso de Mendoza Cantón, Juana; Stock, Christiane; Kraemer, Alexander; Annan, James

2015-05-01

Current models of beauty represent an extreme thinness in the women and a muscular body in the men. The body image perception will condition the search of ideal beauty through different behaviors and can be transform in eating disorders. The university students, with the changes typical of youth and university transition, are a vulnerable group. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the body image perception of university students in Navarra. The study included 1162 subjects of which 64.2% were female. Students asked for a self-managed questionnaire and they were weighted and heighted to calculate the body mass index (BMI). Their body image perception were obtained asking the students to select a picture, according to their perception which corresponded to their current body image from nine different silhouettes for men and women. Their BMI were calculated and compared with their perceived BMI. 43.03% of students, overestimated their body image (10.65% in males and 59.69% in females) and 10.20% of students underestimated it. 46.75% of students had concordance between BMI and body image perception. There were more cases the alterations in the body image perception in women. In general, women saw themselves as being fatter than really were while men saw themselves as being thinner than they really were. The results shown that the women were more worried about their weight and body image than the men. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Misperception of Peer Weight Norms and Its Association with Overweight and Underweight Status among Adolescents

PubMed Central

Perkins, Jessica M.; Perkins, H. W.; Craig, David W.

2014-01-01

Previous research has revealed pervasive misperceptions of peer norms for a variety of behaviors among adolescents such as alcohol use, smoking, and bullying, and that these misperceptions are predictors of personal behavior. Similarly, misperception of peer weight norms may be a pervasive and important risk factor for adolescent weight status. Thus, the comparative association of actual and perceived peer weight norms is examined in relation to personal weight status. Secondary school students in 40 middle and high schools (n=40,328) were surveyed about their perceptions of the peer weight norm for same gender and grade within their school. Perceived norms were compared to aggregate self-reports of weight for these same groups. Overestimation of peer weight norms by more than 5% occurred among 26% of males and 20% of females (by 22 and 16 pounds on average, respectively). Underestimation occurred among 38% of males as well as females (by 16 and 13 pounds on average, respectively). Personal overweight status based on body mass index (BMI) was much more prevalent among respondents who overestimated peer weight norms as was personal underweight status among respondents who underestimated norms. Perception of the peer norm was the strongest predictor of personal BMI among all personal and school variables examined for both male and female students. Thus, reducing misperceived weight norms should be given more attention as a potential avenue for preventing obesity and eating disorders. PMID:24488532

Perceptions of Strategies for Successful Weight Loss in Persons with Serious Mental Illness Participating in a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Vazin, Roza; McGinty, Emma E.; Dickerson, Faith; Dalcin, Arlene; Goldsholl, Stacy; Enriquez, Meghan Oefinger; Jerome, Gerald J.; Gennusa, Joseph V.; Daumit, Gail L.

2016-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to describe perceptions of weight loss strategies, benefits, and barriers among persons with serious mental illness who lost weight in the ACHIEVE behavioral weight loss intervention. Methods Semi-structured interviews with 20 ACHIEVE participants were conducted and analyzed using an inductive coding approach. Results Participants perceived tailored exercise sessions, social support, and dietary strategies taught in ACHIEVE – such as reducing portion sizes and avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages – as useful weight loss strategies. Health benefits, improved physical appearance, self-efficacy, and enhanced ability to perform activities of daily living were commonly cited benefits of intervention participation and weight loss. Some participants reported challenges with giving up snack food and reducing portion sizes, and barriers to exercise related to medical conditions. Conclusions and Implications for Practice There is emerging evidence that behavioral weight loss interventions can lead to clinically meaningful reductions in body weight among persons with serious mental illness. The perspective of persons with serious mental illness regarding strategies for, benefits of, and barriers to weight loss during participation in behavioral weight loss programs provide insight into which elements of multicomponent interventions such as ACHIEVE are most effective. The results of this study suggest that tailored exercise programs, social support, and emphasis on non-clinical benefits of intervention participation, such as improvements in self-efficacy and the ability to participate more actively in family and community activities, are promising facilitators of engagement and success in behavioral weight loss interventions for the population with serious mental illness. PMID:27054900

Adolescent Athleticism, Exercise, Body Image, and Dietary Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rainey, Cheryl J.; McKeown, Robert E.; Sargent, Roger G.; Valois, Robert F.

1998-01-01

Investigated relationships between physical activity and athletic participation and body-size perceptions, diet, and weight-control practice among high school students, noting racial and gender differences. Surveys indicated that diet quality improved and weight-loss attempts increased as physical activity and athletic participation increased.…

Trends in the prevalence of extreme obesity among Korean children and adolescents from 2001 to 2014.

PubMed

Nam, Hyo-Kyoung; Kim, Hye Ryun; Rhie, Young-Jun; Lee, Kee-Hyoung

2017-05-01

We assessed nationwide trends in extreme obesity prevalence and its impact on metabolic syndrome in Korean youth. Data from 19,593 youth (10,271 boys) aged 2-19 were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2001-2014). The prevalence of extreme obesity and the odds ratio of metabolic syndrome were calculated. Questionnaires on body weight perceptions and weight control behaviors were administered. The prevalence of extreme obesity increased significantly among boys (p<0.05). The odds ratios of extreme obesity on metabolic syndrome compared with obesity were 3.781 and 1.979 in boys and girls, respectively. Obese teenage girls with appropriate weight perception attempted to lose weight more frequently than obese teenage boys did. Although the prevalence of childhood obesity in Korea was similar since early 2000s, extreme obesity prevalence has increased, especially among teenage boys. Considering greater morbidity risks, preventing progression to extreme obesity is crucial.

Learning foreign sounds in an alien world: videogame training improves non-native speech categorization.

PubMed

Lim, Sung-joo; Holt, Lori L

2011-01-01

Although speech categories are defined by multiple acoustic dimensions, some are perceptually weighted more than others and there are residual effects of native-language weightings in non-native speech perception. Recent research on nonlinguistic sound category learning suggests that the distribution characteristics of experienced sounds influence perceptual cue weights: Increasing variability across a dimension leads listeners to rely upon it less in subsequent category learning (Holt & Lotto, 2006). The present experiment investigated the implications of this among native Japanese learning English /r/-/l/ categories. Training was accomplished using a videogame paradigm that emphasizes associations among sound categories, visual information, and players' responses to videogame characters rather than overt categorization or explicit feedback. Subjects who played the game for 2.5h across 5 days exhibited improvements in /r/-/l/ perception on par with 2-4 weeks of explicit categorization training in previous research and exhibited a shift toward more native-like perceptual cue weights. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Learning foreign sounds in an alien world: Videogame training improves non-native speech categorization

PubMed Central

Lim, Sung-joo; Holt, Lori L.

2011-01-01

Although speech categories are defined by multiple acoustic dimensions, some are perceptually-weighted more than others and there are residual effects of native-language weightings in non-native speech perception. Recent research on nonlinguistic sound category learning suggests that the distribution characteristics of experienced sounds influence perceptual cue weights: increasing variability across a dimension leads listeners to rely upon it less in subsequent category learning (Holt & Lotto, 2006). The present experiment investigated the implications of this among native Japanese learning English /r/-/l/ categories. Training was accomplished using a videogame paradigm that emphasizes associations among sound categories, visual information and players’ responses to videogame characters rather than overt categorization or explicit feedback. Subjects who played the game for 2.5 hours across 5 days exhibited improvements in /r/-/l/ perception on par with 2–4 weeks of explicit categorization training in previous research and exhibited a shift toward more native-like perceptual cue weights. PMID:21827533

I like to jump on my trampoline: an analysis of drawings from 8- to 12-year-old children beginning a weight-management program.

PubMed

Walker, Kathleen; Caine-Bish, Natalie; Wait, Samantha

2009-07-01

The main objective of this exploratory study was to assess children's perceptions of their activity choices as they began a weight-management program for overweight children and their families. During pretesting of a 10-week weight-management program, participating children were asked to draw pictures of themselves doing something. The drawings of 35 children, ages 8 to 12, were qualitatively analyzed. The analysis focused on (a) the type of activities (i.e., physical or sedentary) children chose to convey, (b) the specific focus of the activities described, (c) the children's future activity choices, and (d) the children's responses to the activities they drew. Seventy-one percent of the participating children drew themselves engaged in a physical activity. These results are notable and suggest positive perceptions of physical activities. Children's views related to their activity choices might play a role in designing weight-management programs that successfully increase children's adherence to long-term physical activity.

The role of underestimating body size for self-esteem and self-efficacy among grade five children in Canada.

PubMed

Maximova, Katerina; Khan, Mohammad K A; Austin, S Bryn; Kirk, Sara F L; Veugelers, Paul J

2015-10-01

Underestimating body size hinders healthy behavior modification needed to prevent obesity. However, initiatives to improve body size misperceptions may have detrimental consequences on self-esteem and self-efficacy. Using sex-specific multiple mixed-effect logistic regression models, we examined the association of underestimating versus accurate body size perceptions with self-esteem and self-efficacy in a provincially representative sample of 5075 grade five school children. Body size perceptions were defined as the standardized difference between the body mass index (BMI, from measured height and weight) and self-perceived body size (Stunkard body rating scale). Self-esteem and self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating were self-reported. Most of overweight boys and girls (91% and 83%); and most of obese boys and girls (93% and 90%) underestimated body size. Underestimating weight was associated with greater self-efficacy for physical activity and healthy eating among normal-weight children (odds ratio: 1.9 and 1.6 for boys, 1.5 and 1.4 for girls) and greater self-esteem among overweight and obese children (odds ratio: 2.0 and 6.2 for boys, 2.0 and 3.4 for girls). Results highlight the importance of developing optimal intervention strategies as part of targeted obesity prevention efforts that de-emphasize the focus on body weight, while improving body size perceptions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Maternal perception of her child's weight and unrelated children less than 1 year old].

PubMed

Flores-Peña, Yolanda; Aguado-Barrera, Miguel E; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M; Cortés-Gutiérrez, Elva I; Dávila-Rodríguez, Martha I

2016-11-01

To evaluate the maternal perception of their child's weight (MPCW) and perception of unrelated children's weight. Cross-sectional. Maternal and Child Nursing Health Department at 6 Units of Family Medicine. 486 dyads (mother and child under 1 year). The following question was applied: "I think my child is", and images were provided according the child's gender. Children's weight and height were measured. A total of 20.5% of the mothers of overweight (OW) children accurately perceived this situation, while none of the mothers of obese (OB) children did (κ=0.14±0.03, Z=5.36, p=.001). By images, 63.3% of mothers of OW children and 33.3% of mothers of OB children perceived this situation (κ=0.01±0.02, Z=0.73, p=.46). Most mothers selected the image of OW child as the image of a healthy child (κ=-0.04±0.01, Z=-2.65, p=.008), the image of a child under 1 year (κ=-0.01±0.02, Z=-0.86, p=.38) and the image that they would like their child to look like (κ=0.0004±0.01, Z=0.02, p=.98). The mothers do not perceive the OW-OB of their children. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Peer Victimisation and Its Relationships with Perceptions of Body Composition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frisen, Ann; Lunde, Carolina; Hwang, Philip

2009-01-01

The present study examined the links between children's exposure to peer victimisation, in terms of type and frequency, their body composition and subjective perceptions of body composition. A total of 960 Swedish 10-year-olds (515 girls and 445 boys) completed questionnaires about their peer victimisation experiences, weight and height, and…

Psychiatrists' Perceptions and Practices in Treating Patients' Obesity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichwala-Zyla, Christine; Price, James H.; Dake, Joseph A.; Jordan, Timothy; Price, Joy Ann

2009-01-01

Objective: This study identified psychiatrists' perceptions and practices regarding advising and treating obese patients. Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to a national random sample of 500 members of APA. A three-wave mailing was used to maximize the return rate. The questionnaire contained items on weight control based on the Stages of Change…

Acoustic Cues to Perception of Word Stress by English, Mandarin, and Russian Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chrabaszcz, Anna; Winn, Matthew; Lin, Candise Y.; Idsardi, William J.

2014-01-01

Purpose: This study investigated how listeners' native language affects their weighting of acoustic cues (such as vowel quality, pitch, duration, and intensity) in the perception of contrastive word stress. Method: Native speakers (N = 45) of typologically diverse languages (English, Russian, and Mandarin) performed a stress identification…

Parents' Perceptions of Curricular Issues Affecting Children's Weight in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murnan, Judy; Price, James H.; Telljohann, Susan K.; Dake, Joseph A.; Boardley, Debra

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine Ohio parents' perceptions of the role of elementary schools in preventing childhood overweight. In the United States, overweight is the most widespread health threat facing children and adolescents. Schools may be a useful point of intervention in addressing the escalating prevalence of childhood overweight…

Overweight and obese midlife women in Israel: cultural differences in perceived weight status.

PubMed

Elran-Barak, Roni; Blumstein, Tzvia; Boyko, Valentina; Hadar, Dana; Farhi, Adel; Lerner-Geva, Liat; Benyamini, Yael

2015-10-26

To examine cultural differences in Weight status misperception (WSMP) and identify associations between weight perception and weight control efforts among overweight/obese midlife women in Israel. Data from the nationally representative Women's-Health-in-Midlife-National-Study were used. Participants included overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30) and obese (BMI ≥ 30) midlife women (45-64 years) from three cultural groups: Long-Term Jewish Residents (LTJR), Immigrants from the former USSR, and Arabs. Interviews included measures of BMI, weight perception, lifestyle, and socio-demographics. Most overweight/obese women (88 %) perceived their weight status correctly. No significant differences were found in overall WSMP rates across cultural groups. Overweight women of Arab origin were significantly more likely (p < 0.001) to perceive their weight as "about right" relative to LTJR and Immigrants. WSMP was associated with several unhealthy eating patterns [eating red meat (OR = 2.1, 95 % CI = 1.13-3.97), white bread (OR = 2.4, 95 % CI = 1.26-4.58)] and with more perceived barriers to exercising (OR = 1.8, 95 % CI = 1.00-3.42). Health care providers are encouraged to pay attention to overweight/obese women who misperceive their weight status. These women are more likely to consume unhealthy foods and to be at higher risks of suffering from medical complications associated with obesity.

Perceptions of worksite support and employee obesity, activity, and diet.

PubMed

Lemon, Stephenie C; Zapka, Jane; Li, Wenjun; Estabrook, Barbara; Magner, Robert; Rosal, Milagros C

2009-01-01

To examine the associations of perceptions of organizational commitment to employee health and coworker physical activity and eating behaviors with body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and eating behaviors in hospital employees. Baseline data from 899 employees participating in a worksite weight-gain prevention trial were analyzed. Greater perception of organizational commitment to employee health was associated with lower BMI. Greater perceptions of coworker healthy eating and physical activity behaviors were associated with fruit and vegetable and saturated fat consumption and physical activity, respectively. Improving organizational commitment and facilitating supportive interpersonal environments could improve obesity control among working populations.

"The ambiguous transforming body"--A phenomenological study of the meaning of weight changes among women treated for breast cancer.

PubMed

Pedersen, Birgith; Groenkjaer, Mette; Falkmer, Ursula; Mark, Edith; Delmar, Charlotte

2016-03-01

Changes in weight and body-shape are well known side effects among women treated for breast cancer. Caring for these women requires knowledge of how they perceive these bodily changes. However, knowledge on weight changes and how such changes influence the women's perception of their bodies and selves is limited. To describe the essential meaning of the phenomenon of changes in weight and body-shape in women treated for breast cancer and how these changes influence the women's perception of body and self. The study design is guided by existential phenomenology as a unifying framework and descriptive life-world research as the methodological approach. Data consisted of 12 individual interviews. The study was conducted at a department of oncology at a Danish university hospital in 2014. Women with changes in weight and body-shape were invited to participate in the study for purposeful selection. Inclusion procedure took place when the women attended the outpatient clinic at one year follow-up. The essential meaning "The ambiguous transforming body--between a luxury problem and fear of recurrence"' was formed by three interrelated constituents: (1) the body--a demanding stranger; (2) fighting to be the master in one's own life, and (3) accepting the bodily changes. Weight changes may induce a feeling of being in transition between a former well-known body and a current strange demanding body. Interpreting the bodily changes in the light of being alive, the weight changes appeared as a luxury problem. However, knowing that excess fat can cause breast cancer, the women are caught in a dilemma because the medication is supposed to contribute to long-term survival and at the same time is a possible contributor to weight gain. Being alive but unable to avoid bodily changes, the changes influenced the women's self-perception as autonomous agents and provoked self-blame, shame and feelings of ungratefulness. Thus, relieving the burden of changes in weight and body shape is not only a question of appearance, but encompasses the desire for life and anxiety of death. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinetic potential influences visual and remote haptic perception of affordances for standing on an inclined surface.

PubMed

Malek, Eric A; Wagman, Jeffrey B

2008-01-01

The ability of a perceiver-actor to perform a particular behaviour depends on their ability to generate and control the muscular forces required to perform that behaviour. If an intended behaviour is to be successful, perception must be relative to this ability. We investigated whether perceiver-actors were sensitive to how changes in their mass distribution influenced their ability to stand on an inclined surface. Participants reported whether they would be able to stand on an inclined surface while wearing a weighted backpack on their back, while wearing a weighted backpack on their front, and while not wearing a weighted backpack. In addition, participants performed this task by either viewing the surface or exploring it with a hand-held rod (while blindfolded). The results showed that perception of affordances for standing on the inclined surface depended on how the backpack influenced the ability of the participant to stand on the surface. Specifically, perceptual boundaries occurred at steeper inclinations when participants wore the backpack on their front than when they wore it on their back. Moreover, this pattern occurred regardless of the perceptual modality by which the participants explored the inclined surface.

Correction of body-mass index using body-shape perception and socioeconomic status in adolescent self-report surveys.

PubMed

Legleye, Stéphane; Beck, François; Spilka, Stanislas; Chau, Nearkasen

2014-01-01

To propose a simple correction of body-mass index (BMI) based on self-reported weight and height (reported BMI) using gender, body shape perception and socioeconomic status in an adolescent population. 341 boys and girls aged 17-18 years were randomly selected from a representative sample of 2165 French adolescents living in Paris surveyed in 2010. After an anonymous self-administered pen-and-paper questionnaire asking for height, weight, body shape perception (feeling too thin, about the right weight or too fat) and socioeconomic status, subjects were measured and weighed. BMI categories were computed according to Cole's cut-offs. Reported BMIs were corrected using linear regressions and ROC analyses and checked with cross-validation and multiple imputations to handle missing values. Agreement between actual and corrected BMI values was estimated with Kappa indexes and Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). On average, BMIs were underreported, especially among girls. Kappa indexes between actual and reported BMI were low, especially for girls: 0.56 95%CI = [0.42-0.70] for boys and 0.45 95%CI = [0.30-0.60] for girls. The regression of reported BMI by gender and body shape perception gave the most balanced results for both genders: the Kappa and ICC obtained were 0.63 95%CI = [0.50-0.76] and 0.67, 95%CI = [0.58-0.74] for boys; 0.65 95%CI = [0.52-0.78] and 0.74, 95%CI = [0.66-0.81] for girls. The regression of reported BMI by gender and socioeconomic status led to similar corrections while the ROC analyses were inaccurate. Using body shape perception, or socioeconomic status and gender is a promising way of correcting BMI in self-administered questionnaires, especially for girls.

Risk perception of obesity and bariatric surgery in patients seeking treatment for obesity.

PubMed

Prasad, Chaithra; Batsis, John A; Lopez-Jimenez, Francisco; Clark, Matthew M; Somers, Virend K; Sarr, Michael G; Collazo-Clavell, Maria L

2014-06-01

Bariatric surgery (BSx) produces clinically relevant weight loss that translates into improved quality of life, decreased mortality, and reduction in medical comorbidities, including cardiovascular (CV) risk. Little is known about patients' decision-making process to undergo BSx, but risk perception is known to influence medical decision-making. This study examined CV and BSx risk perception in obese subjects undergoing BSx (n = 268) versus those managed medically (MM) (n = 273). This retrospective population-based survey of subjects evaluated for BSx had 148 (55%) and 88 (32%) responders in the BSx and MM groups, respectively. Survey questions assessed risk perceptions and habits prior to weight loss intervention. CV risk was calculated using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS). At baseline, BSx subjects had a greater body mass index and greater prevalence of diabetes and depression. Follow-up mean weight loss was greater in the BSx group. BSx subjects perceived obesity as a greater risk to their overall health than the surgical risk. FRS declined in the BSx group (10 to 5%; p < 0.001) while there was no change in the MM group (8 to 8%; p = 0.54). Those without a measurable decrease in CV risk had a greater tendency to perceive the risk of BSx as greater than that of obesity. Obese subjects undergoing BSx are more likely than MM subjects to perceive obesity as a greater risk to their health than BSx. MM subjects generally underestimate their CV risk and overestimate the risk of BSx. Active discussion of CV risk using the FRS and the perception of risk associated with bariatric surgery can enhance patients' ability to make an informed decision regarding their management. © The European Society of Cardiology 2012 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Parents perceptions of preschool children's ability to regulate eating. Feeding style differences

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Parent feeding styles have been associated with children's eating behaviors and weight status across multiple studies. However, little is known about the mechanism through which parent feeding styles influence child weight status. Children's ability to self-regulate their eating may be the mechanism...

How Weight Affects the Perceived Spacing between the Thumb and Fingers during Grasping

PubMed Central

Butler, Annie A.; Héroux, Martin E.; Gandevia, Simon C.

2015-01-01

We know much about mechanisms determining the perceived size and weight of lifted objects, but little about how these properties of size and weight affect the body representation (e.g. grasp aperture of the hand). Without vision, subjects (n = 16) estimated spacing between fingers and thumb (perceived grasp aperture) while lifting canisters of the same width (6.6cm) but varied weights (300, 600, 900, and 1200 g). Lifts were performed by movement of either the wrist, elbow or shoulder to examine whether lifting with different muscle groups affects the judgement of grasp aperture. Results for perceived grasp aperture were compared with changes in perceived weight of objects of different sizes (5.2, 6.6, and 10 cm) but the same weight (600 g). When canisters of the same width but different weights were lifted, perceived grasp aperture decreased 4.8% [2.2 ‒ 7.4] (mean [95% CI]; P < 0.001) from the lightest to the heaviest canister, no matter how they were lifted. For objects of the same weight but different widths, perceived weight decreased 42.3% [38.2 ‒ 46.4] from narrowest to widest (P < 0.001), as expected from the size-weight illusion. Thus, despite a highly distorted perception of the weight of objects based on their size, we conclude that proprioceptive afferents maintain a reasonably stable perception of the aperture of the grasping hand over a wide range of object weights. Given the small magnitude of this ‘weight-grasp aperture’ illusion, we propose the brain has access to a relatively stable ‘perceptual ruler’ to aid the manipulation of different objects. PMID:25996760

Body weight misperception patterns and their association with health-related factors among adolescents in South Korea

PubMed Central

Lim, Hyunjung; Wang, Youfa

2013-01-01

Objective Examine body weight misperception and its association with health-related factors among South Korean adolescents. Design and Methods The 2009 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data from 72,399 adolescents aged 12–18 years were used. Based on agreements between weight status assessed according to self-reported BMI and self-perceived weight status, adolescents were classified as weight underestimate, accurate, and overestimate. Logistic regression models examined the associations controlling for covariates. Results Over 50% adolescents misclassified their own weight status: underestimation(23.4%) and overestimation(26.8%). Boys had a higher underestimation rate than girls(30.3% vs. 15.6%) and a lower overestimation rate(21.3% vs. 33.0%). In girls, overestimation was higher in high-income families and well-educated parents(41.0%). Compared to those with accurate weight perception, participants who underestimated their weight were more likely to have an unhealthy diet as indicated by higher daily consumption(≥ once/day) of fast food[OR=1.18(1.00,1.39)] and unhealthy snacks[OR=1.11(1.03,1.19)]. Girls who overestimated their weight had more screen time[≥2 hours/day, OR=1.12(1.03,1.22)]. Participants who overestimated their weight were more likely to be stressed[OR=1.24(1.18,1.31)] and depressed[OR=1.18(1.21,1.25)]. Conclusions Over half of Korean adolescents had misperception on own weight status, the rates varied by gender and socio-economic status. Weight misperception is associated with health-related outcomes compared to peers with accurate perceptions about own weight status. PMID:23512737

Preferred child body size and parental underestimation of child weight in Mexican American families

PubMed Central

Pasch, Lauri A.; Penilla, Carlos; Tschann, Jeanne M.; Martinez, Suzanna M.; Deardorff, Julianna; de Groat, Cynthia L.; Gregorich, Steven E.; Flores, Elena; Butte, Nancy F.; Greenspan, Louise C.

2016-01-01

Objective To determine whether parents who prefer a heavier child would underestimate their child's weight more than those who prefer a leaner child. Methods Participants were Mexican American families (312 mothers, 173 fathers, and 312 children ages 8-10) who were interviewed and had height and weight measurements. Parents reported their preferred child body size and their perceptions of their child's weight. Parents’ underestimation of their child's weight was calculated as the standardized difference between parent's perception of their child's weight and the child's body mass index (BMI) z-score. Demographic factors and parental BMI were also assessed. Results Although 50% of children were overweight or obese, only 11% of mothers and 10% of fathers perceived their children as being somewhat or very overweight. Multiple regressions controlling for covariates (parental BMI and child age) showed that parents who preferred a heavier child body size underestimated their children's weight more, compared to those who preferred a leaner child (β for mothers = .13, p < .03; (β for fathers = .17, p < .03). Conclusions for Practice Parents who preferred a heavier child body size underestimated their child's weight to a greater degree than parents who preferred a leaner child. Attempts by pediatricians to correct parents’ misperceptions about child weight may damage rapport and ultimately fail if the misperception is actually a reflection of parents’ preferences, which may not be readily amenable to change. Future research should address optimal methods of communication about child overweight which take into account parent preferences. PMID:27016351

Obesity literacy and culture among African American women in Florida.

PubMed

López, Ivette A; Boston, Patricia Q; Dutton, Matthew; Jones, Chauneva Glenn; Mitchell, M Miaisha; Vilme, Helene

2014-07-01

To explore causal explanations of obesity among African-American women of diverse weight across the life spectrum. In-depth interviews were conducted with adult African-American women of healthy weight (N = 10), overweight (N = 10), and obese weight (N = 20) to evaluate the relationship between causal explanations of obesity and weight. Generally overlooked dimensions of health definitions were discovered. Differences in weight definitions were detected between women of different weights. Terminology, symptoms, and solutions to obesity were detected between the women of different weights and public health recommendations. Identified causal discrepancies will help bridge the disconnection between public health recommendations and African-American women's perceptions with tailored interventions.

Negative correlation between body mass index category and physical activity perceptions in children.

PubMed

Van Zant, R Scott; Toney, Julie

2012-10-01

Children's physical activity (PA) choices are influenced by their perceived ability (adequacy) and inclination toward (predilection) PA. The study's purpose was to determine the association of body mass index (BMI) category with PA perceptions in sixth-grade children. A total of 267 children (119 boys, 148 girls; age 11+ y; ht 1.53 SD 0.08 m; wt 49.0 SD 13.5 kg; BMI 20.7 SD 4.8) provided informed consent and completed the study. All were measured for body weight and height and completed the Children's Self-perceptions of Adequacy in and Predilection for Physical Activity (CSAPPA) scale. Spearman rank-order correlation analysis was conducted between total CSAPPA score (and three factor scores of adequacy, predilection, and enjoyment) and BMI category relative to gender, body weight classification and for all children. A significant negative correlation was identified between BMI category (p<0.01) and CSAPPA total, adequacy, and predilection score for all children. Girls (but not boys) showed significant negative correlation between BMI category and all CSAPPA scores. A significant negative correlation in BMI category and PA perceptions exists in children, with the relationship being stronger in girls. Children with increased BMI may have adverse perceptions of PA and risks for sedentary behavior.

Are Prolactin Levels Linked to Suction Pressure?

PubMed

Zhang, Feng; Xia, Haiou; Shen, Meiyun; Li, Xia; Qin, Ling; Gu, Hongmei; Xu, Xujuan

2016-11-01

Suction pressure has been reported to be a key driving force of lactation. An infant's sucking at its mother's breasts is the major stimulus to post-natal prolactin (PRL) secretion, and PRL is the essential hormone for lactation and milk production. It is unknown what role suction pressure has in PRL secretion and milk supply postnatally. To explore the relationship between the suction pressure, PRL level, lactation, and milk supply in breastfeeding mother-infant dyads. Healthy women with normal full-term infants were enrolled (n = 122). Data collection included suction pressure, PRL level, and the mother's perception of both the onset of her lactation and her milk supply at 1 month. Suction pressure was measured with a pressure sensor connected to a tube placed alongside the nipple. The chemiluminescence method was used to quantify maternal serum PRL level both before and after a breastfeed to explore the effect of suckling on PRL increment. The mother's perception of the onset of her lactation was evaluated by the mother's sense of fullness in her breast. The mother's perception of milk supply was evaluated by using the H&H Lactation Scale. Data from 117 participants were included in this analysis. Low suction pressure, a shorter gestational age, a high pre-gestational body mass index (BMI), and high infant birth weight were associated with a smaller than average PRL increment. High suction pressure, longer sucking duration, and a low gestational weight gain were related to a mother's perception of an earlier onset of her lactation. However, low suction pressure, a high frequency of giving formula, a small PRL increment, and the mother's perception of a later onset of her lactation were correlated with her perception of an insufficient milk supply. Suction pressure varied directly with the post-natal PRL increment. Suction pressure was associated with the timing of the mother's perception of her lactation. Strong suction pressure by the infant is likely to enhance the mother's confidence in her lactation. Additionally, sucking duration, frequency of giving formula, maternal BMI, and infant birth weight played a role in early breastfeeding success.

Perception of body image of adolescents and of their parents in relation to the nutritional status and blood pressure.

PubMed

Silveira Vieira, Raquel; Dal Bosco, Simone Morelo; Grave, Magali Trezinha Quevedo; Adami, Fernanda Scherer

2015-04-01

The perception of body image of adolescents is an instrument for nutritional assessment to health conditions. To verify the body image perception of adolescents and their parents in relation to nutritional status and blood pressure levels. Population-based study, and cross-sectional model, conducted with parents and adolescents aged 10-19 years old, in rural and urban zones in public schools. There was applied the Scale silhouettes for parents about the perception of the described body image and a question about the concern of the nutritional status of their children. There were verified the blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference, the BMI (kg/m²) calculation of the adolescents, and the self-perceived body image. The data was expressed as average ± standard deviation and percentages. The sample consisted of 914 adolescents with a mean age of 13.12 ± 2.17 years, 56.8% female and 68.9% were eutrophic. As for blood pressure levels, 17.6% were classified in pre-hypertensive, 18.8% in stage 1 hypertension and 6% in stage 2. About the self-perception, 68% considered themselves being eutrophic and 64.75% of the parents classified their children as eutrophic. There was observed a direct and significant correlation among the body mass index, waist circumference, weight, systemic and diastolic blood pressure with the self-perception of the adolescents and the body image perceptions of the parents (p<0.001). The nutritional status was significantly correlated with blood pressure, waist circumference and body image perceptions of the adolescents and their respective parents. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Perceptions and Knowledge of Nuts amongst Health  Professionals in New Zealand.

PubMed

Brown, Rachel C; Yong, Lee Ching; Gray, Andrew R; Tey, Siew Ling; Chisholm, Alexandra; Leong, Sook Ling

2017-03-01

Despite their nutritional value, population-level nut consumption remains low. Studies suggest that individuals would eat more nuts on their doctor's advice, making health professionals potentially important for promoting nut consumption. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the perceptions and knowledge of nuts and the predictors of nut promotion among health professionals in New Zealand. Dietitians, general practitioners (GPs), and practice nurses were identified from the Electoral Roll and invited to complete a questionnaire (n = 318, 292, and 149 respondents respectively). Over one-fifth of GPs and practice nurses believed that eating nuts could increase blood cholesterol concentrations and cause weight gain. The most common perceptions overall were that nuts are healthy; high in protein, fat, and calories; and are satiating. Nut consumption was recommended for reasons relating to these perceptions and because of nuts' selenium content. Conversely, reasons for suggesting the consumption of fewer nuts included that they were high in calories and fat, would cause weight gain, and concerns regarding allergies and cost. All groups of health professionals were more likely to promote nut consumption if they perceived nuts to reduce the risk of diabetes (all p ≤ 0.034). Education could improve health professionals' knowledge regarding the effects of nut consumption on blood cholesterol and body weight, alongside other health benefits, which should improve the advice given to patients and may thereby increase nut consumption.

Influences on Body Image and Disordered Eating among Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thatcher, William; Rhea, Deborah

2003-01-01

This study examined whether behavioral differences (exercise, dieting, changing eating habits, taking pills, or vomiting/taking laxatives to lose weight) exist when identifying the major influencing factors (media, family, friends, teacher/coach, and doctor/nurse) among Black and White men's and women's self-perceptions of body weight. Respondents…

Overweight status, self-perception, and suicidal behaviors among adolescents.

PubMed

Dave, Dhaval; Rashad, Inas

2009-05-01

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the USA. The suicide rate for individuals 15-19 years of age, while having declined since the early 1990s, has recently shown signs of an increasing trend. The prevalence of being overweight has also steadily risen among adolescents, and has tripled since 1960. This study utilizes data from the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (1999-2007) to explore the relationship between the perception of being overweight and suicidal behaviors. Studies have shown a high degree of correlation between overweight status, depressive disorders, and suicidal behaviors. This study analyzes these indicators in conjunction with individuals' perception of their weight. The empirical methodology is based on simultaneous-equations models and stratified samples to gauge whether the link between overweight indicators and suicide is causal or whether it is driven by other factors. Results indicate that body dissatisfaction, as measured by the perception of being overweight, has a strong impact on all suicidal behaviors for girls. It raises the risk of suicide ideation by 6.1 percentage points, suicide attempt by 3.6 percentage points, and a serious suicide attempt by 0.5 percentage points. Results are generally insignificant for males. Conditional on overweight perception, actual weight does not generally have an independent effect on suicidal behaviors. Policies aimed at reducing the prevalence of overweight among adolescents may further reduce suicidal behaviors by limiting overweight perception, especially among girls. However, the independent role of perception also highlights the importance of educating youths and fostering healthy attitudes regarding body image.

The relationship between mother to child calories served and maternal perception of hunger.

PubMed

Stromberg, S E; Janicke, D M

2016-06-01

Research has examined self-serving portions in adults and children and has shown that larger portion size is related to more calories consumed. The present study examines factors that may influence the portion sizes a mother serves her child at a mealtime. The present observational study included a community-based sample of 29 mother-child dyads. Dyads attended a 1-h session in which they shared a meal together. A buffet of food was provided and the mother was asked to serve her child and herself. The amount of food served and consumed by the child was recorded. Main independent variables of interest included maternal body mass index (BMI), child BMI Z-score, and maternal perception of personal and child hunger. The primary dependent variable was the total calories the mother served her child. Regression models and a moderated mediation were used to examine the relation between variables. Calories served to the child was positively associated with calories consumed by the child. Maternal perception of her own hunger was related to her perception of her child's hunger. Furthermore, maternal perception of child hunger explained the relationship between maternal perception of personal hunger and total calories served to the child, although only for obese mothers. Mothers may be serving their children larger portion sizes based on their personal weight and their perception of their child's hunger. To help children obtain or maintain a healthy weight, obesity prevention and intervention programmes should help mothers serve more appropriate serving sizes to their children. © 2015 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Head Start Teachers' Perceptions of Children's Eating Behavior and Weight Status in the Context of Food Scarcity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lumeng, Julie C.; Kaplan-Sanoff, Margot; Shuman, Steve; Kannan, Srimathi

2008-01-01

Objective: To describe Head Start teachers' perceptions of mealtime, feeding, and overweight risk in Head Start students. Design: Qualitative focus group study. Setting: Five Head Starts in a greater metropolitan area in the Northeast. Participants: Thirty-five teachers in 5 focus groups. Intervention: Two experienced focus group facilitators…

Body Image, Self-Esteem and Depression in Female Adolescent College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latha, K. S.; Hegde, Supriya; Bhat, S. M.; Sharma, P. S. V. N.; Rai, Pooja

2006-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine whether Body Mass Index (BMI) and the subjective perception of body weight, and body shape satisfaction predict level of self-esteem and depression among female college students. Method: The sample comprised of 124 female college students ranging in age from 16-21 years. Self perception of…

Health and happiness is more important than weight': a qualitative investigation of the views of parents receiving written feedback on their child's weight as part of the National Child Measurement Programme.

PubMed

Syrad, H; Falconer, C; Cooke, L; Saxena, S; Kessel, A S; Viner, R; Kinra, S; Wardle, J

2015-02-01

The present study aimed to explore parental perceptions of overweight children and associated health risks after receiving National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) weight feedback. Fifty-two parents of overweight and obese children aged 4-5 years and 10-11 years enrolled in the NCMP programme in England in 2010-2011 participated in qualitative, semi-structured interviews about their perceptions of their child's weight and health risk after receiving weight feedback. Interviews were audio tape recorded and were conducted either by telephone (n = 9) or in the respondents' homes (n = 41). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative thematic analysis. Parents who received NCMP written feedback informing them that their child was overweight disregarded the results because they viewed 'health and happiness as being more important than weight'. The feedback was viewed as less credible because it did not consider the individual child's lifestyle.'Broad definitions of healthy' were described that did not include weight,such as reference to the child having good emotional and physical health and a healthy diet. Parents attributed weight to 'inherited/acquired factors' such as genetics or puppy fat, or did not regard their child's 'appearance' as reflecting being overweight. 'Cultural influence' also meant that being overweight was not viewed negatively by some non-white parents. After receiving written weight feedback, parents use methods other than actual weight when evaluating their child's weight status and health risks. Parents' conceptions of health and weight should be considered when communicating with parents, with the aim of bridging the gap between parental recognition of being overweight and subsequent behaviour change.

Impact of ballistic body armour and load carriage on walking patterns and perceived comfort.

PubMed

Park, Huiju; Branson, Donna; Petrova, Adriana; Peksoz, Semra; Jacobson, Bert; Warren, Aric; Goad, Carla; Kamenidis, Panagiotis

2013-01-01

This study investigated the impact of weight magnitude and distribution of body armour and carrying loads on military personnel's walking patterns and comfort perceptions. Spatio-temporal parameters of walking, plantar pressure and contact area were measured while seven healthy male right-handed military students wore seven different garments of varying weight (0.06, 9, 18 and 27 kg) and load distribution (balanced and unbalanced, on the front and back torso). Higher weight increased the foot contact time with the floor. In particular, weight placement on the non-dominant side of the front torso resulted in the greatest stance phase and double support. Increased plantar pressure and contact area observed during heavier loads entail increased impact forces, which can cause overuse injuries and foot blisters. Participants reported increasingly disagreeable pressure and strain in the shoulder, neck and lower back during heavier weight conditions and unnatural walking while wearing unbalanced weight distributed loads. This study shows the potentially synergistic impact of wearing body armour vest with differential loads on body movement and comfort perception. This study found that soldiers should balance loads, avoiding load placement on the non-dominant side front torso, thus minimising mobility restriction and potential injury risk. Implications for armour vest design modifications can also be found in the results.

An evaluation of factors influencing feeding in babies with a cleft palate with and without a cleft lip.

PubMed

Martin, Vanessa; Greatrex-White, Sheila

2014-03-01

The objective of this article was to determine the impact of different bottles and teats for feeding babies with a cleft palate (with and without a cleft lip) on weight velocity, feeding behaviour, and maternal self-esteem. A mixed methods study incorporating the use of diaries to record feeding patterns of babies and levels of professional support received was used. Growth was assessed by converting weights into standard deviation scores and using the differences to express weight velocity over a six-week period. Visual analogue scales were used to assess mothers' perceptions of their children and themselves. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score (EPDS) was used to identify maternal depression. The study demonstrated that the most significant effect on weight was determined by cleft type. Babies with isolated clefts of the hard and soft palate experienced greater feeding problems and suffered the biggest weight losses. This remained significant independently of the type of bottle/teat used. Poor weight gain was also associated with a mother's low perception of herself and her child, and her tendency towards depression. The study highlights the importance of the early assessment of babies' feeding skills and regular follow-up and support from trained and experienced nurse specialists.

Adults' perceptions of being overweight or obese: a focus group study.

PubMed

Chang, Ching Thon; Chang, Kam Hock; Cheah, Whye Lian

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore the perception of, feelings and attitudes toward overweight or obesity, and the perceived barriers to weight loss among native adults from lower socio-economic background. A total of six gender- and ethnic-specific focus groups consisted of 38 overweight and obese purposefully and criterion selected adults (21 women and 17 men), participated in this study. An unstructured discussion guide based on the study objectives were used for the focus groups. The results showed that some participants perceived themselves as ugly, felt ashamed of their body size and were frustrated because they did not desire to be overweight. Due to their excess weight, most also expressed they were less effective in their work performances. Although some participants had negative attitudes toward themselves because of excess weight, this appeared to link to self-stigmatization rather than anti-obesity discrimination. The participants remained in the Pre-contemplation stage of losing weight probably because of perceived barriers such as difficulty to resist eating, lack of know how and previous failed attempts to lose weight. Importantly, this study provided some evidence that individuals in the Pre-contemplation stage are unable to take action to lose weight, even if effective strategies are suggested.

Health risks, past usage, and intention to use weight loss products in normal weight women with high and low body dysphoria.

PubMed

Whisenhunt, B L; Williamson, D A; Netemeyer, R G; Andrews, C

2003-06-01

There are many health risks involved with the use of weight loss products by normal weight women. The mass media may compound this problem through the promotion of weight loss products and a thin body size. This study tested women's perceptions of different weight loss product ads to determine if body dysphoria (i.e., an over concern with body size and shape in normal weight people) was associated with risk beliefs, past behaviors, and intention toward using weight loss products. Normal weight women (age range = 18-41 yr), who were classified as either high (n=45) or low (n=43) on a measure of body dysphoria, rated different weight loss products according to their perception of health risks, past behavior, and their intention to consume the products. These products were a dietary fat substitute (olestra), a prescription obesity medication (sibutramine), and an over-the-counter appetite suppressant (phenylpropanolamine). High body dysphoric women reported higher intentions to use the products as well as increased prior use of two of the three weight loss products. High body dysphoric women did not believe that these weight loss products were harmless. They recognized potential health risks associated with using such products, but nonetheless, expressed intention to use these weight loss products at a higher frequency. Also, several variables related to body image were found to effectively discriminate normal weight women at risk for abusing weight loss products. This study found that women who do not need to lose weight but have significant body image concerns were willing to use potentially harmful weight loss products despite the knowledge that such products might pose significant health risks. Techniques utilized by advertising regulatory agencies such as warning labels did not have a strong deterrent effect for stated intentions to use the products. Implications of these findings for public health policy issues were discussed.

Men's facial masculinity: when (body) size matters.

PubMed

Holzleitner, Iris J; Hunter, David W; Tiddeman, Bernard P; Seck, Alassane; Re, Daniel E; Perrett, David I

2014-01-01

Recent studies suggest that judgments of facial masculinity reflect more than sexually dimorphic shape. Here, we investigated whether the perception of masculinity is influenced by facial cues to body height and weight. We used the average differences in three-dimensional face shape of forty men and forty women to compute a morphological masculinity score, and derived analogous measures for facial correlates of height and weight based on the average face shape of short and tall, and light and heavy men. We found that facial cues to body height and weight had substantial and independent effects on the perception of masculinity. Our findings suggest that men are perceived as more masculine if they appear taller and heavier, independent of how much their face shape differs from women's. We describe a simple method to quantify how body traits are reflected in the face and to define the physical basis of psychological attributions.

Associations between Parental Concerns about Preschoolers’ Weight and Eating and Parental Feeding Practices: Results from Analyses of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist

PubMed Central

Ek, Anna; Sorjonen, Kimmo; Eli, Karin; Lindberg, Louise; Nyman, Jonna; Marcus, Claude; Nowicka, Paulina

2016-01-01

Introduction Insight into parents’ perceptions of their children’s eating behaviors is crucial for the development of successful childhood obesity programs. However, links between children’s eating behaviors and parental feeding practices and concerns have yet to be established. This study aims to examine associations between parental perceptions of preschoolers’ eating behaviors and parental feeding practices. First, it tests the original 8-factor structure of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Second, it examines the associations with parental feeding practices, measured with the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Materials and Methods Questionnaires were sent to parents from 25 schools/preschools in Stockholm, Sweden and to parents starting a childhood obesity intervention. The CEBQ factor structure was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Associations between CEBQ subscales Food approach and Food avoidance and CFQ factors Restriction, Pressure to eat and Monitoring were examined with structural equation modelling (SEM), adjusting for child and parental characteristics, and parental confidence, measured with the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist (LBC). CFQ Concern for child weight and Perceived responsibility for child eating were used as mediators. Results 478 parents completed the questionnaires (children: 52% girls, mean age 5.5 years, 20% overweight/obese). A modified 8-factor structure showed an acceptable fit (TLI = 0.91, CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05 and SRMR = 0.06) after dropping one item and allowing three pairs of error terms to correlate. The SEM model demonstrated that Food approach had a weak direct effect on Restriction, but a moderate (β = 0.30) indirect effect via Concern, resulting in a substantial total effect (β = 0.37). Food avoidance had a strong positive effect on Pressure to eat (β = 0.71). Discussion The CEBQ is a valid instrument for assessing parental perceptions of preschoolers’ eating behaviors. Parental pressure to eat was strongly associated with children’s food avoidance. Parental restriction, however, was more strongly associated with parents’ concerns about their children’s weights than with children’s food approach. This suggests that childhood obesity interventions should address parents’ perceptions of healthy weight alongside perceptions of healthy eating. PMID:26799397

Weight status and perception of body image in children: the effect of maternal immigrant status.

PubMed

Gualdi-Russo, Emanuela; Manzon, Vanessa Samantha; Masotti, Sabrina; Toselli, Stefania; Albertini, Augusta; Celenza, Francesca; Zaccagni, Luciana

2012-10-15

Recent studies have shown that body image perception is an important factor in weight control and may be influenced by culture and ethnicity. The aim of the present study was to assess the relationship between immigrant status of the mother and weight status and body image perception of the child. In total, 2706 schoolchildren (1405 boys and 1301 girls) aged 8-9 years and their mothers participated in a cross-sectional survey in Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy). Weight and height of the children were measured and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Actual and ideal body image perception by the children and by the mothers with respect to their children was evaluated according to Collins' body image silhouettes. The BMI values were significantly lower in children of immigrants than in children of Italian mothers (F:17.27 vs 17.99 kg/m²; M:17.77 vs 18.13 kg/m²). The prevalence of overweight/obesity was lower, and the prevalence of underweight higher, in children of immigrant mothers than in those of Italian mothers (overweight- F:21.3 vs 29.1%; M. 28.3 vs 31.4%; underweight- F:5.16 vs 3.84%; M:6.63 vs 2.82%). The children's body image perception was consistent with the differing pattern of nutritional status. In the comparison between actual and ideal figures, the Feel-Ideal Difference Index (FID) scores resulted different between the subsample with foreign-born mother in comparison to the native one (significantly lower in daughters of immigrants) (FID- F: 0.31 vs 0.57; M: 0.35 vs 0.32). There were significant differences in the choice of the ideal figure of the child between immigrant mothers and Italian mothers (FID- F: -0.05 vs 0.19; M: -0.35 vs -0.03): the ideal figure values were higher in the immigrant mothers of male children and lower in the Italian mothers of female children. Our results suggest that cultural and behavioral factors linked to ethnicity play an important role in the nutritional status of children and in the perceived and ideal body image.

Associations between Parental Concerns about Preschoolers' Weight and Eating and Parental Feeding Practices: Results from Analyses of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, the Child Feeding Questionnaire, and the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist.

PubMed

Ek, Anna; Sorjonen, Kimmo; Eli, Karin; Lindberg, Louise; Nyman, Jonna; Marcus, Claude; Nowicka, Paulina

2016-01-01

Insight into parents' perceptions of their children's eating behaviors is crucial for the development of successful childhood obesity programs. However, links between children's eating behaviors and parental feeding practices and concerns have yet to be established. This study aims to examine associations between parental perceptions of preschoolers' eating behaviors and parental feeding practices. First, it tests the original 8-factor structure of the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). Second, it examines the associations with parental feeding practices, measured with the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ). Questionnaires were sent to parents from 25 schools/preschools in Stockholm, Sweden and to parents starting a childhood obesity intervention. The CEBQ factor structure was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Associations between CEBQ subscales Food approach and Food avoidance and CFQ factors Restriction, Pressure to eat and Monitoring were examined with structural equation modelling (SEM), adjusting for child and parental characteristics, and parental confidence, measured with the Lifestyle Behavior Checklist (LBC). CFQ Concern for child weight and Perceived responsibility for child eating were used as mediators. 478 parents completed the questionnaires (children: 52% girls, mean age 5.5 years, 20% overweight/obese). A modified 8-factor structure showed an acceptable fit (TLI = 0.91, CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.05 and SRMR = 0.06) after dropping one item and allowing three pairs of error terms to correlate. The SEM model demonstrated that Food approach had a weak direct effect on Restriction, but a moderate (β = 0.30) indirect effect via Concern, resulting in a substantial total effect (β = 0.37). Food avoidance had a strong positive effect on Pressure to eat (β = 0.71). The CEBQ is a valid instrument for assessing parental perceptions of preschoolers' eating behaviors. Parental pressure to eat was strongly associated with children's food avoidance. Parental restriction, however, was more strongly associated with parents' concerns about their children's weights than with children's food approach. This suggests that childhood obesity interventions should address parents' perceptions of healthy weight alongside perceptions of healthy eating.

Perceived importance of weight training to selected NCAA Division III men and women student-athletes.

PubMed

Poiss, Candice C; Sullivan, Patricia A; Paup, Donald C; Westerman, Beverly J

2004-02-01

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in perception of the importance of weight training as a part of general and sport-specific training for selected collegiate men and women student-athletes. Subjects included 139 men and 165 women varsity National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III student-athletes who participated in the following sports: baseball, basketball, field hockey, football, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, or volleyball. Men student-athletes were significantly more likely to consider weight training essential to their general and sport-specific training than women student-athletes, as measured by the Training Information Survey. Additionally, men student-athletes were found to be significantly more competitive and win-oriented than women student-athletes (p < 0.001) as measured by the Sport Orientation Questionnaire, which is consistent with previous research. Results also showed that only highly goal-oriented student-athletes perceived weight training as: (a) important to both men and women and (b) having both feminine and masculine traits. It was concluded that significant gender differences exist in the perceived importance of weight training and that the constructs of competitiveness, win and goal orientation, may influence a student-athlete's perception of the importance of weight training. Coaches of both men and women student-athletes must teach that weight training is important for female and male student-athletes.

Insula tuning towards external eating versus interoceptive input in adolescents with overweight and obesity.

PubMed

Mata, Fernanda; Verdejo-Roman, Juan; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Verdejo-Garcia, Antonio

2015-10-01

This study was aimed to examine if adolescent obesity is associated with alterations of insula function as indexed by differential correlations between insula activation and perception of interoceptive feedback versus external food cues. We hypothesized that, in healthy weight adolescents, insula activation will positively correlate with interoceptive sensitivity, whereas in excess weight adolescents, insula activation will positively correlate with sensitivity towards external cues. Fifty-four adolescents (age range 12-18), classified in two groups as a function of BMI, excess weight (n = 22) and healthy weight (n = 32), performed the Risky-Gains task (sensitive to insula function) inside an fMRI scanner, and completed the heartbeat perception task (measuring interoceptive sensitivity) and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (measuring external eating as well as emotional eating and restraint) outside the scanner. We found that insula activation during the Risky-Gains task positively correlated with interoceptive sensitivity and negatively correlated with external eating in healthy weight adolescents. Conversely, in excess weight adolescents, insula activation positively correlated with external eating and negatively correlated with interoceptive sensitivity, arguably reflecting obesity related neurocognitive adaptations. In excess weight adolescents, external eating was also positively associated with caudate nucleus activation, and restrained eating was negatively associated with insula activation. Our findings suggest that adolescent obesity is associated with disrupted tuning of the insula system towards interoceptive input. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of Worksite Support and Employee Obesity, Activity and Diet

PubMed Central

Lemon, Stephenie C.; Zapka, Jane; Li, Wenjun; Estabrook, Barbara; Magner, Robert; Rosal, Milagros C.

2008-01-01

Objectives To examine the associations of perceptions of organizational commitment to employee health and coworker physical activity and eating behaviors with body mass index (BMI), physical activity and eating behaviors in hospital employees. Methods Baseline data from 899 employees participating in a worksite weight gain prevention trial were analyzed. Results Greater perception of organizational commitment to employee health was associated with lower BMI. Greater perception of coworker healthy eating and physical activity behaviors were associated with fruit and vegetable and saturated fat consumption and physical activity, respectively. Conclusions Improving organizational commitment and facilitating supportive interpersonal environments could improve obesity control among working populations. PMID:19063651

Barriers and facilitators to providing primary care-based weight management services in a patient centered medical home for Veterans: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Jay, Melanie; Chintapalli, Sumana; Squires, Allison; Mateo, Katrina F; Sherman, Scott E; Kalet, Adina L

2015-11-14

Obesity is highly prevalent among Veterans. In the United States, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) offers a comprehensive weight management program called MOVE!. Yet, fewer than 10 % of eligible patients ever attend one MOVE! visit. The VHA has a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of primary care (PC) called Patient-Aligned Care Teams (PACT) at all Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers. PACT teamlets conduct obesity screening, weight management counseling, and refer to MOVE!. As part of a needs assessment to improve delivery of weight management services, the purpose of this study was to assess PACT teamlet and MOVE! staff: 1) current attitudes and perceptions regarding obesity care; 2) obesity-related counseling practices 3) experiences with the MOVE! program; and 4) targets for interventions to improve implementation of obesity care in the PC setting. We recruited 25 PACT teamlet members from a single VA study site-11 PC physicians, 5 registered nurses, 5 licensed practical nurses, 1 clerical assistant, and 3 MOVE! staff (2 dietitians, 1 psychologist)-for individual interviews using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. Audio recorded interviews were professionally transcribed and iteratively coded by two independent reviewers. The analytic process was guided by discourse analysis in order to discover how the participants perceived and provided weight management care and what specific attitudes affected their practices, all as bounded within the organization. Emerging themes included: 1) role perceptions, 2) anticipated outcomes of weight management counseling and programs, and 3) communication and information dissemination. Perceived role among PCPs was influenced by training, whereas personal experience with their own weight management impacted role perception among LPNs/RNs. Attitudes about whether or not they could impact patients' weight outcomes via counseling or referral to MOVE! varied. System-level communication about VHA priorities through electronic health records and time allocation influenced teams to prioritize referral to MOVE! over weight management counseling. We found a diversity of attitudes, and practices within PACT, and identified factors that can enhance the MOVE! program and inform interventions to improve weight management within primary care. Although findings are site-specific, many are supported in the literature and applicable to other VA and non-VA sites with PCMH models of care.

Weight perception among Italian adults, 2006-2010.

PubMed

Odone, Anna; Gallus, Silvano; Lugo, Alessandra; Zuccaro, Piergiorgio; Colombo, Paolo; Bosetti, Cristina; La Vecchia, Carlo; Galeone, Carlotta

2014-03-01

Underweight, overweight and obesity are associated with increased mortality from several chronic diseases, including cancer. Self body weight misperceptions affect weight control. We monitored weight perception in Italy on a total of 14 135 individuals (6834 men, 7301 women), representative of the Italian adult population with available information on body mass index (BMI) derived by self-reported height and weight. Differences in misperception of BMI categories across subpopulations were analysed using unconditional multiple logistic regression models after adjustment for a number of covariates. Overall, 66.4% of individuals accurately perceived, 21.0% underestimated and 12.6% overestimated their category of BMI. In men, 27.2% underestimated and 5.0% overestimated their BMI category the corresponding estimates for women were 15.3% and 19.6%, respectively. The large majority of underweight (64.3%) and obese individuals (93.1%) overestimated and underestimated their weight, respectively. Overall, 13.5% of Italians misperceived (8.9% underestimated and 4.6% overestimated) their BMI category by more than 2 kg/m. By multivariate analysis, we observed significant differences in terms of sex, education, geographic area, marital status, smoking and drinking habit, year of survey and BMI category. In conclusion, misperception of body weight is frequent in Italy, paralleling findings from other countries with more unfavourable overweight and obesity patterns. The fact that one out of three Italian adults misperceive their weight is of great concern and indicates that media intervention campaigns aimed at explaining measurement and correct interpretation of BMI are required.

Pharmacy student self-perception of weight and relationship to counseling patients on lifestyle modification.

PubMed

Antworth, Allen; Maffeo, Carrie

2014-03-12

To assess the accuracy of pharmacy students' self-assessment of body mass index (BMI) and determine the relationship of this to comfort level in counseling patients regarding lifestyle modification. A prospective, observational, cohort study was conducted that included first-, second-, and third-year pharmacy students who had previously undergone training in BMI self-assessment. Data on students' weight and height were collected and a survey that contained questions on self-perception of body weight and comfort with lifestyle counseling was conducted. Perceived BMI categories (underweight, normal, overweight, and obese) were then compared to actual calculated BMI to determine the accuracy of the student's self-perception. At baseline, participants' accuracy in self-assessment of BMI was 74%, 73.3%, and 75.6% respectively, for first-, second-, and third-year students (p=0.911). Students accuracy increased but not significantly as they progressed through the curriculum (7.2% and 13.3%, respectively; p=0.470 and p=0.209). Neither accuracy in self-assessment of BMI nor students' actual BMI significantly affected students' comfort level with lifestyle modification counseling within healthy weight, overweight, or obese patient categories. However, as the patients' BMI category increased, comfort level differences were observed among students of normal and overweight categories. Patients' BMI category may be a significant barrier to pharmacy students' comfort level in providing lifestyle modification counseling. This finding suggests the need to implement curriculum changes to better prepare students for lifestyle modification counseling.

Body image emotions, perceptions, and cognitions distinguish physically active and inactive smokers

PubMed Central

Contreras, Gisèle A.; Sabiston, Catherine M.; O'Loughlin, Erin K.; Bélanger, Mathieu; O'Loughlin, Jennifer

2015-01-01

Objectives To determine if body image emotions (body-related shame and guilt, weight-related stress), perceptions (self-perceived overweight), or cognitions (trying to change weight) differ between adolescents characterized by smoking and physical activity (PA) behavior. Methods Data for this cross-sectional analysis were collected in 2010–11 and were available for 1017 participants (mean (SD) age = 16.8 (0.5) years). Participants were categorized according to smoking and PA status into four groups: inactive smokers, inactive non-smokers, active smokers and active non-smokers. Associations between body image emotions, perceptions and cognitions, and group membership were estimated in multinomial logistic regression. Results Participants who reported body-related shame were less likely (OR (95% CI) = 0.52 (0.29–0.94)) to be in the active smoker group than the inactive smoker group; those who reported body-related guilt and those trying to gain weight were more likely (2.14 (1.32–3.48) and 2.49 (1.22–5.08), respectively) to be in the active smoker group than the inactive smoker group; those who were stressed about weight and those perceiving themselves as overweight were less likely to be in the active non-smoker group than the inactive smoker group (0.79 (0.64–0.97) and 0.41 (0.19–0.89), respectively). Conclusion Body image emotions and cognitions differentiated the active smoker group from the other three groups. PMID:26844062

The Impact of Shame, Self-Criticism and Social Rank on Eating Behaviours in Overweight and Obese Women Participating in a Weight Management Programme

PubMed Central

Duarte, Cristiana; Matos, Marcela; Stubbs, R. James; Gale, Corinne; Morris, Liam; Gouveia, Jose Pinto; Gilbert, Paul

2017-01-01

Recent research has suggested that obesity is a stigmatised condition. Concerns with personal inferiority (social rank), shame and self-criticism may impact on weight management behaviours. The current study examined associations between social comparison (shame, self-criticism), negative affect and eating behaviours in women attending a community based weight management programme focused on behaviour change. 2,236 participants of the programme completed an online survey using measures of shame, self-criticism, social comparison, and weight-related affect, which were adapted to specifically address eating behaviour, weight and body shape perceptions. Correlation analyses showed that shame, self-criticism and social comparison were associated with negative affect. All of these variables were related to eating regulation and weight control (p < 0.001). Path analysis revealed that the association of shame, hated-self, and low self-reassurance on disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger was fully mediated by weight-related negative affect, even when controlling for the effect of depressive symptoms (p < 0.050 to p < 0.010). In addition, feelings of inadequacy and unfavourable social comparisons were associated with higher disinhibition and susceptibility to hunger, partially mediated through weight-related negative affect (p = 0.001). These variables were negatively associated with extent of weight loss during programme attendance prior to the survey, while self-reassurance and positive social comparisons were positively associated with the extent of weight loss prior to the survey (p < .050). Shame, self-criticism, and perceptions of inferiority may play a significant role in self-regulation of eating behaviour in overweight people trying to manage their weight. PMID:28107449

Can it be harmful for parents to talk to their child about their weight? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Gillison, Fiona B; Lorenc, Ava B; Sleddens, Ester F C; Williams, Stefanie L; Atkinson, Lou

2016-12-01

Many parents express concern that raising the issue of weight risks harming their child's physical self-perceptions and wellbeing. Such concerns can deter families from engaging with weight management services. This systematic review aimed to investigate the evidence behind these concerns by analysing the association between parent-child weight-talk and child wellbeing. A systematic search of eight databases identified four intervention studies and 38 associative studies. Meta-analysis was only possible for the associative studies; to facilitate more meaningful comparisons, weight-talk was categorized into four communication types and effect size estimates for the association between these and wellbeing indicators were calculated through a random effects model. Encouraging children to lose weight and criticizing weight were associated with poorer physical self-perceptions and greater dieting and dysfunctional eating (effect sizes: 0.20 to 0.47). Conversely, parental encouragement of healthy lifestyles without explicit reference to weight was associated with better wellbeing, but this was only measured in two studies. Of the four intervention studies, only one isolated the effects of parents' communication on wellbeing outcomes, reporting a positive effect. There was no effect of age on the strength of associations, but dysfunctional eating was more strongly associated with parent communication for girls than boys. The findings indicate that some forms of parent-child weight-talk are associated with poor wellbeing, but suggest that this is not inevitable. Encouraging healthy behaviours without reference to weight-control, and positive parental involvement in acknowledging and addressing weight-concern may avoid such outcomes. More longitudinal research is needed to analyse the direction of these effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maternal weight misperceptions and smoking are associated with overweight and obesity in low SES preschoolers.

PubMed

Kaufman-Shriqui, V; Fraser, D; Novack, Y; Bilenko, N; Vardi, H; Abu-Saad, K; Elhadad, N; Feine, Z; Mor, K; Shahar, D R

2012-02-01

To identify modifiable risk factors for obesity among low socioeconomic status (LSES) children. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 238 4-7-year-old children and 224 mothers from LSES preschools. Anthropometric measurements were obtained; mothers were interviewed about sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, perceptions and beliefs. The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity (OWOB) among children was 29.8% based on the new World Health Organization (WHO) growth standard. Prevalence of OWOB (body mass index ≥25) among mothers was 51.8%. Mean age, sleeping hours, gender distribution and poverty level were similar between normal and OWOB children. Over 82% of mothers underestimated their child's weight status. Of the 62 OWOB children, 74.2% were perceived by their mothers as having 'normal weight' (NW) and 8% were perceived as 'thin'. Mothers perceived 67 out of 158 NW children (42.4%) as 'thin' (P<0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that 10% of the effect of maternal underestimation on child's OWOB may be mediated through child's daily sedentary hours (P=0.06). In a multivariable logistic-regression analysis controlling for maternal obesity, knowledge regarding breakfast's importance and child's daily sedentary hours, maternal underestimation of the child's weight status (odds ratio=7.33; 95% confidence interval (CI):2.41-22.37; P<0.0001) and parental smoking (odds ratio=3.25; 95% CI: 1.26-8.40; P=0.015) were the only significant factors associated with OWOB in LSES children. Maternal perception of child's weight status and parental smoking are associated with childhood OWOB among LSES children. These parameters can help identify children at risk for obesity. Maternal perception may be amenable to intervention.

Body weight, weight perceptions and food intake patterns. A cross-sectional study among male recruits in the Norwegian National Guard

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Young men tend to have a low intake of vegetables and fruit. Unfortunately, this group is difficult to reach with health information. Furthermore, knowledge about weight perceptions and the relationship to food behaviour among young men is scant. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between BMI, health and weight perceptions and food intake patterns among young men in the military. Methods Data were collected with a 4-day food diary among 578 male recruits (age 18-26, mean 19.7) in the Norwegian National Guard (response rate 78%), in addition to a questionnaire, including questions about health and weight perceptions, and food frequency when still living at home. Weight and height were objectively measured. Food patterns were explored with principal component analysis, based on the diary data. A multivariate linear regression analysis determined the association between BMI and food patterns, and attitudes to health and slenderness, adjusting for smoking, physical activity and phase of data collection. Results Twenty eight percent of the recruits were overweight/obese (BMI > 25 kg/m2). Two-thirds meant that it is important for them to be slender, and these recruits reported more of both light (p = 0.025) and hard (p = 0.016) physical activity than the others. It was a positive association between the recruits' food frequency at home, and the amount of intake in the military camp for several food items. A principal component analysis identified three distinct food patterns, loading on 1) plant foods, 2) fast food/soft drinks, 3) milk/cereals. Those who stated that it is important for them to be slender, or to have good health, did not have significantly different food intake patterns than the others. BMI was inversely related to scores on the plant food pattern, and positive attitudes to slenderness. Conclusion The majority of the recruits find it important to be slender. This orientation had a bearing on their physical activity pattern, but less on the food intake pattern. The data also indicate that subjects with high intakes of plant foods were less likely to have a high BMI than others. It is important to raise awareness of healthy eating in young men. PMID:21595899

Body weight, weight perceptions and food intake patterns. A cross-sectional study among male recruits in the Norwegian National Guard.

PubMed

Uglem, Solveig; Stea, Tonje H; Frølich, Wenche; Wandel, Margareta

2011-05-19

Young men tend to have a low intake of vegetables and fruit. Unfortunately, this group is difficult to reach with health information. Furthermore, knowledge about weight perceptions and the relationship to food behaviour among young men is scant. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between BMI, health and weight perceptions and food intake patterns among young men in the military. Data were collected with a 4-day food diary among 578 male recruits (age 18-26, mean 19.7) in the Norwegian National Guard (response rate 78%), in addition to a questionnaire, including questions about health and weight perceptions, and food frequency when still living at home. Weight and height were objectively measured. Food patterns were explored with principal component analysis, based on the diary data. A multivariate linear regression analysis determined the association between BMI and food patterns, and attitudes to health and slenderness, adjusting for smoking, physical activity and phase of data collection. Twenty eight percent of the recruits were overweight/obese (BMI > 25 kg/m(2)). Two-thirds meant that it is important for them to be slender, and these recruits reported more of both light (p = 0.025) and hard (p = 0.016) physical activity than the others. It was a positive association between the recruits' food frequency at home, and the amount of intake in the military camp for several food items. A principal component analysis identified three distinct food patterns, loading on 1) plant foods, 2) fast food/soft drinks, 3) milk/cereals. Those who stated that it is important for them to be slender, or to have good health, did not have significantly different food intake patterns than the others. BMI was inversely related to scores on the plant food pattern, and positive attitudes to slenderness. The majority of the recruits find it important to be slender. This orientation had a bearing on their physical activity pattern, but less on the food intake pattern. The data also indicate that subjects with high intakes of plant foods were less likely to have a high BMI than others. It is important to raise awareness of healthy eating in young men.

Media Images: Do They Influence College Students' Body Image?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Gina Jarman

2009-01-01

Body image perception and body mass index (BMI) among college students exposed and not exposed to photographs of models were compared. Classes were assigned to receive a presentation with or without photographs of models incorporated. Students (n = 184) completed a survey about body/weight satisfaction, height, weight, and the Contour Drawing…

Understanding Weight Management Perceptions in First-Year College Students Using the Health Belief Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Das, Bhibha M.; Evans, Ellen M.

2014-01-01

Objective: To examine weight management barriers, using the Health Belief Model, in first-year college students. Participants: First-year college students (n = 45), with data collected in April, May, and November 2013. Methods: Nominal group technique sessions (n = 8) were conducted. Results: First-year students recognize benefits to weight…

Can We Have Fries with That, Please? Nutrition and Physical Activities among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monteiro, Andreia C.; Jeremic, Miljana; Budden, Michael C.

2010-01-01

Obesity is a growing health and socioeconomic issue in the United States. College students are an important part of the alarming statistics involving weight gain. This study investigated how nutrition behaviors and physical activity modified students' perceptions of body weight and nutrition knowledge. Furthermore, the study assessed gender and…

Eating habits among adolescents in rural Southern Appalachia.

PubMed

Wu, Tiejian; Stoots, James Michael; Florence, James E; Floyd, Michael R; Snider, Jeromy Blake; Ward, Ryan D

2007-06-01

A survey of 274 adolescents aged 14-16 years in rural Appalachia showed that unhealthy eating habits were prevalent. A few adolescents were teased about weight whereas 20.1% witnessed weight teasing almost everyday. Perception of parents' healthy eating and better social support for healthy eating were associated with healthier eating habits.

The Influence of Prior Knowledge on Perception and Action: Relationships to Autistic Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckingham, Gavin; Michelakakis, Elizabeth Evgenia; Rajendran, Gnanathusharan

2016-01-01

Autism is characterised by a range of perceptual and sensorimotor deficits, which might be related to abnormalities in how autistic individuals use prior knowledge. We investigated this proposition in a large non-clinical population in the context of the size-weight illusion, where individual's expectations about object weight influence their…

Associations between Parental Concern for Adolescent Weight and the Home Food Environment and Dietary Intake

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarlane, Abbie; Crawford, David; Worsley, Anthony

2010-01-01

Objective: Examine associations between parental concern about adolescent weight and adolescent perceptions of their dietary intake, home food availability, family mealtime environment, and parents' feeding practices. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Adolescents, aged 12-15 years from 37 secondary schools in Victoria, Australia, and their…

Parental perception and child's nutritional status.

PubMed

Yalçın, S Songül; Serdaroğlu, Esra; İnce, O Tolga

2016-01-01

Childhood obesity is a health hazard increasing worldwide. Preschool period which is under supervision of parents is a critical period to detect overweight and take precautions. We studied the factors affecting parental estimation of their preschool child's weight. Three hundred sixty seven mothers completed questionnaires consisting of child's and parents' anthropometric measurements, parents' assessment of their child's and their own weight status, and general information about their lifestyle. Mothers also chose their wish for current and future body image of their child from child drawings representing percentiles. Child body mass index-for-age z score (BAZ) was related to birth weight and child's appetite. BAZ was not related to child's gender, presence of chronic disease, family pattern, parental age, education or income. 43.1 % of mothers correctly assessed child's BAZ verbally. Maternal verbal estimation was correlated with maternal visual estimation, paternal verbal estimation and child's BAZ. Mothers' wish for future figure of the child was not related to child's BAZ, but showed correlation with mothers' wish for current figure of the child. Mother's correct perception of her child's weight was found to be high, consistent with her spouse and related to child's BAZ.

Women's meta-perceptions of attractiveness and their relations to body image.

PubMed

Dijkstra, Pieternel; Barelds, Dick P H

2011-01-01

The present study examined meta-perceptions of attractiveness among women. More specifically, ratings were collected about how women thought their partner, family and friends, and strangers would view their physical attractiveness. In an online survey, 1287 Dutch women (aged 19-80 years) answered questions concerning meta-perceptions of attractiveness, demographic data, body mass index (BMI), body image (Body Areas Satisfaction Scale, self-rated general physical attractiveness, and actual-ideal weight discrepancy), and self-esteem. Results showed that women's meta-perceptions of attractiveness reflected the level of closeness of the relationship with the other person, with the most positive meta-perceptions reported for the partner, followed by those for family and friends, and the least positive meta-perceptions for strangers. Meta-perceptions were strongly related to body image, self-esteem and BMI. Self-ratings of attractiveness appeared to be lower than all meta-perceptions of attractiveness, suggesting that women are aware of their own negative self-bias and/or other people's positive bias. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual Perception and Visual-Motor Integration in Very Preterm and/or Very Low Birth Weight Children: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geldof, C. J. A.; van Wassenaer, A. G.; de Kieviet, J. F.; Kok, J. H.; Oosterlaan, J.

2012-01-01

A range of neurobehavioral impairments, including impaired visual perception and visual-motor integration, are found in very preterm born children, but reported findings show great variability. We aimed to aggregate the existing literature using meta-analysis, in order to provide robust estimates of the effect of very preterm birth on visual…

DIMENSION-BASED STATISTICAL LEARNING OF VOWELS

PubMed Central

Liu, Ran; Holt, Lori L.

2015-01-01

Speech perception depends on long-term representations that reflect regularities of the native language. However, listeners rapidly adapt when speech acoustics deviate from these regularities due to talker idiosyncrasies such as foreign accents and dialects. To better understand these dual aspects of speech perception, we probe native English listeners’ baseline perceptual weighting of two acoustic dimensions (spectral quality and vowel duration) towards vowel categorization and examine how they subsequently adapt to an “artificial accent” that deviates from English norms in the correlation between the two dimensions. At baseline, listeners rely relatively more on spectral quality than vowel duration to signal vowel category, but duration nonetheless contributes. Upon encountering an “artificial accent” in which the spectral-duration correlation is perturbed relative to English language norms, listeners rapidly down-weight reliance on duration. Listeners exhibit this type of short-term statistical learning even in the context of nonwords, confirming that lexical information is not necessary to this form of adaptive plasticity in speech perception. Moreover, learning generalizes to both novel lexical contexts and acoustically-distinct altered voices. These findings are discussed in the context of a mechanistic proposal for how supervised learning may contribute to this type of adaptive plasticity in speech perception. PMID:26280268

Experiences and Perceptions of Adults Accessing Publicly Available Nutrition Behavior-Change Mobile Apps for Weight Management.

PubMed

Lieffers, Jessica R L; Arocha, Jose F; Grindrod, Kelly; Hanning, Rhona M

2018-02-01

Nutrition mobile apps have become accessible and popular weight-management tools available to the general public. To date, much of the research has focused on quantitative outcomes with these tools (eg, weight loss); little is known about user experiences and perceptions of these tools when used outside of a research trial environment. Our aim was to understand the experiences and perceptions of adult volunteers who have used publicly available mobile apps to support nutrition behavior change for weight management. We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with individuals who reported using nutrition mobile apps for weight management outside of a research setting. Twenty-four healthy adults (n=19 females, n=5 males) who had used publicly available nutrition mobile apps for weight management for ≥1 week within the past 3 to 4 months were recruited from the community in southern Ontario and Edmonton, Canada, using different methods (eg, social media, posters, and word of mouth). Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were verified against recordings. Data were coded inductively and organized into categories using NVivo, version 10 (QSR International). Participants used nutrition apps for various amounts of time (mean=approximately 14 months). Varied nutrition apps were used; however, MyFitnessPal was the most common. In the interviews, the following four categories of experiences with nutrition apps became apparent: food data entry (database, data entry methods, portion size, and complex foods); accountability, feedback, and progress (goal setting, accountability, monitoring, and feedback); technical and app-related factors; and personal factors (self-motivation, privacy, knowledge, and obsession). Most participants used apps without professional or dietitian support. This work reveals that numerous factors affect use and ongoing adherence to use of nutrition mobile apps. These data are relevant to professionals looking to better assist individuals using these tools, as well as developers looking to develop new and improved apps. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of a food quantification picture book and portion sizes estimation applying perception and memory methods.

PubMed

Szenczi-Cseh, J; Horváth, Zs; Ambrus, Á

2017-12-01

We tested the applicability of EPIC-SOFT food picture series used in the context of a Hungarian food consumption survey gathering data for exposure assessment, and investigated errors in food portion estimation resulted from the visual perception and conceptualisation-memory. Sixty-two participants in three age groups (10 to <74 years) were presented with three different portion sizes of five foods. The results were considered acceptable if the relative difference between average estimated and actual weight obtained through the perception method was ≤25%, and the relative standard deviation of the individual weight estimates was <30% after compensating the effect of potential outliers with winsorisation. Picture series for all five food items were rated acceptable. Small portion sizes were tended to be overestimated, large ones were tended to be underestimated. Portions of boiled potato and creamed spinach were all over- and underestimated, respectively. Recalling the portion sizes resulted in overestimation with larger differences (up to 60.7%).

Perceived aggressiveness predicts fighting performance in mixed-martial-arts fighters.

PubMed

Trebicky, Vít; Havlícek, Jan; Roberts, S Craig; Little, Anthony C; Kleisner, Karel

2013-09-01

Accurate assessment of competitive ability is a critical component of contest behavior in animals, and it could be just as important in human competition, particularly in human ancestral populations. Here, we tested the role that facial perception plays in this assessment by investigating the association between both perceived aggressiveness and perceived fighting ability in fighters' faces and their actual fighting success. Perceived aggressiveness was positively associated with the proportion of fights won, after we controlled for the effect of weight, which also independently predicted perceived aggression. In contrast, perception of fighting ability was confounded by weight, and an association between perceived fighting ability and actual fighting success was restricted to heavyweight fighters. Shape regressions revealed that aggressive-looking faces are generally wider and have a broader chin, more prominent eyebrows, and a larger nose than less aggressive-looking faces. Our results indicate that perception of aggressiveness and fighting ability might cue different aspects of success in male-male physical confrontation.

The mediating effects of perceived parental teasing on relations of body mass index to depression and self-perception of physical appearance and global self-worth in children.

PubMed

Bang, Kyung-Sook; Chae, Sun-Mi; Hyun, Myung-Sun; Nam, Hye Kyung; Kim, Ji-Soo; Park, Kwang-Hee

2012-12-01

To report a correlational study of the relation of body mass index to children's perceptions of physical appearance and global self-worth and depression, as mediated by their perceptions of parental teasing. The relation between depression and self-perception in children with obesity has been reported. Recently, parental factors were found to be related to childhood obesity. Little is known about the effects of perceived parental teasing on depression and self-perception in children. A descriptive correlational research design was used. Data were collected from 455 children in the fifth and sixth grades in four provinces of South Korea using self-report questionnaires for measuring self-perception of physical appearance and global self-worth, depression and perceived parental teasing between October-December in 2009. The children's weight and height information from school health records was used. Multiple regression analysis and the Sobel test were used to identify the mediating effect of perceived parental teasing. Among the children, 20% were overweight or obese. Although children with obesity did not differ in the level of depression from their normal weight counterparts, they demonstrated lower perceived physical appearance and higher perceived parental teasing. The mediating effects of perceived parental teasing were found for the relations between body mass index and self-perception of physical appearance and global self-worth, and body mass index and depression, respectively. Obese children at risk of parental teasing should be identified to prevent their psychological problems. A well-designed intervention study is necessary to examine the effects of psycho-emotional interventions for obese children. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Perceptions of food intake and weight status among parents of picky eating infants and toddlers in China: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Li, Ziyi; van der Horst, Klazine; Edelson-Fries, Lisa R; Yu, Kai; You, Lili; Zhang, Yumei; Vinyes-Pares, Gerard; Wang, Peiyu; Ma, Defu; Yang, Xiaoguang; Qin, Liqiang; Wang, Jiaji

2017-01-01

Previous studies have suggested that children that are picky eaters may have a different and less varied diet than non-picky children, but the literature on picky eating in Chinese children is limited. To assess the prevalence of picky eating in 6-35 month-old Chinese children, and to explore how parents' perceptions of picky eating relate to children's intake and body composition. 1414 6-35 month-old infants and toddlers from 8 Chinese cities were included in this study. Questionnaires were used to collect information on family demographic factors, child picky eating behaviors, food group rejection, and parents' perception of child weight status. Dietary intake data was collected via 24-h recall. Children's length/height and weight were measured. The reported prevalence of picky eating was higher in 24-35 month-olds (36% of children) compared to 6-11 month-olds (12%). There were no consistent significant differences in dietary intakes of nutrients between picky and non-picky eaters. Picky eating children whose parents indicated that they avoided eggs had lower intake of this food group compared to non-picky eaters, whereas those reported to avoid grains or meat had higher intakes of those food groups. Weight status was underestimated by parents of both picky and non-picky children. Picky eating seems to occur at similar prevalence rates in China as has been reported in other countries. Parents' perceptions of food refusal do not reflect actual intakes, nor do nutrient intakes of picky eaters show additional gaps compared to non-picky eating children. In healthy children with typical growth patterns, picky eating seems to be a normal phase of development experienced by some children, without substantial consequences on their nutrient or food group intakes. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Development and Validation of the Body Size Scale for Assessing Body Weight Perception in African Populations

PubMed Central

Cohen, Emmanuel; Bernard, Jonathan Y.; Ponty, Amandine; Ndao, Amadou; Amougou, Norbert; Saïd-Mohamed, Rihlat; Pasquet, Patrick

2015-01-01

Background The social valorisation of overweight in African populations could promote high-risk eating behaviours and therefore become a risk factor of obesity. However, existing scales to assess body image are usually not accurate enough to allow comparative studies of body weight perception in different African populations. This study aimed to develop and validate the Body Size Scale (BSS) to estimate African body weight perception. Methods Anthropometric measures of 80 Cameroonians and 81 Senegalese were used to evaluate three criteria of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), overall percentage of fat, and endomorphy (fat component of the somatotype). To develop the BSS, the participants were photographed in full face and profile positions. Models were selected for their representativeness of the wide variability in adiposity with a progressive increase along the scale. Then, for the validation protocol, participants self-administered the BSS to assess self-perceived current body size (CBS), desired body size (DBS) and provide a “body self-satisfaction index.” This protocol included construct validity, test-retest reliability and convergent validity and was carried out with three independent samples of respectively 201, 103 and 1115 Cameroonians. Results The BSS comprises two sex-specific scales of photos of 9 models each, and ordered by increasing adiposity. Most participants were able to correctly order the BSS by increasing adiposity, using three different words to define body size. Test-retest reliability was consistent in estimating CBS, DBS and the “body self-satisfaction index.” The CBS was highly correlated to the objective BMI, and two different indexes assessed with the BSS were consistent with declarations obtained in interviews. Conclusion The BSS is the first scale with photos of real African models taken in both full face and profile and representing a wide and representative variability in adiposity. The validation protocol proved its reliability for estimating body weight perception in Africans. PMID:26536030

‘Health and happiness is more important than weight’: a qualitative investigation of the views of parents receiving written feedback on their child's weight as part of the National Child Measurement Programme

PubMed Central

Syrad, H; Falconer, C; Cooke, L; Saxena, S; Kessel, A S; Viner, R; Kinra, S; Wardle, J; Croker, H

2015-01-01

Background The present study aimed to explore parental perceptions of overweight children and associated health risks after receiving National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) weight feedback. Methods Fifty-two parents of overweight and obese children aged 4–5 years and 10–11 years enrolled in the NCMP programme in England in 2010–2011 participated in qualitative, semi-structured interviews about their perceptions of their child's weight and health risk after receiving weight feedback. Interviews were audio tape recorded and were conducted either by telephone (n = 9) or in the respondents’ homes (n = 41). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative thematic analysis. Results Parents who received NCMP written feedback informing them that their child was overweight disregarded the results because they viewed ‘health and happiness as being more important than weight’. The feedback was viewed as less credible because it did not consider the individual child's lifestyle. ‘Broad definitions of healthy’ were described that did not include weight, such as reference to the child having good emotional and physical health and a healthy diet. Parents attributed weight to ‘inherited/acquired factors’ such as genetics or puppy fat, or did not regard their child's ‘appearance’ as reflecting being overweight. ‘Cultural influence’ also meant that being overweight was not viewed negatively by some non-white parents. Conclusions After receiving written weight feedback, parents use methods other than actual weight when evaluating their child's weight status and health risks. Parents’ conceptions of health and weight should be considered when communicating with parents, with the aim of bridging the gap between parental recognition of being overweight and subsequent behaviour change. PMID:26295077

Latino parents' perceptions of weight terminology used in pediatric weight counseling.

PubMed

Knierim, Shanna Doucette; Rahm, Alanna Kulchak; Haemer, Matthew; Raghunath, Silvia; Martin, Carmen; Yang, Alyssa; Clarke, Christina; Hambidge, Simon J

2015-01-01

To identify which English and Spanish terms Latino parents consider motivating, as well as culturally and linguistically appropriate, for provider use during weight counseling of overweight and obese Latino youth. Latino parent perceptions of common Spanish and English terms for overweight were discussed with 54 parents in 6 focus groups (3 English, 3 Spanish). Atlas.ti software was used for qualitative analysis. An initial codebook was used to code passages for English and Spanish terminology separately. Subsequent changes to the coded passages and creation of new codes were made by team consensus. "Demasiado peso para su salud" (too much weight for his/her health) was the only phrase for excess weight that was consistently identified as motivating and inoffensive by Spanish-speaking parents. "Sobrepeso" (overweight), a commonly used term among health care providers, was motivating to some parents but offensive to others. English-speaking parents had mixed reactions to "unhealthy weight," "weight problem," and "overweight," finding them motivating, confusing, or insulting. Parents found "fat" "gordo" and "obese" "obeso" consistently offensive. Most participants found growth charts and the term "BMI" confusing. Parents consistently reported that providers could enhance motivation and avoid offending families by linking a child's weight to health risks, particularly diabetes. "Demasiado peso para su salud" (too much weight for his/her health) was motivating to many Spanish-speaking Latino parents. Among English-speaking Latino parents, no single English term emerged as motivating, well-understood, and inoffensive. Linking a child's excess weight with increased health risks was motivating and valuable to many parents regardless of language spoken. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perception and evaluation of women's bodies in adolescents and adults with anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Horndasch, Stefanie; Heinrich, Hartmut; Kratz, Oliver; Mai, Sandra; Graap, Holmer; Moll, Gunther H

2015-12-01

Body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa (AN) has been widely studied with regard to the patient's own body, but little is known about perception of or attitude towards other women's bodies in AN. The aim of the present study was to investigate how 20 girls aged 12-18 years and 19 adult women suffering from AN compared to 37 healthy adolescent girls and women estimate weight and attractiveness of women's bodies belonging to different BMI categories (BMI 13.8-61.3 kg/m²). Weight and attractiveness ratings of the participant's own body and information on physical comparisons were obtained, and effects on others' weight and attractiveness ratings investigated. Differential evaluation processes were found: AN patients estimated other women's weight higher than control participants. Patients showed a bias towards assessing extremely underweight women as more attractive and normal weight and overweight women as less attractive than healthy girls and women. These effects were more pronounced in adult than in adolescent AN patients. The tendency to engage in physical comparison with others significantly correlated with weight as well as attractiveness ratings in patients. A logistic regression model encompassing own attractiveness ratings, attractiveness bias towards strongly underweight others' bodies and the interaction of this bias with age as predictors differentiated best between AN patients and controls. Our results indicate that females suffering from AN and healthy girls and women perceive other women's bodies differently. Assessment of others' weight and attractiveness may contribute to the maintenance of dysfunctional physical comparison processes.

The Development and Evaluation of a Measure Assessing School Nurses' Perceived Barriers to Addressing Pediatric Obesity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Yelena P.; Steele, Ric G.

2011-01-01

School nurses represent an important resource for addressing pediatric obesity and weight-related health. However, school nurses perceive numerous barriers that prevent them from addressing the weight-related health of students. The current study developed and tested a new, comprehensive measure of nurses' perceptions of 10 types of barriers to…

The Influence of Stereotypical Beliefs, Participant Gender, and Survivor Weight on Sexual Assault Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Allyson K.; Stermac, Lana

2011-01-01

The present study explored the influence of survivor weight and participant gender, rape myth acceptance, and antifat attitudes on perceptions of sexual assault. Using an online survey tool, a community sample of 413 adult Canadian residents reviewed a hypothetical sexual assault scenario and completed a series of evaluations and attitudinal…

Weight Perception, Substance Use, and Disordered Eating Behaviors: Comparing Normal Weight and Overweight High-School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eichen, Dawn M.; Conner, Bradley T.; Daly, Brian P.; Fauber, Robert L.

2012-01-01

Disordered eating behaviors and substance use are two risk factors for the development of serious psychopathology and health concerns in adulthood. Despite the negative outcomes associated with these risky behaviors, few studies have examined potential associations between these risk factors as they occur during adolescence. The importance of…

Using Focus Groups to Identify Factors Affecting Healthful Weight Maintenance in Latino Immigrants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greaney, Mary L.; Lees, Faith D.; Lynch, Breanna; Sebelia, Linda; Greene, Geoffrey W.

2012-01-01

Objective: To explore (1) how migration influenced physical activity and dietary behaviors among Latino immigrants and (2) participants' perception of concepts related to a Health at Every Size (HAES) approach to weight maintenance (mindful eating, taking care of oneself). Methods: Four focus groups (n = 35), homogenous by sex, were conducted in…

Adolescent Girls' Perceptions of Smoking Risk and Protective Factors: Implications for Message Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curbow, Barbara; Bowie, Janice; Binko, JoAnn; Smith, Stephanie; Dreyling, Erin; McDonnell, Karen A.

2007-01-01

Using a snowball technique, in-depth interviews were conducted with 108 girls emanating from seven demographically dissimilar social networks. Girls were asked to classify 58 items as either a risk or protective factor for smoking initiation and then to assign an importance weighting to each. All items except one (worries about her weight) were…

Child obesity cut-offs as derived from parental perceptions: cross-sectional questionnaire.

PubMed

Black, James A; Park, MinHae; Gregson, John; Falconer, Catherine L; White, Billy; Kessel, Anthony S; Saxena, Sonia; Viner, Russell M; Kinra, Sanjay

2015-04-01

Overweight children are at an increased risk of premature mortality and disease in adulthood. Parental perceptions and clinical definitions of child obesity differ, which may lessen the effectiveness of interventions to address obesity in the home setting. The extent to which parental and objective weight status cut-offs diverge has not been documented. To compare parental perceived and objectively derived assessment of underweight, healthy weight, and overweight in English children, and to identify sociodemographic characteristics that predict parental under- or overestimation of a child's weight status. Cross-sectional questionnaire completed by parents linked with objective measurement of height and weight by school nurses, in English children from five regions aged 4-5 and 10-11 years old. Parental derived cut-offs for under- and overweight were derived from a multinomial model of parental classification of their own child's weight status against school nurse measured body mass index (BMI) centile. Measured BMI centile was matched with parent classification of weight status in 2976 children. Parents become more likely to classify their children as underweight when they are at the 0.8th centile or below, and overweight at the 99.7th centile or above. Parents were more likely to underestimate a child's weight if the child was black or South Asian, male, more deprived, or the child was older. These values differ greatly from the BMI centile cut-offs for underweight (2nd centile) and overweight (85th). Clinical and parental classifications of obesity are divergent at extremes of the weight spectrum. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Correction of Body-Mass Index Using Body-Shape Perception and Socioeconomic Status in Adolescent Self-Report Surveys

PubMed Central

Legleye, Stéphane; Beck, François; Spilka, Stanislas; Chau, Nearkasen

2014-01-01

Objectives To propose a simple correction of body-mass index (BMI) based on self-reported weight and height (reported BMI) using gender, body shape perception and socioeconomic status in an adolescent population. Methods 341 boys and girls aged 17–18 years were randomly selected from a representative sample of 2165 French adolescents living in Paris surveyed in 2010. After an anonymous self-administered pen-and-paper questionnaire asking for height, weight, body shape perception (feeling too thin, about the right weight or too fat) and socioeconomic status, subjects were measured and weighed. BMI categories were computed according to Cole’s cut-offs. Reported BMIs were corrected using linear regressions and ROC analyses and checked with cross-validation and multiple imputations to handle missing values. Agreement between actual and corrected BMI values was estimated with Kappa indexes and Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results On average, BMIs were underreported, especially among girls. Kappa indexes between actual and reported BMI were low, especially for girls: 0.56 95%CI = [0.42–0.70] for boys and 0.45 95%CI = [0.30–0.60] for girls. The regression of reported BMI by gender and body shape perception gave the most balanced results for both genders: the Kappa and ICC obtained were 0.63 95%CI = [0.50–0.76] and 0.67, 95%CI = [0.58–0.74] for boys; 0.65 95%CI = [0.52–0.78] and 0.74, 95%CI = [0.66–0.81] for girls. The regression of reported BMI by gender and socioeconomic status led to similar corrections while the ROC analyses were inaccurate. Conclusions Using body shape perception, or socioeconomic status and gender is a promising way of correcting BMI in self-administered questionnaires, especially for girls. PMID:24844229

The Influence of Physician Communication Style on Overweight Patients’ Perceptions of Length of Encounter and Physician Being Rushed

PubMed Central

Gulbrandsen, Pål; Østbye, Truls; Lyna, Pauline; Dolor, Rowena J.; Tulsky, James A.; Alexander, Stewart C.; Pollak, Kathryn I.

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Little is known about how patients and physicians perceive time and the extent to which they perceive the physician being rushed during encounters. One aim of this paper is to examine whether patient and physician characteristics and physician communication influence patient perception of the duration of the encounter and their perception of physicians being rushed. Another aim is to examine the relationship between patient and physician perceptions of physicians feeling rushed. METHODS We audiorecorded 461 encounters of overweight or obese patients with 40 primary care physicians and included 320 encounters in which weight was discussed. We calculated time spent with physician and coded all communication about weight using the Motivational Interview Treatment Integrity scale (MITI). Patients completed post-visit questionnaires in which they reported the estimated duration of the encounter and how rushed they thought the physician was during the encounter. Physicians reported how rushed they felt. RESULTS Patients estimated encounters to be longer than they actually were by an average of 2.6 minutes (SD=11.0). When physicians used reflective statements when discussing weight, patients estimated the encounter to be shorter than when physicians did not use reflective statements (1.17 versus 4.56 minutes more than actual duration). Whites perceived the encounter as shorter than African Americans (1.45 versus 4.28 minutes more than actual duration). Physicians felt rushed in 66% of visits; however, most patients did not perceive this. Internists were perceived to be more rushed than family physicians. CONCLUSIONS There is wide variation in patients’ ability to estimate the length of time they spend with their physician. Some physician and patient characteristics were related to patient perceptions of the length of the encounter. Reflective statements might lead patients to perceive encounters as shorter. Physicians, especially family physicians, appear able to conceal that they are feeling rushed. PMID:22399481

Integrating Fundamental Concepts of Obesity and Eating Disorders: Implications for the Obesity Epidemic

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Physiological mechanisms promote weight gain after famine. Because eating disorders, obesity, and dieting limit food intake, they are famine-like experiences. The development of the concept of meeting an ideal weight was the beginning of increasing obesity. Weight stigma, the perception of being fat, lack of understanding of normal growth and development, and increased concern about obesity on the part of health providers, parents, and caregivers have reinforced each other to promote dieting. Because weight suppression and disinhibition provoke long-term weight increase, dieting is a major factor producing the obesity epidemic. The integrated eating disorder–obesity theory included in this article emphasizes that, contrary to dieters, lifetime weight maintainers depend on physiological processes to control weight and experience minimal weight change. PMID:25713933

Relationship between achievement goal constructs and physical self-perceptions in a physical activity setting.

PubMed

Newton, Maria; Detling, Nicole; Kilgore, Jennifer; Bernhardt, Paul

2004-12-01

The relations of achievement goal theory constructs and physical self-perceptions were explored with 225 students (91 men, 109 women, and 25 nonindicators; M age=23.5 yr., SD=9.2), enrolled in basic physical activity classes (aerobics, weight training, modern dance, badminton, yoga, tai chi, basketball, racquetball, gymnastics, bowling, aquatone, and step aerobics) in a university setting. Goal orientations (Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire), perceptions of the motivational climate (Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2), and physical self-perceptions (Physical Self-perception Profile) were assessed. Data were analyzed separately by sex. Ego orientation was the only predictor of Physical Self-perceptions in men, accounting for between 12 and 15% of the variance in Physical Self-worth, Sport Competence, Physical Conditioning, and Body Attractiveness. Constructs of achievement goal theory were not predictive of Physical Self-perceptions in the women. The results are discussed in light of achievement goal theory and the nature of the sample.

Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms and Body Weight Concerns in Patients Seeking Abdominoplasty.

PubMed

Brito, Maria José Azevedo de; Nahas, Fábio Xerfan; Cordás, Táki Athanássios; Gama, Maria Gabriela; Sucupira, Eduardo Rodrigues; Ramos, Tatiana Dalpasquale; Felix, Gabriel de Almeida Arruda; Ferreira, Lydia Masako

2016-03-01

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is one of the most common psychiatric conditions found in patients seeking cosmetic surgery, and body contouring surgery is most frequently sought by patients with BDD. To estimate the prevalence and severity of BDD symptoms in patients seeking abdominoplasty. Ninety patients of both sexes were preoperatively divided into two groups: patients with BDD symptoms (n = 51) and those without BDD symptoms (n = 39) based both on the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination (BDDE) and clinical assessment. Patients in the BDD group were classified as having mild to moderate or severe symptoms, according to the BDDE. Body weight and shape concerns were assessed using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). The prevalence of BDD symptoms was 57%. There were significant associations between BDD symptoms and degree of body dissatisfaction, level of preoccupation with physical appearance, and avoidance behaviors. Mild to moderate and severe symptoms of BDD were present in 41% and 59% of patients, respectively, in the BDD group. It was found that the more severe the symptoms of BDD, the higher the level of concern with body weight and shape (P < .001). Patients having distorted self-perception of body shape, or distorted comparative perception of body image were respectively 3.67 or 5.93 times more likely to show more severe symptoms of BDD than those with a more accurate perception. Candidates for abdominoplasty had a high prevalence of BDD symptoms, and body weight and shape concerns were associated with increased symptom severity. © 2016 The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Reprints and permission: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Disordered eating and body image issues and their associated factors among adolescents in urban secondary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia.

PubMed

Cheah, Whye Lian; Hazmi, Helmy; Chang, Ching Thon

2017-04-01

Eating disorders are common health issues among the adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of eating disorders and their relationship with body mass index, body part satisfaction and perception on body weight among urban secondary school children. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Kuching, Sarawak. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire that consist of the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), perception on body part satisfaction and body weight, and anthropometric measurement. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS version 22. A total of 329 respondents participated in this study with 59% females and 60.5% Malays. There were 14.3% of the respondents overweight and obese, with higher percentage among males (19.3%). About 18.5% of the respondents were found to be at risk of eating disorders with higher prevalence among males (19.3%). More females reported to have higher prevalence of body part dissatisfaction (46.9%) and body weight (37.6%) compared to males (40%, 28.1%). The statistical results indicated there were significant associations between EAT-26 and body mass index (BMI) (p=0.039), body part satisfaction (p=0.004), and perception of body weight (p=0.038). Eating disorders are becoming more prevalent amongst adolescents, particularly among males. As eating disorder are strongly associated with adolescent mental and physical health, intervention programme on their developmental challenges and issues for both males and females should be in place particularly in the school education syllabus.

Contributions of Weight Perceptions to Weight Loss Attempts: Differences by Body Mass Index and Gender

PubMed Central

Lemon, Stephenie C.; Rosal, Milagros C.; Zapka, Jane; Borg, Amy; Andersen, Victoria

2009-01-01

Previous studies have consistently observed that women are more likely to perceive themselves as overweight compared to men. Similarly, women are more likely than men to report trying to lose weight. Less is known about the impact that self-perceived weight has on weight loss behaviors of adults and whether this association differs by gender. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among an employee sample to determine the association of self-perceived weight on evidence-based weight loss behaviors across genders, accounting for body mass index (BMI) and demographic characteristics. Women were more likely than men to consider themselves to be overweight across each BMI category, and were more likely to report attempting to lose weight. However, perceiving oneself to be overweight was a strong correlate for weight loss attempts across both genders. The effect of targeting accuracy of self-perceived weight status in weight loss interventions deserves research attention. PMID:19188102

[Impact on the development of parental awareness of excess weight in children].

PubMed

Łupińska, Anna; Chlebna-Sokół, Danuta

2015-04-01

A lot of publications emphasize the special role of parents' eating habits and their lifestyle on the prevalence of excess body weight in children. The aim of this study was to answer the question whether parents of children who are overweight and obese are aware of this problem and what factors affect their perception of the excess body weight degree in their offspring. The study included 137 children aged 6,5- 13,5 years. 23 respondents were overweight and 76 obese. Compared group consisted of 113 children. All patients underwent physical examination with anthropometric measurements. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire, where they evaluated the degree of excess body weight of their child. We also asked about both parents' weight and body height, their education and chronic diseases occurring in the family. In the group of obese children 56.2% of the respondents came from families where one parent had excess body weight while 32.9% of them from families where this problem affected both parents. In 51.3% of patients with a body mass index (BMI) above 95 centil, parents wrongly assessed the degree of excess body weight of their child, in overweight group this proportion accounted for 8.7%. There was a statistically significant (p = 0.007) correlation between the degree of children's excess body weight and the ability of parents to estimate that. Parents' education had no influence on the incidence of excess body weight in children and their ability to determine its extent. In the group of obese and overweight children only 4% of parents recognized obesity as a chronic disease. Parents of children who are overweight and obese have lower awareness about their child's weight in comparison to parents of children with normal weight. There is a statistical correlation between parents' perception of excess body weight and the development of obesity in children. © 2015 MEDPRESS.

University Students' Perceptions of the Effects of Having Been Weight-Teased by Basic Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Rebecca A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which university students report having been weight-teased by basic education teachers and how that has affected their social, physical, and academic well-being in the university. Bandura's (1999) theory of triadic reciprocal causation served as a framework for developing this research. An…

Children at Risk: The Association between Perceived Weight Status and Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts in Middle School Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whetstone, Lauren M.; Morrissey, Susan L.; Cummings, Doyle M.

2007-01-01

Background: Suicide is one of the most common causes of death among young people. A report from the US Surgeon General called for strategies to prevent suicide, including increasing public awareness of suicide and risks factors, and enhancing research to understand risk and protective factors. Weight perception has been linked to depression and…

Self-Reported Eating Disorders of Black, Low-Income Adolescents: Behavior, Body Weight Perceptions, and Methods of Dieting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balentine, Margaret; And Others

1991-01-01

Study identified African-American low-income adolescents who thought they had bulimia or anorexia nervosa, identified common behaviors, and compared actual and perceived body weight and dieting methods. About 12 percent suspected an eating disorder and perceived themselves as heavier more often than their peers. Fasting was the most common dieting…

Language spoken at home and parental birthplace moderate the association of race/ethnicity and distorted weight perception.

PubMed

Gee, Leslie; Peebles, Rebecka; Golden, Neville H; Storfer-Isser, Amy; Heinberg, Leslie J; Horwitz, Sarah M

2012-12-01

Distorted weight perception (DWP), specifically overestimating weight status, is common in adolescents and may lead to eating disorders. The authors examined the role of acculturation proxies as effect modifiers of the relationship between race/ethnicity and DWP in a diverse adolescent population. Analysis of the 2005 California Health Interview Survey showed that of 2955 adolescents with underweight or healthy weight status, 10.6% reported DWP. Latino adolescents had increased odds of DWP compared with white adolescents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.00, 4.57). Latinos who spoke English and other language(s) at home (aOR = 3.38; 95% CI = 2.11, 5.41) and Latino (aOR = 5.00; 95% CI = 2.34, 10.72) and Asian (aOR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.15, 8.35) adolescents who spoke no English at home had increased odds of DWP compared with white, English-only speakers. Latino adolescents had increased odds (aOR = 3.98, 95% CI = 2.45, 6.47) of DWP if neither parent was US born. Assessing acculturation proxies may help identify adolescents at risk of DWP.

Perception of overweight is associated with poor academic performance in US adolescents.

PubMed

Florin, Todd A; Shults, Justine; Stettler, Nicolas

2011-11-01

To improve understanding of the mechanisms affecting the relationship between adolescent obesity and poor academic performance, we examined the association of overweight or perceived weight status with academic achievement. We performed a cross-sectional study of 14-17-year-olds (N = 11,012) from the nationally representative 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The main outcome measure was self-reported grades (mostly A, B, C, D, or F). The primary independent variables were medically defined overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 85th percentile), obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile), and participants' perception of their weight status. Medically defined overweight youth were less likely to report higher grades in unadjusted analysis (OR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.60-0.76, p < .001) and after adjustment for demographics, depression, television and video game use, and physical activity (OR 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74-0.94, p = .003). Statistically significant results also were seen with medically defined obese participants. Youth who perceived themselves as overweight were less likely to report higher grades (OR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73-0.92, p = .001) in unadjusted analysis and after adjustment for the same variables (OR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.68-0.91, p = .002). The perception of overweight was a more significant determinant of academic performance (OR 0.81, 95% CI: 0.69-0.95, p = .012) compared to medically defined obesity (OR 0.90, 95% CI: 0.77-1.05, p = .174). Perceived overweight status is negatively associated with academic performance, regardless of actual weight status. These findings suggest that perception of overweight may be a mechanism for prior results indicating a negative association of obesity and academic achievements, and have implications for the academic health of these adolescents. © 2011, American School Health Association.

Psychometric Properties of Spanish Version of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (Tfeq-Sp) and Its Relationship with Some Eating- and Body Image-Related Variables

PubMed Central

Jáuregui-Lobera, Ignacio; García-Cruz, Patricia; Carbonero-Carreño, Rocío; Magallares, Alejandro; Ruiz-Prieto, Inmaculada

2014-01-01

The aims of this study were to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-SP), as well as determine its validity by evaluating the relationship of the TFEQ-SP with different parameters related to body mass index, weight perception, perception of physical fitness, self-esteem, and food intake, as well as with weight control-related variables. A total of 281 participants (aged 18.38 ± 6.31) were studied. The factor analysis yielded three factors: cognitive restraint (CR), uncontrolled eating (UE), and emotional eating (EE). The internal consistency of the TFEQ-SP was determined by means of Cronbach’s α coefficient, with values ranging between 0.75 and 0.87. Higher scores on CR were found in women (p < 0.5), overweight/obese participants (p < 0.001), participants with lower self-esteem (p < 0.05), participants who overestimated their weight (p < 0.001), participants who weighed themselves frequently (p < 0.001) and those who were about to go on a diet (p < 0.001). Higher EE scores were found in participants with lower self-esteem scores (p < 0.05), among participants with a poorer perception of their physical fitness (p < 0.01) and when participants were about to diet (p < 0.05). Higher scores on UE were observed in case of poorer perception of physical fitness (p < 0.05). The validation study of the TFEQ-SP meets the requirements for measuring the three different facets of eating behavior: CR, UE, and EE. PMID:25486370

Gender differences in the neural underpinning of perceiving and appreciating the beauty of the body.

PubMed

Cazzato, Valentina; Mele, Sonia; Urgesi, Cosimo

2014-05-01

Although previous studies have suggested a certain degree of right hemisphere dominance for the response of extrastriate body area (EBA) during body perception, recent evidence suggests that this functional lateralization may differ between men and women. It is unknown, however, whether and how gender differences in body perception affect appreciating the beauty of the body of conspecifics. Here, we applied five 10-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) pulses over left and right EBA and over the vertex to investigate the contribution of visual body representations in the two hemispheres on esthetic body perception. Female and male healthy volunteers were requested to judge how much they liked opposite- and same-gender virtual model bodies or to judge their weight, thus allowing us to compare the effects of right- and left-EBA rTMS on esthetic (liking) and perceptual (weight) judgments of human bodies. The analysis of the esthetic judgments provided by women revealed that right-EBA rTMS increased the liking judgments of opposite- but not same-gender models, as compared to both vertex and left EBA stimulation. Conversely, in men the liking judgments of opposite-gender models decreased after virtual disruption of both right and left EBA as compared to vertex stimulation. Crucially, no significant effect was found for the perceptual task, showing that left- and right-EBA rTMS did not affect weight perception. Our results provide evidence of gender difference in the hemispheric asymmetry of EBA in the esthetic processing of human bodies, with women showing stronger right hemisphere dominance in comparison with men. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perception-action dissociation generalizes to the size-inertia illusion.

PubMed

Platkiewicz, Jonathan; Hayward, Vincent

2014-04-01

Two objects of similar visual aspects and of equal mass, but of different sizes, generally do not elicit the same percept of heaviness in humans. The larger object is consistently felt to be lighter than the smaller, an effect known as the "size-weight illusion." When asked to repeatedly lift the two objects, the grip forces were observed to adapt rapidly to the true object weight while the size-weight illusion persisted, a phenomenon interpreted as a dissociation between perception and action. We investigated whether the same phenomenon can be observed if the mass of an object is available to participants through inertial rather than gravitational cues and if the number and statistics of the stimuli is such that participants cannot remember each individual stimulus. We compared the responses of 10 participants in 2 experimental conditions, where they manipulated 33 objects having uncorrelated masses and sizes, supported by a frictionless, air-bearing slide that could be oriented vertically or horizontally. We also analyzed the participants' anticipatory motor behavior by measuring the grip force before motion onset. We found that the perceptual illusory effect was quantitatively the same in the two conditions and observed that both visual size and haptic mass had a negligible effect on the anticipatory gripping control of the participants in the gravitational and inertial conditions, despite the enormous differences in the mechanics of the two conditions and the large set of uncorrelated stimuli.

Perceptions and attitudes about body weight and adherence to the physical activity recommendation among adolescents: the moderating role of body mass index.

PubMed

Sampasa-Kanyinga, H; Hamilton, H A; Willmore, J; Chaput, J-P

2017-05-01

We examined the associations between perceptions and attitudes about body weight and adherence to the physical activity recommendation (PAR) for adolescents to achieve ≥60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and tested whether body mass index (BMI) was a moderator of these relationships. Cross-sectional survey. Self-reported data from Canadian adolescents (n = 4299) who participated in the 2013 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey were analysed. Dissatisfaction with body weight was associated with lower odds of adherence to the PAR (odds ratio [OR]: 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.99). More specifically, those who perceived themselves as overweight/obese had lower odds of adherence to the PAR (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42-0.81) compared with those who think they were about the right weight. Those who were trying to gain weight were more likely to adhere to the PAR (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.29-2.86) compared to those who were doing nothing about their body weight. BMI was a significant moderator of the association between dissatisfaction with body weight and adherence to the PAR. At low BMI, there were no differences in the adherence to the PAR between adolescents who were dissatisfied with their body weight or not. At high BMI, adolescents who were dissatisfied with their body weight were less likely to adhere to the PAR than those who were not dissatisfied with their weight. Results were not different between males and females. Results suggest that adolescents who are dissatisfied with their body weight have lower adherence to the PAR, particularly those who are overweight or obese. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Highly Accessible Urban Food Environment on Weight Management: A Qualitative Study in Seoul

PubMed Central

Kwon, Soonman

2018-01-01

We explored the characteristics of the food environment and its influence on weight management in Seoul, Korea. Photo elicitation interviews were conducted with 73 participants who took three photographs per topic related to their food environment and discussed these photographs in groups. Through thematic analysis, we identified four themes concerning participants’ perceptions of the food environment and weight management: (1) “convenience comes first,” (2) “tempting food environment,” (3) “alcohol and anju,” and (4) “burden of individual effort to manage weight.” A systematic change toward an environment supportive of healthy eating and weight management is recommended. PMID:29662012

A mediational model of obesity related disordered eating: The roles of childhood emotional abuse and self-perception.

PubMed

Hymowitz, Genna; Salwen, Jessica; Salis, Katie Lee

2017-08-01

The extant literature indicates negative self-perceptions are a risk factor for disordered eating (DE) and DE is a risk factor for overweight and obesity. While childhood emotional abuse (EA) is often linked to DE and obesity, it is typically not included in comprehensive models of these health problems. Further investigation of interactions among EA, self-perception, and DE is needed to refine treatments for overweight, obesity, and DE. This study evaluated a model of DE and weight difficulties in which negative self-perception mediate the relationship between EA and DE, and DE predicts body mass index (BMI) in a population of emerging adults. Further, this study investigated the utility of history of EA for prediction of DE and classification of individuals with and without DE. Self-report questionnaires on childhood trauma, psychopathology, and eating behaviors were administered to 598 undergraduate students. Latent variable analysis confirmed the hypothesized model. Recursive partitioning determined that individuals reporting a high level of EA likely meet criteria for night eating syndrome (NES) or binge eating disorder (BED), and history of EA has a moderate to high level of specificity as a predictor of BED and NES. These findings confirm the necessity of evaluating EA and DE in emerging adults with weight difficulties, and the importance of assessing self-perception and DE in individuals with a history of EA. Future studies should investigate the utility of addressing EA and self-perception in interventions for DE and obesity and to determine whether these findings can be generalized to a clinical population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress perception and (GT)n repeat polymorphism in haem oxygenase 1 promoter are both risk factors in development of eating disorders.

PubMed

Slachtová, L; Kaminská, D; Chvál, M; Králík, L; Martásek, P; Papežová, H

2013-01-01

Haem oxygenase 1 (HO-1) plays a pivotal role in metabolic stress protecting cells in dependence on reactive oxygen species. This study investigated a potential gene environment interaction between the (GT)n repeat HO1 polymorphism and the stress perception in patients with eating disorder and in controls. Stress perception and (GT)n polymorphism were measured in 127 patients with eating disorders and in 78 healthy controls using Stress and Coping Inventory and genotyping. Based on the inventory, overall, specific and weighted stress scores were defined. Clinical stress score was generated according to the patient's history and interviews. According to our hypothesis, 1) all stress scores describing subjective stress perception were significantly higher in patients compared to controls (P ≤ 0.001; P ≤ 0.002; P ≤ 0.001), 2) the L/L genotype of GT promoter repeats (L < 25 GT repeats, S < 25 GT repeats) in the patients was associated with higher overall (P ≤ 0.001), specific (P ≤ 0.010) and weighted stress score (P ≤ 0.005) compared to the L/S variant, and 3) Pearson's correlation of clinical versus objective stress scores showed not very tight relationship (0.198; 0.287; 0.224, respectively). We assume potential risk of the L allele of HO1 promoter polymorphism for the stress response and contribution of the subjective stress perception together with the L/L genotype to the development of eating disorder. Decreased HO1 expression in the presence of L/L genotype plus more intensive stress perception in the patients can lead to secondary stress, with increasing severity of the symptoms and aggravation of the disease.

Dimension-Based Statistical Learning Affects Both Speech Perception and Production.

PubMed

Lehet, Matthew; Holt, Lori L

2017-04-01

Multiple acoustic dimensions signal speech categories. However, dimensions vary in their informativeness; some are more diagnostic of category membership than others. Speech categorization reflects these dimensional regularities such that diagnostic dimensions carry more "perceptual weight" and more effectively signal category membership to native listeners. Yet perceptual weights are malleable. When short-term experience deviates from long-term language norms, such as in a foreign accent, the perceptual weight of acoustic dimensions in signaling speech category membership rapidly adjusts. The present study investigated whether rapid adjustments in listeners' perceptual weights in response to speech that deviates from the norms also affects listeners' own speech productions. In a word recognition task, the correlation between two acoustic dimensions signaling consonant categories, fundamental frequency (F0) and voice onset time (VOT), matched the correlation typical of English, and then shifted to an "artificial accent" that reversed the relationship, and then shifted back. Brief, incidental exposure to the artificial accent caused participants to down-weight perceptual reliance on F0, consistent with previous research. Throughout the task, participants were intermittently prompted with pictures to produce these same words. In the block in which listeners heard the artificial accent with a reversed F0 × VOT correlation, F0 was a less robust cue to voicing in listeners' own speech productions. The statistical regularities of short-term speech input affect both speech perception and production, as evidenced via shifts in how acoustic dimensions are weighted. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Processing of probabilistic information in weight perception and motor prediction.

PubMed

Trampenau, Leif; van Eimeren, Thilo; Kuhtz-Buschbeck, Johann

2017-02-01

We studied the effects of probabilistic cues, i.e., of information of limited certainty, in the context of an action task (GL: grip-lift) and of a perceptual task (WP: weight perception). Normal subjects (n = 22) saw four different probabilistic visual cues, each of which announced the likely weight of an object. In the GL task, the object was grasped and lifted with a pinch grip, and the peak force rates indicated that the grip and load forces were scaled predictively according to the probabilistic information. The WP task provided the expected heaviness related to each probabilistic cue; the participants gradually adjusted the object's weight until its heaviness matched the expected weight for a given cue. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: one started with the GL task and the other one with the WP task. The four different probabilistic cues influenced weight adjustments in the WP task and peak force rates in the GL task in a similar manner. The interpretation and utilization of the probabilistic information was critically influenced by the initial task. Participants who started with the WP task classified the four probabilistic cues into four distinct categories and applied these categories to the subsequent GL task. On the other side, participants who started with the GL task applied three distinct categories to the four cues and retained this classification in the following WP task. The initial strategy, once established, determined the way how the probabilistic information was interpreted and implemented.

Patient and Provider Perceptions of Weight Gain, Physical Activity, and Nutrition Counseling during Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Whitaker, Kara M; Wilcox, Sara; Liu, Jihong; Blair, Steven N; Pate, Russell R

2016-01-01

This study investigated patient and provider perceptions of weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition counseling during prenatal care visits. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 pregnant women between 20 and 30 weeks gestation (15 African American, 15 White) and 11 prenatal care providers (5 attending physicians, 5 residents, 1 nurse practitioner) in 2014. The majority of patients and providers reported receiving or giving advice on weight gain (87% and 100%, respectively), physical activity (87% and 91%), and nutrition (100% and 91%) during a prenatal visit. Discussion of counseling content was largely consistent between patients and providers. However, counseling was limited and not fully consistent with current weight gain, physical activity, or dietary guidelines during pregnancy. Most patients viewed provider advice positively, but some wanted more detailed information. Providers discussed many barriers to lifestyle counseling, including lack of time, inadequate training, concern about the sensitivity of the topic, lower education or income level of the patient, cultural differences, and lack of patient interest. Providers discussed weight gain, physical activity, and nutrition during prenatal care visits and patients accurately recalled this advice. However, counseling was limited and not fully consistent with guidelines. Future studies are needed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of interventions to help providers overcome perceived barriers and more effectively counsel women on weight and healthy lifestyles during pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Body Weight Can Change How Your Emotions Are Perceived

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Accurately interpreting other’s emotions through facial expressions has important adaptive values for social interactions. However, due to the stereotypical social perception of overweight individuals as carefree, humorous, and light-hearted, the body weight of those with whom we interact may have a systematic influence on our emotion judgment even though it has no relevance to the expressed emotion itself. In this experimental study, we examined the role of body weight in faces on the affective perception of facial expressions. We hypothesized that the weight perceived in a face would bias the assessment of an emotional expression, with overweight faces generally more likely to be perceived as having more positive and less negative expressions than healthy weight faces. Using two-alternative forced-choice perceptual decision tasks, participants were asked to sort the emotional expressions of overweight and healthy weight facial stimuli that had been gradually morphed across six emotional intensity levels into one of two categories—“neutral vs. happy” (Experiment 1) and “neutral vs. sad” (Experiment 2). As predicted, our results demonstrated that overweight faces were more likely to be categorized as happy (i.e., lower happy decision threshold) and less likely to be categorized as sad (i.e., higher sad decision threshold) compared to healthy weight faces that had the same levels of emotional intensity. The neutral-sad decision threshold shift was negatively correlated with participant’s own fear of becoming fat, that is, those without a fear of becoming fat more strongly perceived overweight faces as sad relative to those with a higher fear. These findings demonstrate that the weight of the face systematically influences how its emotional expression is interpreted, suggesting that being overweight may make emotional expressions appear more happy and less sad than they really are. PMID:27870892

Exploring the relationship between parental concern and the management of childhood obesity.

PubMed

Moore, Lucas C; Harris, Carole V; Bradlyn, Andrew S

2012-05-01

Parental concern about child weight has been identified as a factor in parental monitoring and regulation of child diet. However, little is known about factors that influence parental concern or about how concern may influence parent management of child physical activity. The objectives of the current study were to identify the factors associated with parental concern about child weight and determine if parental concern is associated with specific actions to improve diet and increase physical activity. A stratified random sample of 1,500 parents of children in kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 9th grade were interviewed. Interviews addressed: (a) child and parent physical activity, (b) child and family nutrition, (c) child and parent BMI weight category, (d) interactions with health care providers, (e) parent obesity knowledge, (f) school assessment of BMI, and (g) parent perception of and concern about child weight. Child gender, weight status, and parent perception of child weight were significant predictors of parental concern. Parents were significantly more likely to report concern if their child was female, they believed their child to be overweight/obese, or their child was overweight/obese as indicated by BMI percentile. Concerned parents were significantly more likely to limit child screen time, take steps to improve child diet, and increase child physical activity than were parents who reported no concern. Treatment and prevention efforts should emphasize parental concern and awareness about child weight by providing accurate feedback on child weight status and education regarding the health risks associated with childhood overweight and obesity. Schools can play an important role in this process through the incorporation of BMI screenings.

Body Weight Can Change How Your Emotions Are Perceived.

PubMed

Oh, Yujung; Hass, Norah C; Lim, Seung-Lark

2016-01-01

Accurately interpreting other's emotions through facial expressions has important adaptive values for social interactions. However, due to the stereotypical social perception of overweight individuals as carefree, humorous, and light-hearted, the body weight of those with whom we interact may have a systematic influence on our emotion judgment even though it has no relevance to the expressed emotion itself. In this experimental study, we examined the role of body weight in faces on the affective perception of facial expressions. We hypothesized that the weight perceived in a face would bias the assessment of an emotional expression, with overweight faces generally more likely to be perceived as having more positive and less negative expressions than healthy weight faces. Using two-alternative forced-choice perceptual decision tasks, participants were asked to sort the emotional expressions of overweight and healthy weight facial stimuli that had been gradually morphed across six emotional intensity levels into one of two categories-"neutral vs. happy" (Experiment 1) and "neutral vs. sad" (Experiment 2). As predicted, our results demonstrated that overweight faces were more likely to be categorized as happy (i.e., lower happy decision threshold) and less likely to be categorized as sad (i.e., higher sad decision threshold) compared to healthy weight faces that had the same levels of emotional intensity. The neutral-sad decision threshold shift was negatively correlated with participant's own fear of becoming fat, that is, those without a fear of becoming fat more strongly perceived overweight faces as sad relative to those with a higher fear. These findings demonstrate that the weight of the face systematically influences how its emotional expression is interpreted, suggesting that being overweight may make emotional expressions appear more happy and less sad than they really are.

Misperception of body weight and associated factors.

PubMed

Boo, Sunjoo

2014-12-01

The prevalence of obesity is increasing. In Korea, this is especially true of men in general, and women of low socioeconomic status. Misperception of body weight poses a barrier to the prevention of obesity. In this study, the misperception of body weight in relation to actual body weight and associated factors in Korean adults was evaluated. Data from 7162 adults who participated in the 2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Misperception of body weight was substantial in Koreans, with 48.9% underestimating and 6.8% overestimating their weight status. More men than women underestimated their weight status. Weight perception in women was affected more by sociodemographic characteristics. Women's underestimation was positively associated with older age, marital status, and lower socioeconomic status. This suggests that increasing public awareness of healthy weight will be helpful to counteract the current obesity epidemic in Korea. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Go!: results from a quasi-experimental obesity prevention trial with hospital employees.

PubMed

LaCaille, Lara J; Schultz, Jennifer Feenstra; Goei, Ryan; LaCaille, Rick A; Dauner, Kim Nichols; de Souza, Rebecca; Nowak, Amy Versnik; Regal, Ronald

2016-02-19

Worksite obesity prevention interventions using an ecological approach may hold promise for reducing typical weight gain. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of Go!, an innovative 12-month multi-component worksite obesity prevention intervention. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was utilized; 407 eligible hospital employees (intervention arm) and 93 eligible clinic employees (comparison arm) participated. The intervention involved pedometer distribution, labeling of all foods in the worksite cafeteria and vending machines (with calories, step equivalent, and a traffic light based on energy density signaling recommended portion), persuasive messaging throughout the hospital, and the integration of influential employees to reinforce healthy social norms. Changes in weight, BMI, waist circumference, physical activity, and dietary behavior after 6 months and 1 year were primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included knowledge, perceptions of employer commitment to employee health, availability of information about diet, exercise, and weight loss, perceptions of coworker support and frequency of health discussions with coworkers. A process evaluation was conducted as part of the study. Repeated measures ANCOVA indicated that neither group showed significant increases in weight, BMI, or waist circumference over 12 months. The intervention group showed a modest increase in physical activity in the form of walking, but decreases in fruit and vegetable servings and fiber intake. They also reported significant increases in knowledge, information, perceptions of employer commitment, and health discussions with peers. Employees expressed positive attitudes towards all components of the Go! This low-intensity intervention was well-received by employees but had little effect on their weight over the course of 12 months. Such results are consistent with other worksite obesity prevention studies using ecological approaches. Implementing low-impact physical activity (e.g., walking, stair use) may be more readily incorporated into the worksite setting than more challenging behaviors of altering dietary habits and increasing more vigorous forms of physical activity. This study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01585480) on April 24, 2012.

Antenatal weight management: Diet, physical activity, and gestational weight gain in early pregnancy.

PubMed

Swift, Judy A; Langley-Evans, Simon C; Pearce, Jo; Jethwa, Preeti H; Taylor, Moira A; Avery, Amanda; Ellis, Sarah; McMullen, Sarah; Elliott-Sale, Kirsty J

2017-06-01

to investigate women's physical activity levels, diet and gestational weight gain, and their experiences and motivations of behavior change. analysis of cross-sectional data collected during a longitudinal, cohort study examining physiological, psychological, sociodemographic, and self-reported behavioural measures relating to bodyweight. women recruited from routine antenatal clinics at the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. 193 women ≤27 weeks gestation and aged 18 years or over. MEASUREMENTS & FINDINGS: measurements included weight and height, the Dietary Instrument for Nutrition Education (Brief Version), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Short Form), and open questions of perceptions of behaviour change. 50.3% (n=97) were overweight/obese, and women gained 0.26kg/wk (IQR 0.34kg/wk) since conception. The majority consumed low levels of fat (n=121; 63.4%), high levels of unsaturated fat (n=103; 53.9%), and used a dietary supplement (n=166; 86.5%). However, 41% (n=76) were inactive, 74.8% (n=143) did not consume high levels of fibre, and 90.0% (n=171) consumed less than 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Body mass index category was not associated with diet, physical activity levels, or gestational weight gain. Themes generated from open-questions relating to behaviour change were: (1) Risk management, (2) Coping with symptoms, (3) Self-control, (4) Deviation from norm, (5) Nature knows best. early pregnancy is a period of significant and heterogeneous behaviour change, influenced by perceptions of risk and women's lived experience. Behaviour was influenced not only by perceptions of immediate risk to the fetus, but also by the women's lived experience of being pregnant. There are exciting opportunities to constructively reframe health promotion advice relating to physical activity and diet in light of women's priorities. The need for individualized advice is highlighted, and women across all body mass index categories would benefit from improved diet and physical activity levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parental perceptions of weight status in children: the Gateshead Millennium Study

PubMed Central

Jones, Angela R; Parkinson, Kathryn N; Drewett, Robert F; Hyland, Robert M; Pearce, Mark S; Adamson, Ashley J

2011-01-01

Objectives To investigate parents’ perceptions of weight status in children and to explore parental understanding of and attitudes to childhood overweight. Design Questionnaires and focus groups within a longitudinal study. Subjects 536 parents of Gateshead Millennium Study children, of which 27 attended 6 focus groups. Main outcome measures Parents’ perception of their child’s weight status according to actual weight status as defined by International Obesity Taskforce (IOTF) cut-offs. Focus group outcomes included parental awareness of childhood overweight nationally and parental approaches to identifying overweight children. Results The sensitivity of parents recognising if their child was overweight was 0.31. Prevalence of child overweight was underestimated: 7.3% of children were perceived as ‘overweight’ or ‘very overweight’ by their parents, 23.7% were identified as overweight or obese using IOTF criteria. 69.3% of parents of overweight or obese children identified their child as being of ‘normal’ weight. During focus groups parents demonstrated an awareness of childhood overweight being a problem nationally but their understanding of how it is defined was limited. Parents used alternative approaches to objective measures when identifying overweight in children such as visual assessments and comparisons with other children. Such approaches relied heavily on extreme and exceptional cases as a reference point. The apparent lack of relevance of childhood overweight to their child’s school or own community along with scepticism towards both media messages and clinical measures commonly emerged as grounds for failing to engage with the issue at a personal level. Conclusion Parents’ ability to identify when their child was overweight according to standard criteria was limited. Parents did not understand, use or trust clinical measures and used alternative approaches primarily reliant on extreme cases. Such approaches underpinned their reasoning for remaining detached from the issue. This study highlights the need to identify methods of improving parental recognition of and engagement with the problem of childhood overweight. PMID:21673651

Cue Integration in Categorical Tasks: Insights from Audio-Visual Speech Perception

PubMed Central

Bejjanki, Vikranth Rao; Clayards, Meghan; Knill, David C.; Aslin, Richard N.

2011-01-01

Previous cue integration studies have examined continuous perceptual dimensions (e.g., size) and have shown that human cue integration is well described by a normative model in which cues are weighted in proportion to their sensory reliability, as estimated from single-cue performance. However, this normative model may not be applicable to categorical perceptual dimensions (e.g., phonemes). In tasks defined over categorical perceptual dimensions, optimal cue weights should depend not only on the sensory variance affecting the perception of each cue but also on the environmental variance inherent in each task-relevant category. Here, we present a computational and experimental investigation of cue integration in a categorical audio-visual (articulatory) speech perception task. Our results show that human performance during audio-visual phonemic labeling is qualitatively consistent with the behavior of a Bayes-optimal observer. Specifically, we show that the participants in our task are sensitive, on a trial-by-trial basis, to the sensory uncertainty associated with the auditory and visual cues, during phonemic categorization. In addition, we show that while sensory uncertainty is a significant factor in determining cue weights, it is not the only one and participants' performance is consistent with an optimal model in which environmental, within category variability also plays a role in determining cue weights. Furthermore, we show that in our task, the sensory variability affecting the visual modality during cue-combination is not well estimated from single-cue performance, but can be estimated from multi-cue performance. The findings and computational principles described here represent a principled first step towards characterizing the mechanisms underlying human cue integration in categorical tasks. PMID:21637344

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity, Associated Behaviors, and Weight-related Perceptions in a National Survey of Primary School Children in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Juan; Zhai, Yi; Feng, Xiao Qi; Li, Wei Rong; Lyu, Yue Bin; Astell-Burt, Thomas; Zhao, Peng Yu; Shi, Xiao Ming

2018-01-01

To in vestigate potential gender differences in the odds of overweight/obese, weight-related perceptions, and behaviors among Chinese school children. Height, weight, and a survey of weight-related perceptions and behaviors were measured in a nationally representative survey of 12,811 children in primary schools in China. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess gender differences, adjusting for confounders. Boys had higher odds of being overweight/obese compared to girls within both urban [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.30, 95% CI 2.00 to 2.65] and rural areas (OR = 1.85, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.20). Girls reported healthier diets (e.g., daily vegetables OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.85) whereas boys consumed fried food (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.38) and sugar-sweetened drinks more often (OR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.65). Gender differences included higher odds of boys perceiving themselves as overweight if they had more highly educated mothers (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.68), less educated fathers (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.63 to 0.99), and if they frequently consumed carbonated drinks (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.05). Childhood obesity prevention in China should be gender-focused, particularly for boys who reported an unhealthier diet but were less likely to see they were fat, even though more boys were overweight or obese than girls. Copyright © 2018 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.

Motivation and body-related factors as discriminators of change in adolescents' exercise behavior profiles.

PubMed

Gillison, Fiona B; Standage, Martyn; Skevington, Suzanne M

2011-01-01

A prospective study was conducted to explore the relative contributions of weight-related self-perceptions and exercise-related motivation variables in predicting change in leisure-time exercise within a sample of adolescents in the United Kingdom. A cohort of 310 adolescents (51% male, Mean age = 14.08 ± .32 years at baseline) was classified into four groups on the basis of reported change in leisure-time exercise over 10-months: those who maintain, drop out from exercise, take up exercise, and those who were continually inactive. Discriminant function analyses were conducted to predict group membership from adolescents' profiles of motivational and weight-related perceptions at baseline. For boys, the first discriminant function (DF1) revealed that exercise maintainers reported higher identified regulation, introjected regulation, competence, relatedness, and body satisfaction than all other groups (between-group R(2) = .45). DF2 was more indicative of current exercise levels than change, indicating higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation for both active groups at baseline (between-group R(2) = .40). In girls, DF1 showed that exercise maintainers reported higher intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, autonomy, competence, relatedness, and lower external regulation than all other groups (between-group R(2) = .58). DF2 indicated that higher body mass index, and perceiving greater pressure to lose weight positively predicted drop out, and negatively predicted exercise uptake (between-group R(2) = .26). Fostering autonomous (self-determined) motivation seems a key determinant to maintaining leisure-time exercise for both boys and girls. Additionally, reducing perceptions of pressure to lose weight and promoting positive interactions with others during exercise may be particularly useful to prevent dropout in girls. Copyright © 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Obesity, Overweightness, and Depressive Symptomology Among American Indian Youth.

PubMed

Eitle, David; Eitle, Tamela McNulty

2018-03-09

Despite evidence that American Indian adolescents are at a heightened risk of obesity/overweightness and experiencing depression, relative to other groups, there exists a dearth of studies that have examined the association between objective and perceptual measures of obesity and overweightness and depression with this understudied group. Our study represents one of the first studies to examine this association among American Indian youth. Using a subsample of American Indian youth from waves I and II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (a survey of schools and students in the USA, with wave I collected in 1994 and wave II collected in 1995), we explore this association. We examine three measures of weight: obesity, body mass index, and weight perception. We also consider gender-specific models and a subsample of non-Hispanic whites, in order to assess race differences in the obesity and overweightness-depression relationship. Our findings reveal that neither of our objective measures of weight, obesity, nor body mass index are significant predictors of depressive symptoms for either American Indian or white youth. However, we find evidence that the subjective measure of weight perception is a significant predictor of depressive symptoms for white females, but not for American Indian females. Our results contribute to past findings that measures of obesity/overweightness weight may be more important to white female's mental health than females from other racial groups, although additional research is warranted.

Why Barbie Feels Heavier than Ken: The Influence of Size-Based Expectancies and Social Cues on the Illusory Perception of Weight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dijker, Anton J. M.

2008-01-01

In order to examine the relative influence of size-based expectancies and social cues on the perceived weight of objects, two studies were performed, using equally weighing dolls differing in sex-related and age-related vulnerability or physical strength cues. To increase variation in perceived size, stimulus objects were viewed through optical…

"Fat is really a four-letter word": Exploring weight-related communication best practices in children with and without disabilities and their caregivers.

PubMed

McPherson, A C; Knibbe, T J; Oake, M; Swift, J A; Browne, N; Ball, G D C; Hamilton, J

2018-05-15

Health care professionals play a critical role in preventing and managing childhood obesity, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recently stressed the importance of using sensitive and nonstigmatizing language when discussing weight with children and families. Although barriers to weight-related discussions are well known, there are few evidence-based recommendations around communication best practices. Disability populations in particular have previously been excluded from work in this area. The objectives were to present the findings of a recent scoping review to children with and without disabilities and their caregivers for their reactions; and to explore the experiences and perceptions of the children and their caregivers regarding weight-related communication best practices. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted with 7-18-year olds with and without disabilities and their caregivers. The interview guide was created using findings from a recent scoping review of weight-related communication best practices. Inductive thematic analysis was employed. Eighteen children (9 boys; 7 children with disabilities) and 21 caregivers (17 mothers, 1 step-father, 3 other caregivers) participated in 8 focus group and 7 individual interviews. Preferred communication strategies were similar across those with and without disabilities, although caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder endorsed more concrete approaches. Discussions emphasizing growth and health were preferred over weight and size. Strengths-based, solution-focused approaches for weight conversations were endorsed, although had not been widely experienced. Perceptions of weight-related communication were similar across stakeholder groups, regardless of children's disability or weight status. Participants generally agreed with the scoping review recommendations, suggesting that they apply broadly across different settings and populations; however, tailoring them to specific circumstances is critical. Empirical evaluations are still required to examine the influence of weight-related communication on clinically important outcomes, including behaviour change and family engagement in care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perception of tilt (somatogravic illusion) in response to sustained linear acceleration during space flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, G.; Moore, S. T.; Raphan, T.; Cohen, B.

2001-01-01

During the 1998 Neurolab mission (STS-90), four astronauts were exposed to interaural and head vertical (dorsoventral) linear accelerations of 0.5 g and 1 g during constant velocity rotation on a centrifuge, both on Earth and during orbital space flight. Subjects were oriented either left-ear-out or right-ear-out (Gy centrifugation), or lay supine along the centrifuge arm with their head off-axis (Gz centrifugation). Pre-flight centrifugation, producing linear accelerations of 0.5 g and 1 g along the Gy (interaural) axis, induced illusions of roll-tilt of 20 degrees and 34 degrees for gravito-inertial acceleration (GIA) vector tilts of 27 degrees and 45 degrees , respectively. Pre-flight 0.5 g and 1 g Gz (head dorsoventral) centrifugation generated perceptions of backward pitch of 5 degrees and 15 degrees , respectively. In the absence of gravity during space flight, the same centrifugation generated a GIA that was equivalent to the centripetal acceleration and aligned with the Gy or Gz axes. Perception of tilt was underestimated relative to this new GIA orientation during early in-flight Gy centrifugation, but was close to the GIA after 16 days in orbit, when subjects reported that they felt as if they were 'lying on side'. During the course of the mission, inflight roll-tilt perception during Gy centrifugation increased from 45 degrees to 83 degrees at 1 g and from 42 degrees to 48 degrees at 0.5 g. Subjects felt 'upside-down' during in-flight Gz centrifugation from the first in-flight test session, which reflected the new GIA orientation along the head dorsoventral axis. The different levels of in-flight tilt perception during 0.5 g and 1 g Gy centrifugation suggests that other non-vestibular inputs, including an internal estimate of the body vertical and somatic sensation, were utilized in generating tilt perception. Interpretation of data by a weighted sum of body vertical and somatic vectors, with an estimate of the GIA from the otoliths, suggests that perception weights the sense of the body vertical more heavily early in-flight, that this weighting falls during adaptation to microgravity, and that the decreased reliance on the body vertical persists early post-flight, generating an exaggerated sense of tilt. Since graviceptors respond to linear acceleration and not to head tilt in orbit, it has been proposed that adaptation to weightlessness entails reinterpretation of otolith activity, causing tilt to be perceived as translation. Since linear acceleration during in-flight centrifugation was always perceived as tilt, not translation, the findings do not support this hypothesis.

Beliefs and practices of First Nation women about weight gain during pregnancy and lactation: implications for women's health.

PubMed

Vallianatos, Helen; Brennand, Erin A; Raine, Kim; Stephen, Queenie; Petawabano, Beatrice; Dannenbaum, David; Willows, Noreen D

2006-03-01

Many Cree women in northern Quebec experience excessive weight gain during pregnancy and retain the weight between pregnancies. This contributes to poor maternal-fetal outcomes and increased rates of obesity-related health problems. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore (a) Cree women's perceptions of weight gain in pregnancy and weight loss following pregnancy, (b) the barriers that women face in maintaining a healthy body weight, and (c) the sociocultural context of health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 women who had given birth within the preceding 12 months. Many women spoke of the negative health consequences of excessive weight gain, yet they found it difficult to lose weight due to individual constraints such as lack of time, cultural beliefs about diet while breastfeeding, and community constraints including lack of child care and lack of community programs for mothers.

Weight Suppression Predicts Maintenance and Onset of Bulimic Syndromes at 10-Year Follow-up

PubMed Central

Keel, Pamela K.; Heatherton, Todd F.

2010-01-01

Conflicting results have emerged regarding the prognostic significance of weight suppression for maintenance of bulimic symptoms. This study examined whether the magnitude of weight suppression would predict bulimic syndrome maintenance and onset in college-based samples of men (n=369) and women (n=968) at 10-year follow-up. Data come from a longitudinal study of body weight and disordered eating with high retention (80%). Among those with a bulimic syndrome at baseline, greater weight suppression significantly predicted maintenance of the syndrome, and, among those without a bulimic syndrome at baseline, greater weight suppression predicted onset of a bulimic syndrome at 10-year follow-up in multivariate models that included baseline body mass index, diet frequency, and weight perception. Future research should address mechanisms that could account for the effects of weight suppression over a long duration of follow-up. PMID:20455599

'Language is the source of misunderstandings'--impact of terminology on public perceptions of health promotion messages.

PubMed

Buckton, Christina H; Lean, Michael E J; Combet, Emilie

2015-06-23

The high level of premature death due to non-communicable diseases has been associated with unhealthful lifestyles, including poor diet. The effectiveness of public health strategies designed to promote health via messages focusing on food and diets depends largely on the perception of the messages by the public. The aim of this study was to explore public perceptions of language commonly used to communicate concepts linking health, food and the diet. This study is a qualitative and semi-quantitative cross-sectional survey exploring public perceptions of terms used to improve eating habits within public health strategies. We recruited adults with no background in nutrition or health-care, from May to July 2013, from urban areas of varying deprivation (n = 12) in Glasgow and Edinburgh, UK. Four key prompt-terms used to convey the idea of improving health through diet were selected for testing: Healthy Eating, Eating for Health, Balanced Diet and Nutritional Balance. Consumer understanding of these terms was explored using mixed-methods, including qualitative focus groups (n = 17) and an interviewer-led word-association exercise (n = 270). The word-association exercise produced 1,386 individual responses from the four prompt-terms, with 130 unique responses associated with a single term. Cluster analysis revealed 16 key themes, with responses affected by prompt-term used, age, gender and socio-economic status. Healthy Eating was associated with foods considered 'healthy' (p <0.05); Eating for Health and Balanced Diet with negative connotations of foods to avoid (both p <0.001) and Nutritional Balance with the benefits of eating healthily (p <0.01). Focus groups revealed clear differences in perceptions: Eating for Health = positive action one takes to manage existing medical conditions, Healthy Eating = passive aspirational term associated with weight management, Balanced Diet = old fashioned, also dieting for weight loss, Nutritional Balance = maximising physical performance. Food suppliers use Healthy Eating terminology to promote weight management products. Focus group participants welcomed product reformulation to enhance food health properties as a strategy to overcome desensitisation to health-messages. Public perceptions of messages communicating concepts linking health, food and the diet are influenced by terminology, resulting in confusion. To increase individual commitment to change eating habits in the long term, public health campaigns need strengthening, potentially by investing in tailored approaches to meet the needs of defined groups of consumers.

Objective food environments and health outcomes.

PubMed

Minaker, Leia M; Raine, Kim D; Wild, T Cameron; Nykiforuk, Candace I J; Thompson, Mary E; Frank, Lawrence D

2013-09-01

Pathways by which food environments affect residents' diet-related outcomes are still unclear. Understanding pathways may help decision makers identify food environment strategies to promote healthy diets. To examine the hypothesis that residents' perceptions mediate the relationship between objective food environment and residents' diet quality and weight status. In the Waterloo Region, Ontario, objective food environment data were collected from 422 food stores and 912 restaurants using the Nutrition Environment Measure Survey in Stores and Restaurants, a shelf-space measure of fruits and vegetables, and the Retail Food Environment Index. Waterloo Region households (n=2223) completed a subjective food environment perception survey; household members (n=4102) self-reported weight, height, and waist circumference. A subsample (1170 individuals within 690 households) completed diet records. Food environment data were collected in 2010; respondent data were collected from 2009-2010; and data were analyzed in 2012. A series of gender-specific models were conducted to test mediation, adjusting for household income, car ownership, age, and education level. Residents' perceptions did not mediate the relationship between objective measures and diet-related outcomes; instead, results revealed the direct effect of several objectively measured factors of the food environment (notably food access and relative food affordability) on outcomes. Perceptions generally were not associated with diet-related outcomes. These results reveal that in this setting, strategies aimed at improving residents' perceptions may be less effective than those acting directly on food environments to improve food access and relative food affordability. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Taste Perception: An Examination of Fat Preference, Sensory Specific Satiety, and the Function of Eating Among Moderately Obese and Normal Weight Women

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-02-20

key will take you into the food database so you can find the specific type of food you have eaten. For example if you ate a roasted chicken breast...you would type in chicken , press the Enter key and then press an arrow key to locate chicken , breast, meat only, roasted in the food database...Taste Perception 61 Appendix B: Pudding Recipes High fat pudding

Acoustic cues to perception of word stress by English, Mandarin, and Russian speakers.

PubMed

Chrabaszcz, Anna; Winn, Matthew; Lin, Candise Y; Idsardi, William J

2014-08-01

This study investigated how listeners' native language affects their weighting of acoustic cues (such as vowel quality, pitch, duration, and intensity) in the perception of contrastive word stress. Native speakers (N = 45) of typologically diverse languages (English, Russian, and Mandarin) performed a stress identification task on nonce disyllabic words with fully crossed combinations of each of the 4 cues in both syllables. The results revealed that although the vowel quality cue was the strongest cue for all groups of listeners, pitch was the second strongest cue for the English and the Mandarin listeners but was virtually disregarded by the Russian listeners. Duration and intensity cues were used by the Russian listeners to a significantly greater extent compared with the English and Mandarin participants. Compared with when cues were noncontrastive across syllables, cues were stronger when they were in the iambic contour than when they were in the trochaic contour. Although both English and Russian are stress languages and Mandarin is a tonal language, stress perception performance of the Mandarin listeners but not of the Russian listeners is more similar to that of the native English listeners, both in terms of weighting of the acoustic cues and the cues' relative strength in different word positions. The findings suggest that tuning of second-language prosodic perceptions is not entirely predictable by prosodic similarities across languages.

Acoustic Cues to Perception of Word Stress by English, Mandarin, and Russian Speakers

PubMed Central

Chrabaszcz, Anna; Winn, Matthew; Lin, Candise Y.; Idsardi, William J.

2017-01-01

Purpose This study investigated how listeners’ native language affects their weighting of acoustic cues (such as vowel quality, pitch, duration, and intensity) in the perception of contrastive word stress. Method Native speakers (N = 45) of typologically diverse languages (English, Russian, and Mandarin) performed a stress identification task on nonce disyllabic words with fully crossed combinations of each of the 4 cues in both syllables. Results The results revealed that although the vowel quality cue was the strongest cue for all groups of listeners, pitch was the second strongest cue for the English and the Mandarin listeners but was virtually disregarded by the Russian listeners. Duration and intensity cues were used by the Russian listeners to a significantly greater extent compared with the English and Mandarin participants. Compared with when cues were noncontrastive across syllables, cues were stronger when they were in the iambic contour than when they were in the trochaic contour. Conclusions Although both English and Russian are stress languages and Mandarin is a tonal language, stress perception performance of the Mandarin listeners but not of the Russian listeners is more similar to that of the native English listeners, both in terms of weighting of the acoustic cues and the cues’ relative strength in different word positions. The findings suggest that tuning of second-language prosodic perceptions is not entirely predictable by prosodic similarities across languages. PMID:24686836

Parental practices perceived by children using a French version of the Kids' Child Feeding Questionnaire.

PubMed

Monnery-Patris, Sandrine; Rigal, Natalie; Chabanet, Claire; Boggio, Vincent; Lange, Christine; Cassuto, Dominique Adèle; Issanchou, Sylvie

2011-08-01

About 18% of 6-11-year-old French children are overweight, of whom 3.3% are obese. Parental feeding practices, especially restriction and pressure-to-eat, seem to promote overeating in children. Since no tool was available for the perception of parental feeding practices of French children, our aim was to validate a French version of the Kids'Child Feeding Questionnaire (KCFQ, Carper, Orlet Fischer, & Birch, 2000), and to determine the relationship between KCFQ's dimensions and children's standardised body mass index (BMI z-scores). The questionnaire was completed by 240 normal-weighted or overweight children between the age of 9 and 11. The validation was based on a confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency of factors was confirmed using Cronbach's coefficients. After deleting some items (3 for the pressure-to-eat subscale and 3 for the restriction subscale), the two-factor model (pressure-to-eat, restriction) provided an acceptable fit (χ² (34)=64; RMSEA=.06; CFI=0.93; NNFI=.90), and satisfactory internal consistency. Children's perception of restriction was significantly and positively correlated with BMI z-scores (r=36, p<.001), whereas their perception of pressure-to-eat was not significantly associated with BMI z-scores (r=-.09, p=.24). This scale appears to be a sound tool for highlighting children's perceptions of parental feeding practices, and their links to weight status. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Obesity Stigma: Important Considerations for Public Health

PubMed Central

Heuer, Chelsea A.

2010-01-01

Stigma and discrimination toward obese persons are pervasive and pose numerous consequences for their psychological and physical health. Despite decades of science documenting weight stigma, its public health implications are widely ignored. Instead, obese persons are blamed for their weight, with common perceptions that weight stigmatization is justifiable and may motivate individuals to adopt healthier behaviors. We examine evidence to address these assumptions and discuss their public health implications. On the basis of current findings, we propose that weight stigma is not a beneficial public health tool for reducing obesity. Rather, stigmatization of obese individuals threatens health, generates health disparities, and interferes with effective obesity intervention efforts. These findings highlight weight stigma as both a social justice issue and a priority for public health. PMID:20075322

Preferences for body type and body characteristics associated with attractive and unattractive bodies: Jackson and McGill revisited.

PubMed

Rosenfeld, L B; Stewart, S C; Stinnett, H J; Jackson, L A

1999-10-01

The present investigation replicates Jackson and McGill's study (1996) and extends it by considering the effects of respondents' own height, weight, and body mass on perceptions of attractiveness. Results, although generally supportive of those found by Jackson and McGill, point to the influence of respondents' own physical characteristics in the process of perceptions of attractiveness: only 1 of Jackson and McGill's 3 (of a possible 19) differences between responses of African- and Euro-American women was corroborated (the importance of silky hair for Euro-American women), whereas a second difference (the importance of round buttocks for African-American women) disappeared when controlling for respondents' weight, height, and body mass. Although differences between the two investigations may be attributed to regional differences in the surveyed students (Michigan and North Carolina), the small effect of one's own weight, height, and body mass in assessing an other-sex person's attractiveness may reflect adherence to norms learned very early in life that are subject to regional variations.

[Perception of risk factors for cancer in the Spanish population].

PubMed

Sanz-Barbero, Belén; Prieto-Flores, María Eugenia; Otero-García, Laura; Abt-Sacks, Analía; Bernal, Mariola; Cambas, Naiara

2014-01-01

To analyze the perception of the Spanish population of risk factors for cancer. Data were extracted from the OncoBarometro 2010 survey. Multivariate logistic models were applied to analyze the perception of the population on the importance of various risk factors: smoking, alcohol, sun, food, weight, sexually transmitted diseases, family history, radiation exposure, exposure to toxic substances and air pollution. The answers were rated on a 0 to 10 scale and were converted to low (0-6) and high (7-10) categories. The measure of association used was the prevalence ratio (PR). The greatest importance was assigned to smoking (high importance: 83.1%), whereas the least importance was assigned to weight (26.5%). In general, the probability of perceiving risk factors as important was lower among men (PR sun: 0.87; PR sexually transmitted diseases: 0.78) and increased among people who received professional advice on cancer prevention (PR alcohol: 1.11; PR sun: 1.18; PR food; 1.31; PR weight: 1.92). In particular, knowledge of symptoms and extreme fear of cancer were associated with perceiving smoking as an important risk factor, whereas a high perceived vulnerability to cancer was associated with perceiving exposure to toxic substances, pollution and smoking as important risk factors. Greater awareness is required of the association of cancer with overweight and sexually transmitted diseases. The recommendations given by health professionals on cancer prevention are key to increasing the population's awareness of risk factors for cancer. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Resistance to exercise-induced weight loss: compensatory behavioral adaptations.

PubMed

Melanson, Edward L; Keadle, Sarah Kozey; Donnelly, Joseph E; Braun, Barry; King, Neil A

2013-08-01

In many interventions that are based on an exercise program intended to induce weight loss, the mean weight loss observed is modest and sometimes far less than what the individual expected. The individual responses are also widely variable, with some individuals losing a substantial amount of weight, others maintaining weight, and a few actually gaining weight. The media have focused on the subpopulation that loses little weight, contributing to a public perception that exercise has limited utility to cause weight loss. The purpose of the symposium was to present recent, novel data that help explain how compensatory behaviors contribute to a wide discrepancy in exercise-induced weight loss. The presentations provide evidence that some individuals adopt compensatory behaviors, that is, increased energy intake and/or reduced activity, that offset the exercise energy expenditure and limit weight loss. The challenge for both scientists and clinicians is to develop effective tools to identify which individuals are susceptible to such behaviors and to develop strategies to minimize their effect.

Resistance to exercise-induced weight loss: compensatory behavioral adaptations

PubMed Central

Melanson, Edward L.; Keadle, Sarah Kozey; Donnelly, Joseph E.; Braun, Barry; King, Neil A.

2013-01-01

In many interventions that are based on an exercise program intended to induce weight loss, the mean weight loss observed is modest and sometimes far less than the individual expected. The individual responses are also widely variable, with some individuals losing a substantial amount of weight, others maintaining weight, and a few actually gaining weight. The media have focused on the sub-population that loses little weight, contributing to a public perception that exercise has limited utility to cause weight loss. The purpose of the symposium was to present recent, novel data that help explain how compensatory behaviors contribute to a wide discrepancy in exercise-induced weight loss. The presentations provide evidence that some individuals adopt compensatory behaviors, i.e. increased energy intake and/or reduced activity, that offset the exercise energy expenditure and limit weight loss. The challenge for both scientists and clinicians is to develop effective tools to identify which individuals are susceptible to such behaviors, and to develop strategies to minimize their impact. PMID:23470300

Differentiated perceptions of exertion and energy cost of young women while carrying loads.

PubMed

Robertson, R J; Caspersen, C J; Allison, T G; Skrinar, G S; Abbott, R A; Metz, K F

1982-01-01

Differentiated local ratings of perceived exertion from the legs and central ratings from the chest, and oxygen consumption, were determined during load carriage in seven young women. Subjects walked for 6 min at 3.22, 4.83, 6.44, or 8.05 km X h-1 carrying (1) no load, (2) a load equal to 7.5% of body weight (mean: 4.66 kg) or (3) a load equal to 15% of body weight (mean: 9.32 kg). Thus, each subject underwent 12 separate tests. The external loads were in the form of lead pellets carried in a plastic scuba belt worn around the waist. A differentiation threshold was found at 6.44 km X h-1 for the 0% and 7.5% loads and at 4.83 km X h-1 for the 15% load. At speeds below the threshold, the perception of exertion was similar in the legs, chest and overall. At higher speeds, exertion was perceived to be more intense in the legs than overall and less intense in the chest than overall, suggesting that the local legs signal was the dominant factor in shaping the overall sensation of exertion. The oxygen uptake was greater for the 15% load than for either the 0% or 7.5% loads, but was similar for the 0% and 7.5% loads. Findings suggested a critical weight limit for external loads that could be transported without increasing the metabolic cost beyond that required to move the body weight alone. This limit fell between 7.5% and 15% of the body weight. When oxygen uptake was expressed per kg of total weight transported, there was no loss of metabolic efficiency while carrying loads up to 15% of the body weight.

Ethnic differences in parental feeding behaviors in UK parents of preschoolers

PubMed Central

Cihang, Gu; Sarah, Warkentin; Amaral, Mais Laís; Susan, Carnell

2017-01-01

Childhood obesity is prevalent among ethnic minorities in the UK but little is known about parent feeding practices in these populations. We administered questionnaires assessing parental feeding behaviors and perceptions and concerns relating to child weight to White British (n=271), South Asian (n=59), and Black Afro-Caribbean (n=42) parents of UK 3–5 year-olds. Child BMI z-scores were determined from measured heights and weights. South Asian and Black Afro-Caribbean parents exhibited greater pressure to eat than White British parents. Black Afro-Caribbean parents additionally scored higher on instrumental feeding and lower on monitoring, while South Asian parents scored higher on emotional feeding. Black Afro-Caribbean parents reported the greatest concern about both child overweight and underweight. Ethnic differences were unchanged by controlling for perceptions and concerns relating to child weight, or for actual BMI z, parent education, or household income. Exploratory analyses suggested some evidence for sex differences within ethnic groups. For example, South Asian parents of daughters scored higher than White British parents of daughters on emotional feeding, with no ethnic differences apparent for parents of sons. Our findings support considering variation in parent feeding behaviors and weight-related attitudes by parental ethnicity and child sex when developing obesity interventions. PMID:28274650

Effect of low-carbohydrate claims on consumer perceptions about food products' healthfulness and helpfulness for weight management.

PubMed

Labiner-Wolfe, Judith; Jordan Lin, Chung-Tung; Verrill, Linda

2010-01-01

Evaluate effect of low-carbohydrate claims on consumer perceptions about food products' healthfulness and helpfulness for weight management. Experiment in which participants were randomly assigned 1 of 12 front-of-package claim conditions on bread or a frozen dinner. Seven of the 12 conditions also included Nutrition Facts (NF) information. Internet. 4,320 members of a national on-line consumer panel. Exposure to images of a food package. Ratings on Likert scales about perceived healthfulness, helpfulness for weight management, and caloric content. Mean ratings by outcome measure, condition, and product were calculated. Ratings were also used as the dependent measure in analysis of variance models. Participants who saw front-of-package-only conditions rated products bearing low-carbohydrate claims as more helpful for weight management and lower in calories than the same products without a claim. Those who saw the bread with low-carbohydrate claims also rated it as more healthful than those who saw no claim. When the NF label was available and products had the same nutrition profile, participants rated products with low-carbohydrate claims the same as those with no claim. Consumers who do not use the NF panel may interpret low-carbohydrate claims to have meaning beyond the scope of the claim itself. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Maternal and child awareness and expectations of child overweight.

PubMed

Brødsgaard, Anne; Wagner, Lis; Peitersen, Birgit; Poulsen, Ingrid; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

2011-01-01

We investigated mothers' and children's assessments of body weight and their expectations about perceived body size in relation to overweight of the children. We performed a case-control study of 111 cases of overweight children and 149 controls of non-overweight children (mean age 8.1 years) and their mothers. All were examined and interviewed about their assessment of body weight and their perception of a normal, attractive and acceptable body size. Case children were less able than control children to correctly assess their own body weight (p < 0.001), as were mothers of overweight children (MOC) to assess their children's body weight (p < 0.001). The majority of mothers from both groups wished their children to have a normal body size, but 18% of MOC wished their children to have an overweight body size (p < 0.013). The majority of case children, control children and mothers found a normal body size for boys and girls to be the most attractive and socially acceptable, but more MOC found overweight among boys to be the most attractive (p = 0.006). Overweight children and their mothers show increased uncertainty in the assessment of overweight and obesity, but the perception of a normal, attractive and socially acceptable body size is not distorted. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Weight management practices and their relationship to knowledge, perception and health status of Saudi females attending diet clinics in Riyadh city.

PubMed

Albassam, Reem Suliman; Abdel Gawwad, Ensaf S; Khanam, Latifa

2007-01-01

The objective of the study was to identify weight management (WM) practices among women attending diet clinics in Riyadh city, assess their impact on knowledge, perceptions, nutritional and health status and define some predictors for weight reduction among these women. The pretest-posttest research design was used. All female clients attending 8 diet clinics for the first visit within 8 months period and fulfilling the study inclusion criteria (212 out of 263) were included. The results show that out of 170 females who had previously tried to lose weight, only 32.4% reported success in reducing weight, meanwhile 61.7% reported weight regain. The mean total score of dietary practices, physical activity score, self efficacy and satisfaction of self-body image were improved significantly at posttest. Analysis of 24 h. dietary recall revealed that total energy and nutrients intake were significantly reduced at posttest. Dieting related problems increased significantly at posttest. Nutritional knowledge was at moderately fair level at both pretest and posttest; however it showed a significant improvement in the posttest. Perceived severity, perceived barriers and negative modeling effect were significantly decreased at the posttest. Over expectation for weight reduction was clearly evident as posttest body mass index (BMI) revealed a wide discrepancy between the expected and final weights. However, as compared to initial and final BMI, there was an increase in women who attained normal weight and a decrease in the percentage of obese and morbid obese women. All anthropometric indices, blood pressure, biochemical investigation showed significant improvement at posttest. Among the five WM modalities studied, moderate hypo-calorie plan diet modality was the longest (chi = 5.6 month) with the least weight loss (7.8%) and the minimum side effects. Both groups under very low calorie diet and protein diet had the highest weight reduction (13.2% &12.3%), at the same time both diets exhibited the highest number of side effects. The study recommends use of the primary approach for achieving weight loss through therapeutic life style change with banning those modalities accompanied with serious health complications.

Does perception equal reality? Weight misperception in relation to weight-related attitudes and behaviors among overweight and obese US adults

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Weight misperception might preclude the adoption of healthful weight-related attitudes and behaviors among overweight and obese individuals, yet limited research exists in this area. We examined associations between weight misperception and several weight-related attitudes and behaviors among a nationally representative sample of overweight and obese US adults. Methods Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used. Analyses included non-pregnant, overweight and obese (measured body mass index ≥ 25) adults aged 20 and older. Weight misperception was identified among those who reported themselves as "underweight" or "about the right weight". Outcome variables and sample sizes were: weight-loss attitudes/behaviors (wanting to weigh less and having tried to lose weight; n = 4,784); dietary intake (total energy intake; n = 4,894); and physical activity (meets 2008 US physical activity recommendations, insufficiently active, and sedentary; n = 5,401). Multivariable regression models were stratified by gender and race/ethnicity. Analyses were conducted in 2009-2010. Results These overweight/obese men and women who misperceived their weight were 71% (RR 0.29, 95% CI 0.25-0.34) and 65% (RR 0.35, 95% CI 0.29-0.42) less likely to report that they want to lose weight and 60% (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.30-0.52) and 56% (RR 0.44, 95% CI 0.32-0.59) less likely to have tried to lose weight within the past year, respectively, compared to those who accurately perceived themselves as overweight. Blacks were particularly less likely to have tried to lose weight. Weight misperception was not a significant predictor of total energy intake among most subgroups, but was associated with lower total energy intake among Hispanic women (change -252.72, 95% CI -433.25, -72.18). Men who misperceived their weight were less likely (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52-0.89) to be insufficiently active (the strongest results were among Black men) and women who misperceived their weight were less likely (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.54, 1.00, p = 0.047) to meet activity recommendations compared to being sedentary. Conclusion Overall, weight misperception among overweight and obese adults was associated with less likelihood of interest in or attempts at weight loss and less physical activity. These associations varied by gender and race/ethnicity. This study highlights the importance of focusing on inaccurate weight perceptions in targeted weight loss efforts. PMID:21426567

Responses to gestational weight management guidance: a thematic analysis of comments made by women in online parenting forums

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance on weight management in pregnancy in July 2010 (NICE public health guidance 27: 2010), and this received considerable press coverage across a range of media. This offered an opportunity to examine how gestational weight management guidance was received by UK women. Methods A thematic analysis was conducted of 400 posts made in UK-based parenting internet forums in the week following the publication of the NICE guidance. This allowed us to examine the naturally occurring comments from 202 women who posted about the guidance on public forums. Results Three main themes were identified and explored: i) Perceived control/responsibility ii) Risk perception iii) Confused messages. Conclusions Women differed in their perceptions of the level of control that they had over being overweight with some feeling responsible and motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Others felt there were multiple factors influencing their weight issues beyond their control. There were reports of feeling guilty about the impact of weight on the growing baby and experiencing significant obesity stigma from the public and health professionals. Information about the risks of overweight and obesity in pregnancy were difficult messages for women to hear, and for health professionals to deliver. Women reported being confused by the messages that they received. Health messages need to be delivered sensitively to women, and health professionals need support and training to do this. Risk information should always be accompanied with clear advice and support to help women to manage their weight in pregnancy. PMID:24981024

Responses to gestational weight management guidance: a thematic analysis of comments made by women in online parenting forums.

PubMed

Arden, Madelynne A; Duxbury, Alexandra M S; Soltani, Hora

2014-06-30

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidance on weight management in pregnancy in July 2010 (NICE public health guidance 27: 2010), and this received considerable press coverage across a range of media. This offered an opportunity to examine how gestational weight management guidance was received by UK women. A thematic analysis was conducted of 400 posts made in UK-based parenting internet forums in the week following the publication of the NICE guidance. This allowed us to examine the naturally occurring comments from 202 women who posted about the guidance on public forums. Three main themes were identified and explored: i) Perceived control/responsibility ii) Risk perception iii) Confused messages. Women differed in their perceptions of the level of control that they had over being overweight with some feeling responsible and motivated to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Others felt there were multiple factors influencing their weight issues beyond their control. There were reports of feeling guilty about the impact of weight on the growing baby and experiencing significant obesity stigma from the public and health professionals. Information about the risks of overweight and obesity in pregnancy were difficult messages for women to hear, and for health professionals to deliver. Women reported being confused by the messages that they received. Health messages need to be delivered sensitively to women, and health professionals need support and training to do this. Risk information should always be accompanied with clear advice and support to help women to manage their weight in pregnancy.

Impact of cannabis treatment on the quality of life, weight and clinical disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients: a pilot prospective study.

PubMed

Lahat, Adi; Lang, Alon; Ben-Horin, Shomron

2012-01-01

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients suffer from significant morbidity and diminished life quality. The plant cannabis is beneficial in various gastrointestinal diseases, stimulating appetite and causing weight gain. Our aims were to assess whether treatment with inhaled cannabis improves quality of life, disease activity and promotes weight gain in these patients. Patients with long-standing IBD who were prescribed cannabis treatment were included. Two quality of life questionnaires and disease activity indexes were performed, and patient's body weight was measured before cannabis initiation and after 3 months' treatment. Thirteen patients were included. After 3 months' treatment, patients reported improvement in general health perception (p = 0.001), social functioning (p = 0.0002), ability to work (p = 0.0005), physical pain (p = 0.004) and depression (p = 0.007). A schematic scale of health perception showed an improved score from 4.1 ± 1.43 to 7 ± 1.42 (p = 0.0002). Patients had a weight gain of 4.3 ± 2 kg during treatment (range 2-8; p = 0.0002) and an average rise in BMI of 1.4 ± 0.61 (range 0.8-2.7; p = 0.002). The average Harvey-Bradshaw index was reduced from 11.36 ± 3.17 to 5.72 ± 2.68 (p = 0.001). Three months' treatment with inhaled cannabis improves quality of life measurements, disease activity index, and causes weight gain and rise in BMI in long-standing IBD patients. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Disordered Weight Management Behaviors, Nonprescription Steroid Use, and Weight Perception in Transgender Youth.

PubMed

Guss, Carly E; Williams, David N; Reisner, Sari L; Austin, S Bryn; Katz-Wise, Sabra L

2017-01-01

Disordered weight management behaviors are prevalent among youth; recent case reports suggested that these behaviors might also be common in transgender youth. We studied associations of gender identity with disordered weight management behaviors, nonprescription steroid use, and weight perception among transgender and cisgender (nontransgender) high-school students in Massachusetts. Data were analyzed from the 2013 Massachusetts Youth Health Survey, an anonymous survey in a random sample of Massachusetts public high schools. Respondents were divided into three groups: transgender (n = 67), cisgender male (n = 1,117), and cisgender female (n = 1,289). Fisher's exact tests and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine unhealthy weight management behaviors in the past 30 days: fasting >24 hours, vomiting, diet pill use, and laxative use; nonprescription steroid use; and self-perceived weight status. Analyses controlled for age, race/ethnicity, and body mass index. Compared with cisgender males, transgender adolescents had higher odds of fasting >24 hours (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.9, confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-7.8), using diet pills (AOR = 8.9, 95% CI = 2.3-35.2) and taking laxatives (AOR = 7.2, 95% CI = 1.4-38.4). Transgender youth had higher odds of lifetime use of steroids without a prescription than male cisgender respondents (AOR = 26.6, 95% CI = 3.5-200.1). Compared with cisgender females, transgender respondents had higher odds of perceiving themselves as healthy weight/underweight when they were overweight/obese (AOR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.5-4.1). Transgender youth disproportionately self-reported unsafe weight management behaviors and nonprescription steroid use compared with cisgender youth. Clinicians should be aware of this increased risk among transgender youth. Research is needed to further understand these disparities and to inform future interventions. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The extreme relativity of perception: A new contextual effect modulates human resolving power.

PubMed

Namdar, Gal; Ganel, Tzvi; Algom, Daniel

2016-04-01

The authors report the discovery of a new effect of context that modulates human resolving power with respect to an individual stimulus. They show that the size of the difference threshold or the just noticeable difference around a standard stimulus depends on the range of the other standards tested simultaneously for resolution within the same experimental session. The larger this range, the poorer the resolving power for a given standard. The authors term this effect the range of standards effect (RSE). They establish this result both in the visual domain for the perception of linear extent, and in the somatosensory domain for the perception of weight. They discuss the contingent nature of stimulus resolution in perception and psychophysics and contrast it with the immunity to contextual influences of visually guided action. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Implications of weight-based stigma and self-bias on quality of life among individuals with Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Barber, Jessica; Palmese, Laura; Reutenauer, Erin L.; Grilo, Carlos; Tek, Cenk

2011-01-01

Obesity has been associated with significant stigma and weight-related self-bias in community and clinical studies, but these issues have not been studied among individuals with schizophrenia. A consecutive series of 70 obese individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder underwent assessment for perceptions of weight-based stigmatization, self-directed weight-bias, negative affect, medication compliance, and quality of life. Levels of weight-based stigmatization and self-bias were compared to levels reported for non-psychiatric overweight/obese samples. Weight measures were unrelated to stigma, self-bias, affect, and quality of life. Weight-based stigmatization was lower than published levels for non-psychiatric samples, whereas levels of weight-based self-bias did not differ. After controlling for negative affect, weight-based self-bias predicted an additional 11% of the variance in the quality of life measure. Individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder reported weight-based self-bias to the same extent as non-psychiatric samples despite reporting less weight stigma. Weight-based self-bias was associated with poorer quality of life after controlling for negative affect. PMID:21716053

Implicit and explicit prejudice toward overweight and average-weight men and women: testing their correspondence and relation to behavioral intentions.

PubMed

Brochu, Paula M; Morrison, Melanie A

2007-12-01

The authors examined prejudice toward overweight men and women. Participants (N = 76) indicated their perceptions, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and implicit associations toward an average-weight or overweight man or woman. Results indicated the presence of explicit and implicit antifat prejudice, with male participants showing greater negativity toward overweight targets. Analyses of covariance indicated that overweight targets received greater derogation than did their average-weight counterparts, regardless, for the most part, of the target's gender. With one exception, no significant relations emerged between explicit and implicit measures of weight bias. The authors discuss limitations of the study and implications for future research.

Children at risk: the association between perceived weight status and suicidal thoughts and attempts in middle school youth.

PubMed

Whetstone, Lauren M; Morrissey, Susan L; Cummings, Doyle M

2007-02-01

Suicide is one of the most common causes of death among young people. A report from the US Surgeon General called for strategies to prevent suicide, including increasing public awareness of suicide and risks factors, and enhancing research to understand risk and protective factors. Weight perception has been linked to depression and poor self-esteem in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived weight status and suicidal thoughts and actions by gender in middle school youth. All public middle school students in 4 eastern North Carolina counties presented, and with parental permission (n = 5174), completed the Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Middle School Questionnaire. The 3 dependent variables were self-reported thinking, planning, and attempting suicide. Bivariate analyses describe suicidal thoughts and actions; multiple logistic regression models examined the relationship between weight description and suicidal thoughts and actions controlling for age, race, household composition, grades on report cards, and parents' education. Significantly more females than males reported thinking (26% vs 19%), planning (12% vs 9%), and attempting (11% vs 8%) suicide. For females, those who perceived themselves as overweight were significantly more likely to report suicidal thoughts and actions; while for males, perceptions of overweight and underweight were significantly associated with suicidal thoughts and actions. Controlling for personal and family characteristics, perceived weight status was significantly associated with suicidal thoughts and actions in middle school boys and girls.

Dimension-based statistical learning affects both speech perception and production

PubMed Central

Lehet, Matthew; Holt, Lori L.

2016-01-01

Multiple acoustic dimensions signal speech categories. However, dimensions vary in their informativeness; some are more diagnostic of category membership than others. Speech categorization reflects these dimensional regularities such that diagnostic dimensions carry more “perceptual weight” and more effectively signal category membership to native listeners. Yet, perceptual weights are malleable. When short-term experience deviates from long-term language norms, such as in a foreign accent, the perceptual weight of acoustic dimensions in signaling speech category membership rapidly adjusts. The present study investigated whether rapid adjustments in listeners’ perceptual weights in response to speech that deviates from the norms also affects listeners’ own speech productions. In a word recognition task, the correlation between two acoustic dimensions signaling consonant categories, fundamental frequency (F0) and voice onset time (VOT), matched the correlation typical of English, then shifted to an “artificial accent” that reversed the relationship, and then shifted back. Brief, incidental exposure to the artificial accent caused participants to down-weight perceptual reliance on F0, consistent with previous research. Throughout the task, participants were intermittently prompted with pictures to produce these same words. In the block in which listeners heard the artificial accent with a reversed F0 x VOT correlation, F0 was a less robust cue to voicing in listeners’ own speech productions. The statistical regularities of short-term speech input affect both speech perception and production, as evidenced via shifts in how acoustic dimensions are weighted. PMID:27666146

Parental Perceptions of Obesity and Obesity Risk Associated With Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

PubMed

Jones, Gary L; McClellan, Wendy; Raman, Sripriya; Sherman, Ashley; Guest, Erin; August, Keith

2017-07-01

The prevalence of obesity and related comorbidities in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is well established and ranges anywhere from 29% to 69% depending on the study. We sought to explore the awareness of parents of survivors of childhood ALL regarding the increased risk of obesity and their perceptions regarding the overall health of their child. One hundred twenty-one parents of 99 survivors of pediatric ALL completed surveys regarding perceptions of obesity risk in survivors. Eighty percent of parents of overweight and obese survivors correctly identified their child as "a little overweight" or "overweight." Few parents recalled discussing weight gain (21%) or obesity risk (36%) with their practitioner. Parents that did recall having these discussions and/or reported a decreased level of posttherapy activity in their child were more likely to be concerned about their child's weight status. Improved awareness and education regarding the risk of obesity and associated comorbid conditions may provide an avenue for future prevention of obesity in survivors of pediatric ALL. Discussion and education regarding a healthy lifestyle, including proper diet and exercise, should be incorporated early in routine patient visits.

Perception of Obesity in African-American and Arab-American Minority Groups.

PubMed

McClelland, Molly L; Weekes, Carmon V N; Bazzi, Hussein; Warwinsky, Joshua; Abouarabi, Wassim; Snell, Felicia; Salamey, Tarick

2016-03-01

Effectiveness of health education programs and interventions, designed to improve obesity rates, may vary according to perceptions of health within cultural groups. A qualitative approach was used. Two minority cultural groups (Arab-American and African-American) living in the same county were studied to compare perceptions of health, nutrition, and obesity and subsequent health behaviors. Control, expectations, bias, acceptance, and access were the five themes identified. Arab-Americans that had lower weights, lower prevalence of chronic diseases, expected healthy weights, reported age and gender bias related to being overweight were not as accepting of being overweight and did not report difficulties in accessing healthy food choices compared to their African-American counterparts. Health interventions aimed at reducing obesity rates and related chronic diseases should be culturally specific and aimed at changing expected and accepted cultural norms. Cultural group's void of certain disease states should be studied and used as models to ameliorate the problem in other cultures. Changing health behaviors within a certain cultural group may produce better outcomes when initiated from a member of that same group. The impact of economic and environmental factors on health behaviors must also be considered.

Nonlinear Bayesian filtering and learning: a neuronal dynamics for perception.

PubMed

Kutschireiter, Anna; Surace, Simone Carlo; Sprekeler, Henning; Pfister, Jean-Pascal

2017-08-18

The robust estimation of dynamical hidden features, such as the position of prey, based on sensory inputs is one of the hallmarks of perception. This dynamical estimation can be rigorously formulated by nonlinear Bayesian filtering theory. Recent experimental and behavioral studies have shown that animals' performance in many tasks is consistent with such a Bayesian statistical interpretation. However, it is presently unclear how a nonlinear Bayesian filter can be efficiently implemented in a network of neurons that satisfies some minimum constraints of biological plausibility. Here, we propose the Neural Particle Filter (NPF), a sampling-based nonlinear Bayesian filter, which does not rely on importance weights. We show that this filter can be interpreted as the neuronal dynamics of a recurrently connected rate-based neural network receiving feed-forward input from sensory neurons. Further, it captures properties of temporal and multi-sensory integration that are crucial for perception, and it allows for online parameter learning with a maximum likelihood approach. The NPF holds the promise to avoid the 'curse of dimensionality', and we demonstrate numerically its capability to outperform weighted particle filters in higher dimensions and when the number of particles is limited.

The relationship between dieting and body image, body ideal, self-perception, and body mass index in Turkish adolescents.

PubMed

Canpolat, Banu Isik; Orsel, Sibel; Akdemir, Asena; Ozbay, M Haluk

2005-03-01

The current study examined the roles of body image, ideal body weight, self-perception, and body mass index (BMI) on the dieting behavior of Turkish adolescents. The 531 subjects who participated in the study ranged from 15 to 17 years old and were recruited from five selected high schools in Ankara. They completed the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents (SPPA), the Body Image Satisfaction Questionnaire (BISQ), and the Dieting Status Measure (DiSM). Height and weight were measured. Dieting adolescents received significantly lower scores than nondieters for most of the BISQ items and for the physical appearance and global self-worth subscales of the SPPA. A thinner body ideal, the physical appearance domain of self-concept, and low global self-worth were the predicting factors of frequent dieting. However, BMI and body image dissatisfaction were not predicting factors. The results indicate that a thinner body ideal, low self-worth, and low physical self-concept have more significant effects on body dissatisfaction and dieting than being actually overweight does. Furthermore, high physical self-concept scores and body satisfaction may not necessarily preclude having a thinner body ideal and, hence, dieting in girls. (c) 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fit WIC: attitudes, perceptions and practices of WIC staff toward addressing childhood overweight.

PubMed

Serrano, Elena; Gresock, Emily; Suttle, David; Keller, Adrienne; McGarvey, Elizabeth

2006-01-01

To assess the attitudes, perceptions, and practices of staff of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in providing nutrition education on childhood overweight topics with WIC participants. Descriptive and correlational study. WIC clinics in Virginia. 106 employees working in direct contact with WIC participants. Demographic information; comfort level and frequency of discussing childhood overweight-related topics with participants; perception of WIC's ability to prevent and help address overweight among children and adults; body mass index (BMI); and attitudes toward personal weight. Descriptive statistics, regression, and analysis of variance. WIC staff in this study reported a lack of comfort, practice, and confidence in addressing and/or preventing childhood overweight with WIC participants, with differences existing based on job title (P < .05). Barriers to implementing programs included perceived attitudes of participants, transportation, time, cultural issues, and childcare. Staff BMIs were significantly correlated to ethnicity, age, feeling overweight, unhappiness with current weight, and comfort level discussing fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity (P < .05). Staff training, health promotion programs, and culturally relevant educational materials are warranted for WIC staff to build a strong knowledge base and promote self-efficacy about childhood overweight-related topics.

Molecular structural differences between low methoxy pectins induced by pectin methyl esterase II: effects on texture, release and perception of aroma in gels of similar modulus of elasticity.

PubMed

Kim, Yang; Kim, Young-Suk; Yoo, Sang-Ho; Kim, Kwang-Ok

2014-02-15

Six low-methoxy pectins with different degrees of methylesterification and amidation, and molecular weights were used to prepare gels with similar moduli of elasticity by varying the concentrations of pectin and calcium phosphate. Five aroma compounds were added to the gels and their sensory textural properties, release and perception of aromas were investigated. Sensory firmness, springiness, adhesiveness, chewiness and cohesiveness differed according to the gel type, even though the moduli of elasticity were not significantly different (p<0.05). Release and perception of aromas also displayed significant difference according to the gel type (p<0.05). Low-methoxy amidated pectin exhibited the lowest release and perception for all the aroma compounds, while pectin-methylesterase-treated pectin gels exhibited relatively higher aroma release and perception. These results showed that the structural properties of pectins and gelling factors that increase the non-polar character of the gel matrices could decrease the release and perception of aromas in pectin gel systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adapted physical activity programme and self-perception in obese adolescents with intellectual disability: between morphological awareness and positive illusory bias.

PubMed

Salaun, Laureline; Reynes, Eric; Berthouze-Aranda, Sophie E

2014-03-01

In adolescent with intellectual disability, the management of obesity is a crucial issue, yet also quite complex because of their particular perception of themselves. This study investigated the relationship between self-perception variables and morphological variables and their changes after a 9-month Adapted Physical Activity (APA) programme. Twenty-three adolescents with intellectual disability responded to an adapted questionnaire, including the PSI-VSF-ID and a nine-drawing body silhouette scale. Anthropometric and body composition indicators were measured before and after the APA programme. The main predictor of the adolescents' self-perceptions was the inclination towards positive illusory bias before the intervention; obesity awareness ranked second. Morphological measurements did not contribute in the same way to self-perceptions in the initial and final data. This study confirms the interest of weight management programmes for adolescents with intellectual disability and points to the need to take positive illusory bias more fully into account in the study of self-perception. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Weight and its relationship to adolescent perceptions of their providers (WRAP): a qualitative and quantitative assessment of teen weight-related preferences and concerns.

PubMed

Cohen, Marc L; Tanofsky-Kraff, Marian; Young-Hyman, Deborah; Yanovski, Jack A

2005-08-01

To examine the relationship of body weight to satisfaction with care in adolescents, and to obtain qualitative data on preferences for general and weight-related medical care in normal weight and overweight adolescents. The Weight and its Relationship to Adolescent Perceptions of their Providers survey, a 4-page questionnaire containing previously validated satisfaction scales and open-ended qualitative questions regarding health care preferences, was administered to 62 severely overweight (body mass index [BMI] 38.9 +/- 8.4 kg/m2) and 29 normal weight (BMI 22.5 +/- 4.0 kg/m2) adolescents (age 13.9 +/- 1.7 years; 57% female; 50% Caucasian, 47% African-American, 3% Hispanic). The affective subscale of the medical satisfaction scale was negatively correlated with BMI standard deviation score (r = -.22, p < .05). Multiple regression models predicting affective satisfaction with medical care included BMI standard deviation score; however, continuity with provider appeared to be the strongest independent predictor of affective satisfaction. Fifty-five percent of participants identified their mother as the person they felt most comfortable talking with about weight, although 68% believed their provider knew the most about healthy eating. "Overweight" was identified by 47% of participants as the preferred term for heavy teens. Seventy-nine percent of overweight adolescents stated their health care provider discussed their weight with them; however, only 41% of overweight adolescents desired to discuss their weight. Compared to normal-weight adolescents, overweight teens were more likely to report that their provider raised topics of weight (p < .001), diet (p < .01), and exercise (p < .01) at their last physical, and were more likely to report that they would have liked their provider to discuss diet and exercise (both p < .05). Ten percent of overweight teens expressed concerns regarding the public location of their provider's office scale. Satisfaction with affective aspects of the provider-patient relationship is negatively correlated with BMI standard deviation score. Length of experience with one's provider is also a strong predictor of teen satisfaction with their medical care. Teens prefer the term "overweight" for those with high body weight. Sensitivity to confidentiality, privacy, and embarrassment regarding physical examination and weight are important for teen satisfaction.

Consumers' health perceptions of three types of milk: a survey in Australia.

PubMed

Bus, A E M; Worsley, A

2003-04-01

A survey was conducted among 345 randomly selected shoppers in Melbourne, Australia, to identify their perceptions of the healthiness of whole milk, reduced fat milk and soy milk and to investigate demographic influences on health perceptions and types of milk consumption. The survey revealed major differences in shoppers' perceptions of the three types of milk along the themes of bone health, weight control, disease prevention, and, allergy and disease causation. Generally whole milk was perceived more negatively than soy or reduced fat milk. There were few demographic differences in the shoppers' perceptions of the three products. Reported consumption of reduced fat milk was more frequent among women and elderly people, and whole milk consumption was positively related to parenthood. The findings suggest that previous marketing and education campaigns have been effective but the widespread uncertainty and erroneous beliefs about milk products suggest that many consumers have not assimilated new findings about milk products. This represents a challenge for industry and public health practitioners.

Nutritionist’s Variation in Counseling Style and the Effect on Weight Change of Patients Attending a Community Based Lifestyle Modification Program

PubMed Central

Lok, Kris Y. W.; Chan, Ruth S. M.; Sea, Mandy M. M.; Woo, Jean

2010-01-01

Information concerning the nature of nutritionist-patient relationships is very limited. This qualitative and quantitative study examined nutritionist’s skills, attributes, and beliefs towards nutrition counseling during a lifestyle modification intervention program, and whether this affected the patient’s weight outcome. 24 nutrition consultations were observed during the program and the nutritionists were interviewed for their perception on practice (n = 4). A statistically significant difference was observed between the nutritionists in regard to patient’s weight change after adjustment for age and baseline weight (p < 0.001). Key nutritionist skills identified that influenced weight outcome were meticulous investigation of the underlying obesity cause, identification of the subject’s stage of change, and psychological support. PMID:20616982

Reducing Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) of Perception Systems in Small Autonomous Aerial Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Kennie H.; Gross, Jason

2014-01-01

The objectives are to examine recent trends in the reduction of size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements of sensor systems for environmental perception and to explore new technology that may overcome limitations in current systems. Improving perception systems to facilitate situation awareness is critical in the move to introduce increasing autonomy in aerial systems. Whether the autonomy is in the current state-of-the-art of increasing automation or is enabling cognitive decisions that facilitate adaptive behavior, collection of environmental information and fusion of that information into knowledge that can direct actuation is imperative to decisions resulting in appropriate behavior. Artificial sensory systems such as cameras, radar, LIDAR, and acoustic sensors have been in use on aircraft for many years but, due to the large size and weight of the airplane and electrical power made available through powerful engines, the SWaP requirements of these sensors was inconsequential. With the proliferation of Remote Piloted Vehicles (RPV), the trend is in significant reduction in SWaP of the vehicles. This requires at least an equivalent reduction in SWaP for the sensory systems. A survey of some currently available sensor systems and changing technology will reveal the trend toward reduction of SWaP of these systems and will predict future reductions. A new technology will be introduced that provides an example of a desirable new trend. A new device replaces multiple conventional sensory devices facilitating synchronization, localization, altimetry, collision avoidance, terrain mapping, and data communication in a single integrated, small form-factor, extremely lightweight, and low power device that it is practical for integration into small autonomous vehicles and can facilitate cooperative behavior. The technology is based on Ultra WideBand (UWB) radio using short pulses of energy rather than continuous sine waves. The characteristics of UWB yield several desirable characteristics to facilitate integration of perception for autonomous activities. The capabilities of this device and its limitations will be assessed.

The Influence of U.S. Chain Restaurant Food Consumption and Obesity in China and South Korea: An Ecological Perspective of Food Consumption, Self-Efficacy in Weight Management, Willingness to Communicate About Weight/Diet, and Depression.

PubMed

Wright, Kevin B; Mazzone, Raphael; Oh, Hyun; Du, Joshua; Smithson, Anne-Bennett; Ryan, Diane; MacNeil, David; Tong, Xing; Stiller, Carol

2016-11-01

This study examined the impact of U.S. chain restaurant food consumption in China and South Korea from an ecological perspective. Specifically, it explored the relationships among several environmental and individual variables that have been found to affect obesity/weight management in previous research, including the prevalence/popularity of U.S. chain restaurants in these countries, frequency of U.S. chain restaurant food consumption, self-efficacy in weight management, willingness to communicate about weight/diet, self-perceptions of weight/obesity stigma, body mass index (BMI), and depression. The results indicated that willingness to communicate about weight/diet predicted increased self-efficacy in weight management. Higher BMI scores were found to predict increased weight/obesity stigma, and increased frequency of U.S. restaurant food consumption, weight/obesity stigma, and reduced self-efficacy in weight management were found to predict increased levels of depression. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed, along with limitations and directions for future research.

Audio-visual temporal perception in children with restored hearing.

PubMed

Gori, Monica; Chilosi, Anna; Forli, Francesca; Burr, David

2017-05-01

It is not clear how audio-visual temporal perception develops in children with restored hearing. In this study we measured temporal discrimination thresholds with an audio-visual temporal bisection task in 9 deaf children with restored audition, and 22 typically hearing children. In typically hearing children, audition was more precise than vision, with no gain in multisensory conditions (as previously reported in Gori et al. (2012b)). However, deaf children with restored audition showed similar thresholds for audio and visual thresholds and some evidence of gain in audio-visual temporal multisensory conditions. Interestingly, we found a strong correlation between auditory weighting of multisensory signals and quality of language: patients who gave more weight to audition had better language skills. Similarly, auditory thresholds for the temporal bisection task were also a good predictor of language skills. This result supports the idea that the temporal auditory processing is associated with language development. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Not only body weight perception but also body mass index is relevant to suicidal ideation and self-harming behavior in Japanese adolescents.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Kuni; Kinoshita, Yoshihiro; Shimodera, Shinji; Nishida, Atsushi; Inoue, Ken; Watanabe, Norio; Oshima, Norihito; Akechi, Tatsuo; Sasaki, Tsukasa; Inoue, Shimpei; Furukawa, Toshiaki A; Okazaki, Yuji

2012-04-01

Whether a low body mass index (BMI) is directly associated with a high risk of suicidal ideation or self-harming behavior in adolescents is still inconclusive. This study has, therefore, evaluated the relevance of BMI to suicidal ideation and self-harming behavior after controlling for body weight perception (BWP) and other potential confounding factors. BMI, BWP, suicidal ideation, and self-harming behavior were all assessed using a self-report questionnaire administered to 18,104 Japanese adolescents. Potential confounding factors were also evaluated. The data were then analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Low BMI was associated with suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm when controlling for sex, age, drug use, emotional distress, and BWP. Low BMI may be an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harming behavior in Japanese adolescents.

Fast foods perception among adolescents by gender and weight status.

PubMed

Allehdan, Sabika S; Tayyem, Reema F; Bawadi, Hiba A; Al-Awwad, Narmeen J; Al-Mannai, Mariam; Musaiger, Abdulrahman O

2017-03-01

Fast food restaurants have become widespread in both developed and developing countries due to nutritional and economic transitions. The frequency of fast food intake is relatively high among adolescents; however, fast food consumption is positively associated with total energy intake and obesity in adolescents. This study aimed to examine the perception of Jordanian adolescents towards fast foods relative to gender and obesity. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 boys and 395 girls, aged 15-18 years. The adolescents completed a validated questionnaire to measure the perception of adolescents towards fast foods during the year 2013-2014. Weight and height were measured. Numbers who were non-overweight, overweight, and obese were calculated for each age and sex using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standard. The majority of participants perceived foods which are eaten as sandwiches as fast foods. A significant difference between boy and girl adolescents was reported regarding perception of French fries ( p < 0.012), fried chicken ( p < 0.001), fattayer ( p < 0.001), foul (boiled broad beans) sandwich ( p < 0.001), falafel sandwich ( p < 0.044) and fried eggs sandwich ( p < 0.001) as fast foods. Girls were significantly more enthusiastic than boys to consider cuscusi plate ( p < 0.001), rice dishes ( p < 0.002), Chinese foods ( p < 0.001), Indian foods ( p < 0.010), Mexican foods ( p < 0.011), and Italian foods ( p < 0.004) as non-fast foods. The difference between obese and non-obese regarding the perception of fast foods was only significant among boy participants. Western or non-Arab foods, food prepared fast and eaten fast in self-service outlets, and food rich in calories were significantly perceived as fast food by Jordanian adolescents ( p < 0.05). The perception of foods as fast foods or non-fast foods was significantly different between both genders as well as in obese and non-obese male Jordanian adolescents.

Time-intensity and reaction-time methodology applied to the dynamic perception and liking of bitterness in relation to body mass index.

PubMed

León Bianchi, L; Galmarini, M V; García-Burgos, D; Zamora, M C

2018-07-01

There are very few studies which have considered perception temporality when relating perceived intensity and hedonic responses in relation to body mass index (BMI; kg/cm 2 ). The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between BMI with the dynamic perception and liking of bitter tasting solutions. For this purpose, two different categories of bitter products were applied: 6-n-propilthiouracil (PROP) solutions (0.010, 0.032 and 0.060 mmol/L) and commercial beverages (coffee, yerba mate infusion and grapefruit juice). The proposed methodology to evaluate perception and hedonic response was based on the measurement of reaction-time (R-T) and multiple-sip time-intensity (T-I) registers in people with a high BMI (25 < BMI < 30; overweight group) and a normal BMI (<25; normal-weight control group). The multiple-sip evaluation to describe perception of PROP solutions and liking of beverages was used as a more ecologically valid laboratory methodology to simulate a situation of usual consumption. In this sense, working with a multiple-sip design helped confirm that bitter taste has a cumulative effect since in every case the sip effect was significant when evaluating the maximum intensity; this effect was more important as the bitterness increased. Regarding the body weight group comparisons, the normal BMI group perceived bitter taste more intensely and the time to react to it was shorter (faster reaction) for both PROP solutions and the three beverages. Interestingly, even though the high BMI group rated the bitter taste as less intense, they had a lower level of acceptance than normal BMI. This result suggests that the hedonic rather than the sensory component might be playing a crucial role in the perception of bitter taste in individuals with high BMI. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

General Oral Health Assessment Index: A new evaluation proposal.

PubMed

Campos, Juliana A D B; Zucoloto, Miriane L; Bonafé, Fernanda S S; Maroco, João

2017-09-01

To validity the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) among adults who sought dental care and to present a new proposal for calculating scores on self-perception of oral health. There is no study that presents a GOHAI scores using weight of the items. The one-factor model, the three-factor model (physical function, psychosocial/psychological function and pain/discomfort) and the second-order hierarchical model (SOHM) were evaluated from confirmatory factor analysis (λ, χ 2 /df, CFI,GFI and RMSEA). The reliability (CR,α) was estimated. Concurrent validity was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The invariance of the models was estimated in independent samples. The calculation of an overall score using the factor scores was proposed to obtain the overall weighted scores. These overall weighted scores were compared to the scores estimated as the simple arithmetic mean (overall unweighted scores) using a repeated measures analysis of variance. A total of 1000 individuals participated (74.1% female; age: 40.7 (SD=14.3) years). Three items of the GOHAI were excluded (λ<0.40). The one-factor model (λ=0.40-0.77; χ 2 /df=6.291; CFI=0.947; GFI=0.960; RMSEA=0.073) and the three-factor model (λ=0.40-0.78; χ 2 /df=8.321; CFI=0.932; GFI=0.954; RMSEA=0.086) each presented an adequate fit. Reliability was adequate (one-factor: CR=0.83/α=0.83; three-factor: CR=0.53-0.76/α=0.53-0.73), with the exception of the pain/discomfort factor. The GOHAI was invariant in independent samples, and the concurrent validity was adequate. The overall unweighted scores overestimated self-perceptions of oral health when compared with the weighted scores. Both the one-factor and three-factor models of the GOHAI were found to be valid, reliable and invariant for the sample after the exclusion of three items. The use of overall weighted scores is recommended for calculating the score of self-perception of oral health. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENSTRUAL CYCLE CHARACTERISTICS AND PERCEIVED BODY IMAGE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF POLISH FEMALE ADOLESCENTS.

PubMed

Kaczmarek, Maria; Trambacz-Oleszak, Sylwia

2016-05-01

The increasing prevalence of negative body perceptions among adolescent girls and the tendency towards wishing to be thinner have become a cultural norm in Western culture. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to developing a negative body image due to physical and sexual changes occurring during puberty. This study aimed to evaluate the association between different measures of body image perceptions and different phases of the menstrual cycle after controlling for weight status and other potential confounders in Polish adolescent girls aged 12-18 years. Three-hundred and thirty participants of a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2009, normally cycling and with no eating disorders, completed a background questionnaire and the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale, and their anthropometric measurements were collected. The dependent outcome variables were measures of body image (actual body image, ideal body image and ideal-self discrepancy) and dichotomous body image perception (satisfied versus dissatisfied) adjusted for other predictor factors: socio-demographic variables, menstrual history and cycle phases, and weight status. One-way ANOVA indicated that weight status, age at menarche and menstrual cycle phase were associated with actual body image and rate of ideal-self discrepancy. Ideal body image was associated with weight status and menstrual cycle phase. General logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate associations of body dissatisfaction and all potential predictor variables. The final selected model of the multiple logistic regression analysis using the backward elimination procedure revealed that adjusted for other factors, negative body image was significantly associated with different phases of the menstrual cycle (p trend=0.033) and increasing body weight status (p trend=0.0007). The likelihood of body dissatisfaction was greatest during the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle (OR=2.38; 95% CI 1.06, 5.32) and among girls in obesity class I (OR=8.04; 95% CI 2.37, 27.26). The study confirmed the association between body image dissatisfaction in adolescent girls and different phases of the menstrual cycle after controlling for weight status. The issue of negative body self-image is not only of cognitive, but also of practical value as understanding better the factors contributing to the formation of a negative body image may be instrumental in developing preventive health programmes targeted at young people.

The Perceptions of Medical School Students and Faculty Toward Obesity Medicine Education: Survey and Needs Analysis

PubMed Central

Tanner, Bradley

2017-01-01

Background Recent trends in obesity show that over two-thirds of US adults are considered at least overweight (body mass index, BMI≥25 kg/m2) and of those, about one-third are categorized as obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2). Physicians can address the health impacts of obesity; yet research has suggested that physicians-in-training frequently fail to recognize obesity, are not properly educated regarding treatment options, and spend relatively little clinic time treating obesity. Medical school is a unique opportunity to address this area of need so that the doctors of tomorrow are prepared to treat obesity appropriately. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine perceptions of where clinical training for medical students on the topic of obesity and its treatment should improve and expand so that we could address the needs identified in a computerized clinical simulation. Methods We conducted a literature review, as well as a needs analysis with medical school students (N=17) and faculty (N=12). Literature review provided an overview of the current state of the field. Students provided input on their current needs, learning preferences, and opinions. Faculty provided feedback on current training and their perceptions of future needs. Results Most students were familiar with obesity medicine from various courses where obesity medicine was a subtopic, most frequently in Biochemistry or Nutrition, Endocrinology, and Wellness courses. Student knowledge about basic skills, such as measuring waist circumference, varied widely. About half of the students did not feel knowledgeable about recommending weight loss treatments. Most students did not feel prepared to provide interventions for patients in various categories of overweight/obesity, patients with psychosocial issues, obesity-related comorbidities, or failed weight loss attempts. However, most students did feel that it was their role as health professionals to provide these interventions. Faculty rated the following topics as most important to supplement the curriculum: patient-centered treatment of weight, bringing up the topic of weight, discussing weight and well-being, discussing the relationship between weight and comorbidities, and physician role with overweight or obese patients. Conclusions A review of the literature as well as surveyed medical students and faculty identified a need for supplementation of the current obesity medicine curriculum in medical schools. Specific needed topics and skills were identified. PMID:29122740

Neural correlates of prosodic boundary perception in German preschoolers: If pause is present, pitch can go.

PubMed

Männel, Claudia; Friederici, Angela D

2016-02-01

Children׳s perception of prosodic phrasing provides a head start into the discovery of speech structure. Based on the close prosody-syntax correspondence, children can infer the underlying syntactic structure from the acoustic modulations of prosodic boundaries, typically consisting of co-occurring pitch changes, preboundary lengthening, and pausing. Previous electrophysiological studies revealed that listeners are to some degree flexible in the detection of major prosodic boundaries that are not marked with all three of the suprasegmental cues. Adults and 6-year-olds still showed the brain response for prosodic boundary perception, the Closure Positive Shift (CPS), when pauses marking boundaries were deleted. In contrast, younger children at 3 years did not show this ability yet, but required pausing to complement the other boundary cues. Following the hypothesis that German weights duration cues more heavily than pitch cues, we here examined 3-year-olds׳ brain responses to prosodic phrasing, testing the role of boundary-related pitch changes. Results revealed that children at this age even showed the CPS in response to pitch-neutralized boundaries with only pausing and preboundary lengthening being present. These results indicate differential roles of acoustic cues in boundary perception, with a preferential reliance on duration cues over pitch changes in 3-year-olds. This preference likely results from the characteristics of the German intonation system and furthers the discussion of cross-linguistic differences in the weighting of prosodic boundary cues. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Local and global aspects of biological motion perception in children born at very low birth weight

PubMed Central

Williamson, K. E.; Jakobson, L. S.; Saunders, D. R.; Troje, N. F.

2015-01-01

Biological motion perception can be assessed using a variety of tasks. In the present study, 8- to 11-year-old children born prematurely at very low birth weight (<1500 g) and matched, full-term controls completed tasks that required the extraction of local motion cues, the ability to perceptually group these cues to extract information about body structure, and the ability to carry out higher order processes required for action recognition and person identification. Preterm children exhibited difficulties in all 4 aspects of biological motion perception. However, intercorrelations between test scores were weak in both full-term and preterm children—a finding that supports the view that these processes are relatively independent. Preterm children also displayed more autistic-like traits than full-term peers. In preterm (but not full-term) children, these traits were negatively correlated with performance in the task requiring structure-from-motion processing, r(30) = −.36, p < .05), but positively correlated with the ability to extract identity, r(30) = .45, p < .05). These findings extend previous reports of vulnerability in systems involved in processing dynamic cues in preterm children and suggest that a core deficit in social perception/cognition may contribute to the development of the social and behavioral difficulties even in members of this population who are functioning within the normal range intellectually. The results could inform the development of screening, diagnostic, and intervention tools. PMID:25103588

The contribution of foveal and peripheral visual information to ensemble representation of face race.

PubMed

Jung, Wonmo; Bülthoff, Isabelle; Armann, Regine G M

2017-11-01

The brain can only attend to a fraction of all the information that is entering the visual system at any given moment. One way of overcoming the so-called bottleneck of selective attention (e.g., J. M. Wolfe, Võ, Evans, & Greene, 2011) is to make use of redundant visual information and extract summarized statistical information of the whole visual scene. Such ensemble representation occurs for low-level features of textures or simple objects, but it has also been reported for complex high-level properties. While the visual system has, for example, been shown to compute summary representations of facial expression, gender, or identity, it is less clear whether perceptual input from all parts of the visual field contributes equally to the ensemble percept. Here we extend the line of ensemble-representation research into the realm of race and look at the possibility that ensemble perception relies on weighting visual information differently depending on its origin from either the fovea or the visual periphery. We find that observers can judge the mean race of a set of faces, similar to judgments of mean emotion from faces and ensemble representations in low-level domains of visual processing. We also find that while peripheral faces seem to be taken into account for the ensemble percept, far more weight is given to stimuli presented foveally than peripherally. Whether this precision weighting of information stems from differences in the accuracy with which the visual system processes information across the visual field or from statistical inferences about the world needs to be determined by further research.

Parent perception of healthy infant and toddler growth.

PubMed

Laraway, Kelly A; Birch, Leann L; Shaffer, Michele L; Paul, Ian M

2010-04-01

We hypothesized that parents of infants prefer growth at higher percentiles and are averse to growth at lower percentiles. Of 279 participating parents, only 10% desired their child's weight to be in the lowest quartile. For children weighing in the lowest quartile, 57% of parents thought their child's weight was "too low." In contrast, 66% of parents whose child's weight was in the top quartile preferred their child weigh that much. When viewing hypothetical infant growth trajectories, 47% ranked a growth chart demonstrating growth along the 10th percentile for weight as "least healthy" of 6 growth patterns, and 29% chose charts showing an infant at the 90th percentile for weight at age 1 as "healthiest." In conclusion, parents are averse to growth at the bottom of the weight growth chart but are much less likely to feel negatively about growth at higher percentiles. This is troubling given the childhood obesity epidemic.

Effects of nandrolone decanoate compared with placebo or testosterone on HIV-associated wasting.

PubMed

Gold, J; Batterham, M J; Rekers, H; Harms, M K; Geurts, T B P; Helmyr, P M E; Silva de Mendonça, J; Falleiros Carvalho, L H; Panos, G; Pinchera, A; Aiuti, F; Lee, C; Horban, A; Gatell, J; Phanuphak, P; Prasithsirikul, W; Gazzard, B; Bloch, M; Danner, S A

2006-04-01

Objectives Current research is unclear about the most effective pharmacological agents for managing the loss of weight and fat-free mass common in HIV/AIDS. The aim of this study was to compare nandrolone decanoate with placebo and testosterone. Methods The study was a multicentre randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Three hundred and three adult HIV-positive male patients with a weight loss of 5-15% in the last 12 months, or a body mass index of 17-19 kg/m(2), or a body cell mass/height ratio lower than 13.5 kg/m, were randomly assigned to receive nandrolone decanoate (150 mg), testosterone (250 mg) or placebo intramuscularly every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. Fat-free mass, weight, immune markers and perception of treatment were the main outcome measures. Results Treatment with nandrolone resulted in significantly greater increases in fat-free mass [mean increase 1.34 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60; 2.08 kg] and in weight (mean increase 1.48 kg; 95% CI 0.82; 2.14 kg) compared with placebo. The mean increase in weight with nandrolone of 1.00 kg (95% CI 0.27; 1.74 kg) when compared with testosterone was significant, although the difference in fat free mass did not reach significance (mean increase 0.69 kg; 95% CI-0.13; 1.51 kg). Patient perception of benefit was significantly greater in the nandrolone group when compared with both the placebo and the testosterone groups. Conclusions Treatment with nandrolone decanoate increased body weight when compared with placebo and testosterone. Nandrolone decanoate treatment resulted in greater increases in fat-free mass than placebo and demonstrated a trend for a significant increase when compared with testosterone.

A longitudinal study of the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and body size perception.

PubMed

Hartmann, Christina; Siegrist, Michael

2015-06-01

The present study investigated the longitudinal development of body size perception in relation to different personality traits. A sample of Swiss adults (N=2905, 47% men), randomly selected from the telephone book, completed a questionnaire on two consecutive years (2012, 2013). Body size perception was assessed with the Contour Drawing Rating Scale and personality traits were assessed with a short version of the Big Five Inventory. Longitudinal analysis of change indicated that men and women scoring higher on conscientiousness perceived themselves as thinner one year later. In contrast, women scoring higher on neuroticism perceived their body size as larger one year later. No significant effect was observed for men scoring higher on neuroticism. These results were independent of weight changes, body mass index, age, and education. Our findings suggest that personality traits contribute to body size perception among adults. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Factors influencing self-perception of overweight people].

PubMed

Makara-Studzińska, Marta; Podstawka, Danuta; Goclon, Karolina

2013-11-01

Shaping of self-perception is among others influenced by physical, interpersonal, emotional, and cultural factors. In self-perception of overweight people an important role is played by interpersonal factors, which include the opinions of others and the relationship with the surrounding. The evaluation of the body image is also affect by sociocultural factors including the media, which create an unrealistic and impossible to achieve ideal of beauty. Contemporary ideal of beauty, where a slim figure is dominant, more frequently contributes to the occurrence of discrimination and stigmatization of overweight people. This phenomenon causes negative self-perception leading to the occurrence of such emotional problems as low self-esteem, lack of confidence, depression and anxiety disorders. Overweight children and adolescents are also frequently stigmatized and discriminated because of their body weight, which results in the development of a negative body image that may lead to low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.

A Comparison of Eating Patterns Across Two Obesity Treatments: Behavior Therapy vs. Behavioral Choice Treatment

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-10-06

body mass index ( BMI ) of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 and obesity as a BMI of 30 kg/m2 and above. Conceptually, a 1 Eating Patterns body mass of 30 is...increased psychopathology, particularly anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, and increased body dissatisfaction (Fitzgibbon, Stolley...discrepancy between weight and dieting is most likely explained by cultural differences in perception and acceptance of weight and body image satisfaction

The Agility Advantage: A Survival Guide for Complex Enterprises and Endeavors

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

weighted probability 75th pctl weighted probability 13. Carman. K. G. and Kooreman, P, “ Flu Shots, Mammogram, and the Perception of Probabilities,” 2010...sharing capabilities until users can tes- tify to the benefi ts. This creates a chicken and egg situa- tion, because the consumers of information fi...Bibliography 563 Campen, Alan D. Look Closely at Network-Centric Warfare. Signal, January 2004. Carman, Katherine G., and Peter Kooreman, Peter. Flu Shots

Dietitians' views of overweight and obese people and reported management practices.

PubMed

Harvey, E L; Summerbell, C D; Kirk, S F L; Hill, A J

2002-10-01

To examine dietitians' views of overweight and obese people, to explore the role of level of severity on these perceptions (overweight vs. obesity), and to explore the relationship between dietitians' views and their reported weight management practices. An independent measures survey, questioning dietitians about either overweight or obese people. One-hundred and eighty-seven members of the British Dietetic Association. A questionnaire exploring beliefs about the causes, attitudes, perceptions of responsibility and reported weight management practices. Physical inactivity was identified as an important causative factor for both overweight and obesity. Mood, eating too much of the wrong foods, repeated dieting and interpersonal factors were also seen as relatively important for both groups. Attitudes were mixed, but were generally neutral to positive. The most negative attitudes were described in terms of perceived reduced self-esteem, sexual attractiveness and health. Dietitians rated obese people more negatively than overweight people. They viewed both overweight and obese people as being responsible for their excess weight. They also reported very similar management practices for overweight and obese people. Beliefs about the causes of overweight explained more of the variance in practice than dietitians' attitudes towards or perceived responsibility of overweight and obese people. However, these associations were not consistent and strong, and other factors not investigated here are likely to have a greater influence on weight management practices.

Weighted parallel contributions of binocular correlation and match signals to conscious perception of depth

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Binocular disparity is detected in the primary visual cortex by a process similar to calculation of local cross-correlation between left and right retinal images. As a consequence, correlation-based neural signals convey information about false disparities as well as the true disparity. The false responses in the initial disparity detectors are eliminated at later stages in order to encode only disparities of the features correctly matched between the two eyes. For a simple stimulus configuration, a feed-forward nonlinear process can transform the correlation signal into the match signal. For human observers, depth judgement is determined by a weighted sum of the correlation and match signals rather than depending solely on the latter. The relative weight changes with spatial and temporal parameters of the stimuli, allowing adaptive recruitment of the two computations under different visual circumstances. A full transformation from correlation-based to match-based representation occurs at the neuronal population level in cortical area V4 and manifests in single-neuron responses of inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortices. Neurons in area V5/MT represent disparity in a manner intermediate between the correlation and match signals. We propose that the correlation and match signals in these areas contribute to depth perception in a weighted, parallel manner. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Vision in our three-dimensional world’. PMID:27269600

Ethnic differences in parental feeding behaviors in UK parents of preschoolers.

PubMed

Gu, Cihang; Warkentin, Sarah; Mais, Laís Amaral; Carnell, Susan

2017-06-01

Childhood obesity is prevalent among ethnic minorities in the UK but little is known about parent feeding practices in these populations. We administered questionnaires assessing parental feeding behaviors and perceptions and concerns relating to child weight to White British (n = 271), South Asian (n = 59), and Black Afro-Caribbean (n = 42) parents of UK 3-5 year-olds. Child BMI z-scores were determined from measured heights and weights. South Asian and Black Afro-Caribbean parents exhibited greater pressure to eat than White British parents. Black Afro-Caribbean parents additionally scored higher on instrumental feeding and lower on monitoring, while South Asian parents scored higher on emotional feeding. Black Afro-Caribbean parents reported the greatest concern about both child overweight and underweight. Ethnic differences were unchanged by controlling for perceptions and concerns relating to child weight, or for actual BMI z, parent education, or household income. Exploratory analyses suggested some evidence for sex differences within ethnic groups. For example, South Asian parents of daughters scored higher than White British parents of daughters on emotional feeding, with no ethnic differences apparent for parents of sons. Our findings support considering variation in parent feeding behaviors and weight-related attitudes by parental ethnicity and child sex when developing obesity interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weighted parallel contributions of binocular correlation and match signals to conscious perception of depth.

PubMed

Fujita, Ichiro; Doi, Takahiro

2016-06-19

Binocular disparity is detected in the primary visual cortex by a process similar to calculation of local cross-correlation between left and right retinal images. As a consequence, correlation-based neural signals convey information about false disparities as well as the true disparity. The false responses in the initial disparity detectors are eliminated at later stages in order to encode only disparities of the features correctly matched between the two eyes. For a simple stimulus configuration, a feed-forward nonlinear process can transform the correlation signal into the match signal. For human observers, depth judgement is determined by a weighted sum of the correlation and match signals rather than depending solely on the latter. The relative weight changes with spatial and temporal parameters of the stimuli, allowing adaptive recruitment of the two computations under different visual circumstances. A full transformation from correlation-based to match-based representation occurs at the neuronal population level in cortical area V4 and manifests in single-neuron responses of inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortices. Neurons in area V5/MT represent disparity in a manner intermediate between the correlation and match signals. We propose that the correlation and match signals in these areas contribute to depth perception in a weighted, parallel manner.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in our three-dimensional world'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Exploration of the Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors and Weight Status and Their Self-Perceptions among Health Sciences University Students in North Lebanon

PubMed Central

El-Kassas, Germine; Ziade, Fouad

2016-01-01

University students may experience significant environmental changes that exert a negative influence on the quality of their diet and lifestyle. There is scarcity of data concerning the dietary and lifestyle behaviors and weight status of students in the health field in North Lebanon. To investigate these data, a cross-sectional survey was conducted including 369 health sciences students aged 18–25 chosen from four public and private universities in North Lebanon. Data were collected using a standardized interview questionnaire to determine sociodemographic, dietary, and lifestyle behaviors, appetite changes, stress related dietary behaviors, and food cravings, as well as self-perceptions of dietary adequacy, physical activity levels, and weight status. Body mass index was assessed. Results had revealed significant differences in some of the dietary consumption patterns and weight status among seniors compared to juniors. However, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity recorded 32.2% and the dietary consumption patterns fall below recommended levels. Multivariate regression analysis showed that parental obesity, comfort eating, increased appetite, food cravings, and stressful eating were associated with increased risk of obesity while a healthy diet score was associated with decreased risk. The study's findings call for tailoring culture specific intervention programs which enable students to improve their dietary and lifestyle behaviors and control stress. PMID:27429989

Weight change with oral contraceptive use and during the menstrual cycle. Results of daily measurements.

PubMed

Rosenberg, M

1998-12-01

Although weight gain is among the most common complaints of women using oral contraceptives (OC) and a frequent reason for discontinuation, studies demonstrate little basis for this perception. We explored this issue by analyzing the daily weights of 128 women during four cycles of triphasic OC use. The mean weight at the end of the fourth cycle of use was the same as baseline weight (average weight change, 0.0 pounds). The largest proportion of women, 52%, remained within 2 pounds (0.9 kg) of their starting weight, and 72% of women had either no weight change or a loss. Over each menstrual cycle, regular but minor weight shifts were observed, with the mean weight rising by one-half pound (0.2 kg) during the first weeks of each cycle and falling by the same amount during the last few days. These results emphasize the lack of association of OC use with weight gain but OC may be blamed at least in part, based on cyclic fluctuations. Counseling should emphasize weight gain as a misperception and stress the fact that a highly effective and safe form of contraception should not be ruled out or discontinued because of concern about weight.

Women's Perceptions of Participation in an Extended Contact Text Message-Based Weight Loss Intervention: An Explorative Study.

PubMed

Job, Jennifer R; Spark, Lauren C; Fjeldsoe, Brianna S; Eakin, Elizabeth G; Reeves, Marina M

2017-02-27

Extending contact with participants after the end of an initial weight loss intervention has been shown to lead to maintained weight loss and related behavioral change. Mobile phone text messaging (short message service, SMS) offers a low-cost and efficacious method to deliver extended contact. In this rapidly developing area, formative work is required to understand user perspectives of text message technology. An extended contact intervention delivered by text messages following an initial telephone-delivered weight loss intervention in breast cancer survivors provided this opportunity. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore women's perceptions of participation in an extended contact intervention using text messaging to support long-term weight loss, physical activity, and dietary behavioral change. Following the end of an initial 6-month randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered weight loss intervention (versus usual care), participants received a 6-month extended contact intervention via tailored text messages. Participant perceptions of the different types of text messages, the content, tailoring, timing, and frequency of the text messages, and the length of the intervention were assessed through semistructured interviews conducted after the extended contact intervention. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with key themes identified. Participants (n=27) were a mean age of 56.0 years (SD 7.8) and mean body mass index of 30.4 kg/m2 (SD 4.2) and were at a mean of 16.1 months (SD 3.1) postdiagnosis at study baseline. Participants perceived the text messages to be useful behavioral prompts and felt the messages kept them accountable to their behavioral change goals. The individual tailoring of the text message content and schedules was a key to the acceptability of the messages; however, some women preferred the support and real-time discussion via telephone calls (during the initial intervention) compared with the text messages (during the extended contact intervention). Text message support was perceived as acceptable for the majority of women as a way of extending intervention contact for weight loss and behavioral maintenance. Text messages supported the maintenance of healthy behaviors established in the intervention phase and kept the women accountable to their goals. A combination of telephone calls and text message support was suggested as a more acceptable option for some of the women for an extended contact intervention. ©Jennifer R Job, Lauren C Spark, Brianna S Fjeldsoe, Elizabeth G Eakin, Marina M Reeves. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 27.02.2017.

Women’s Perceptions of Participation in an Extended Contact Text Message–Based Weight Loss Intervention: An Explorative Study

PubMed Central

Spark, Lauren C; Fjeldsoe, Brianna S; Eakin, Elizabeth G; Reeves, Marina M

2017-01-01

Background Extending contact with participants after the end of an initial weight loss intervention has been shown to lead to maintained weight loss and related behavioral change. Mobile phone text messaging (short message service, SMS) offers a low-cost and efficacious method to deliver extended contact. In this rapidly developing area, formative work is required to understand user perspectives of text message technology. An extended contact intervention delivered by text messages following an initial telephone-delivered weight loss intervention in breast cancer survivors provided this opportunity. Objective The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore women’s perceptions of participation in an extended contact intervention using text messaging to support long-term weight loss, physical activity, and dietary behavioral change. Methods Following the end of an initial 6-month randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered weight loss intervention (versus usual care), participants received a 6-month extended contact intervention via tailored text messages. Participant perceptions of the different types of text messages, the content, tailoring, timing, and frequency of the text messages, and the length of the intervention were assessed through semistructured interviews conducted after the extended contact intervention. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with key themes identified. Results Participants (n=27) were a mean age of 56.0 years (SD 7.8) and mean body mass index of 30.4 kg/m2 (SD 4.2) and were at a mean of 16.1 months (SD 3.1) postdiagnosis at study baseline. Participants perceived the text messages to be useful behavioral prompts and felt the messages kept them accountable to their behavioral change goals. The individual tailoring of the text message content and schedules was a key to the acceptability of the messages; however, some women preferred the support and real-time discussion via telephone calls (during the initial intervention) compared with the text messages (during the extended contact intervention). Conclusions Text message support was perceived as acceptable for the majority of women as a way of extending intervention contact for weight loss and behavioral maintenance. Text messages supported the maintenance of healthy behaviors established in the intervention phase and kept the women accountable to their goals. A combination of telephone calls and text message support was suggested as a more acceptable option for some of the women for an extended contact intervention. PMID:28242595

Beneficial effects of nandrolone decanoate in wasting associated with HIV.

PubMed

Saha, Bibhuti; Rajadhyaksha, Girish C; Ray, Subrat K

2009-05-01

Recent studies have demonstrated the role of nandrolone decanoate (ND) in reversal of wasting associated with HIV infection. However, such studies in Indian scenario are lacking. Hence, the present study was planned with an objective to assess the effect of ND in patients of HIV-associated wasting in Indian subjects. The study was a prospective, randomised, multicentric, open labelled and comparative one in male HIV-infected subjects, aged between 18 and 65 years with involuntary weight loss of 10% over 12 months or 7.5% over 6 months or 5% over 3 months. The subjects were on stable antiretroviral therapy including at least 2 agents with CD, count > or =50 cells/microl. In the treatment group, ND (150 mg) intramuscularly every 2 weeks for 12 weeks was administered according to randomisation. Fat-free mass (FFM), body weight, CD4 count, and patient perception of treatment were the main outcomes measures. Of the 73 enrolled subjects, 69 completed study duration of 12 weeks. Compared to baseline, ND treated group demonstrated significant increase in FFM (0.49 +/- 1.26 kg; p < 0.01) and body weight (1.31 +/- 1.87 kg; p < 0.01) and control group demonstrated significant increase in body weight (0.99 +/- 1.48 kg; p < 0.01) at the end of treatment period. Compared to control group, patient perception of benefit and subjective recovery of symptoms was significantly (p < .0001) greater in the ND group. None of the patients had any clinically significant deterioration of biochemical as well as laboratory safety parameters. Nandrolone was well tolerated with few reported adverse events of mild and non-serious in nature. Nandrolone improved patient perception of benefit and subjective recovery of symptoms in wasting associated HIV. Nandrolone therapy may prove to be effective and safe in reversing wasting associated with Indian HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and nutritional replacement.

Are K-12 school environments harming students with obesity? A qualitative study of classroom teachers.

PubMed

Kenney, Erica L; Redman, Morgan T; Criss, Shaniece; Sonneville, Kendrin R; Austin, S Bryn

2017-03-01

Weight bias can negatively impact health, and schools may be risky environments for students with obesity. We aimed to explore teachers' perceptions of the school experiences and academic challenges of students with obesity. We conducted interviews with 22 teachers in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest in July-August 2014. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed for important themes by two researchers using the immersion/crystallization approach. Most teachers felt that students with obesity were more likely to have academic difficulties. Two main perceptions of the reasons for these difficulties emerged: (1) obesity led to lower self-esteem that caused students to participate less, and (2) poorer nutrition, increased screen time, and reduced physical activity were simultaneously causing obesity and poorer academic performance. A few teachers described colleagues who felt students with obesity were not as motivated to work hard in school as their peers. Many teachers described school health promotion efforts focused on weight reduction that could exacerbate weight stigma and risk of disordered eating. Students with obesity, particularly girls, may be at risk for negative social and academic experiences in K-12 schools and may be perceived as struggling academically by their teachers.

Parental recognition of overweight in school-age children.

PubMed

West, Delia S; Raczynski, James M; Phillips, Martha M; Bursac, Zoran; Heath Gauss, C; Montgomery, Brooke E E

2008-03-01

Examine the accuracy of parental weight perceptions of overweight children before and after the implementation of childhood obesity legislation that included BMI screening and feedback. Statewide telephone surveys of parents of overweight (BMI > or = 85th percentile) Arkansas public school children before (n = 1,551; 15% African American) and after (n = 2,508; 15% African American) policy implementation were examined for correspondence between parental perception of child's weight and objective classification. Most (60%) parents of overweight children underestimated weight at baseline. Parents of younger children were significantly more likely to underestimate (65%) than parents of adolescents (51%). Overweight parents were not more likely to underestimate, nor was inaccuracy associated with parental education or socioeconomic status. African-American parents were twice as likely to underestimate as whites. One year after BMI screening and feedback was implemented, the accuracy of classification of overweight children improved (53% underestimation). African-American parents had significantly greater improvements than white parents (P < 0.0001). Parental recognition of childhood overweight may be improved with BMI screening and feedback, and African-American parents may specifically benefit. Nonetheless, underestimation of overweight is common and may have implications for public health interventions.

Body-image and obesity in adolescence: a comparative study of social-demographic, psychological, and behavioral aspects.

PubMed

de Sousa, Pedro Miguel Lopes

2008-11-01

In current society, body and beauty's cult emerge as one of the main factors of adolescence. That leads adolescents to be dissatisfied with their own appearance, to psychological maladjustment, and nutritional disorders. This quantitative, exploratory, and cross-sectional research evaluates how adolescents perceive their weight and the prevalence of obesity in a sample of adolescents from the district of Viseu (Portugal). It also attempted to compare the relation of body-image and obesity with sociodemographic (school, sex, age, socioeconomic status, family functioning), psychological (self-concept, depression, school success) and behavioral aspects (physical inactivity). After data analyses, it was verified that the prevalence of obesity was 8.8% but 12.7% considered themselves obese. These adolescents had higher physical inactivity, poorer family functioning, a lower self-concept, and a higher depression index. The really obese adolescents were older and had poorer academic results. Obesity was higher in boys, but girls perceived themselves more as being obese. In conclusion, it is essential to evaluate weight perception in addition to body mass index (BMI), because the main problem could be related not only to being obese, but also to the perception of having a higher than ideal weight.

Fat, friendless and unhealthy: 9-year old children's perception of body shape stereotypes.

PubMed

Hill, A J; Silver, E K

1995-06-01

Society has a very negative view of overweight, leading to prejudice and discrimination. In an examination of the scope of these views, 9-year old children's attributions of the social functioning and health of thin and overweight body shapes were investigated. One hundred and eighty eight girls and boys completed a series of ratings of four silhouette figures depicting a thin and heavy boy and girl. The children's own body shape preference, dietary restraint, height and weight were also measured. The ratings of the four silhouette variations were dominated by the size of the figure being judged. The overweight body shape was associated with poor social functioning, impaired academic success, and low perceived health, healthy eating and fitness. Gender and the raters own body weight had only limited impact on these stereotypical judgements. Children's judgements of themselves on the same attributes showed a greater perceived relevance of weight for girls and a confusion of healthy eating with dieting. Pre-adolescent children's perception of thinness and overweight echo the prejudices against overweight voiced by society. Health promotion at all ages will require a more considered presentation of the health implications of overweight.

Intervention based on Transtheoretical Model promotes anthropometric and nutritional improvements - a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Menezes, Mariana Carvalho de; Mingoti, Sueli Aparecida; Cardoso, Clareci Silva; Mendonça, Raquel de Deus; Lopes, Aline Cristine Souza

2015-04-01

To analyze the effects of an intervention based on the Transtheoretical Model on anthropometric and dietetic profile among women in the Primary Health Care in Brazil. Randomized controlled trial. The control group participated in physical activity and open group-education regarding nutrition of usual care. The intervention group participated in 10 workshops based on the Transtheoretical Model. Seventy-one women completed the study, with a mean age of 57.9±11.7years. Participants in the intervention group showed an improved body perception, reduced weight and body mass index post-intervention, and lower consumption of calories and foods high in fat. Significant weight reduction in the intervention group was associated with higher per capita income, reduced consumption of protein, reduced consumption of lipids, and the removal of visible fat from red meat and skin from chicken. An intervention based on the Transtheoretical Model promoted reduction in consumption of foods high in calories and fat, with positive effects on weight and body perception. These results provide evidence of the applicability and benefit of the Transtheoretical Model within primary care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caregiver perceptions of child nutritional status in Magallanes, Chile

PubMed Central

Heitzinger, Kristen; Vélez, Juan Carlos; Parra, Sonia G.; Barbosa, Clarita; Fitzpatrick, Annette L.

2012-01-01

Background We aimed to identify risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity and the accuracy of caregivers’ perceptions of their child’s nutritional status in the Magallanes region, Patagonia, Chile. Methods Heights and weights of children attending day care centers and elementary schools were collected and caregivers completed questionnaires regarding their child’s health and behavior. The child’s nutritional status was diagnosed using the 2006 WHO Child Growth Standards (for children under age 6) and the CDC 2000 Growth Charts (for children age 6 and older). Logistic regression was used to evaluate factors related to childhood overweight/obesity and weight underestimation by caregivers of overweight or obese children. Results Of the 795 children included in the study, 247 (31.1%) were overweight and 223 (28.1%) were obese. Risk factors for overweight/obesity included younger age and being perceived to eat more than normal by the caregiver. Caregivers were less likely to underestimate their child’s weight if the child was older or if the caregiver believed the child ate more than a normal amount. Conclusions There is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in Magallanes and the majority of caregivers underestimate the extent of the problem in their children. PMID:24548582

Genetic trends for live weight traits reflect breeding strategies in registered Charolais Farms in Mexico.

PubMed

Parra-Bracamonte, G M; Lopez-Villalobos, N; Morris, S T; Sifuentes-Rincón, A M; Lopez-Bustamante, L A

2016-12-01

Genetic trends are commonly used to verify genetic improvement; however, there are few reports on beef cattle in Mexico. Data from 1998 to 2013 from four Charolais bull breeding farms were examined to verify the genetic responses to different breeding management and selection criteria. Analysis included the comparison of regression lines of breeding values for birth (BW), weaning (WW) and yearling weights (YW), and maternal weaning weight (MWW) on the year of birth of the animals. Results revealed differential genetic progress for BW and YW and indicated that the overall analysis may have diluted the perception of genetic progress from the farmer's point of view. The use of breeding values as a tool for selection is effective to achieve genetic progress, even in negatively correlated traits, such as birth weight and yearling weight.

Exploring cultural differences in women's body weight perception: The impact of self-construal on perceived overweight and engagement in health activities.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Yeon; Herrman, Anna; Song, Hayeon; Lim, Tae-Seop; Cramer, Emily; Ahn, Seokhoon; Kim, Jihyun; Ota, Hiroshi; Kim, Hyun-Joo; Kim, Junghyun

2016-11-01

We examined the cultural influence on perceived body weight and the level of health practices at a national and individual level. At a national level, we found that Japanese women (n = 80) overestimate body weight more than Korean (n = 82) and American (n = 63) women. At an individual level, individuals with interdependent self-construal were more prone to overestimate weight than those with independent self-construal (N = 182; American women). Based on the data, we identify that the relationship is mediated by self-criticism, and, importantly, it is self-criticism rather than perceived overweight that predicts the level of health activities. Health practitioners and campaign designers across cultures are recommended to concentrate on promoting positive body esteem instead of encouraging engagement in corrective health behaviors for weight loss.

Evaluation of nursing faculty through observation.

PubMed

Crawford, L H

1998-10-01

The purpose of this study was to assess current use and faculty perceptions of classroom observation as a method of faculty evaluation in schools of nursing. Baccalaureate schools of nursing were surveyed to determine current use of classroom observation and its worth from the perception of administrators and faculty. Although most schools used classroom observation as a method of faculty evaluation, further clarification and research is needed in the following areas: purpose of classroom observation; number of observations necessary; weight given to classroom observation in relation to other evaluation methods; and tools used.

Designing for Cost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dean, Edwin B.; Unal, Resit

1991-01-01

Designing for cost is a state of mind. Of course, a lot of technical knowledge is required and the use of appropriate tools will improve the process. Unfortunately, the extensive use of weight based cost estimating relationships has generated a perception in the aerospace community that the primary way to reduce cost is to reduce weight. Wrong! Based upon an approximation of an industry accepted formula, the PRICE H (tm) production-production equation, Dean demonstrated theoretically that the optimal trajectory for cost reduction is predominantly in the direction of system complexity reduction, not system weight reduction. Thus the phrase "keep it simple" is a primary state of mind required for reducing cost throughout the design process.

A quantitative model for transforming reflectance spectra into the Munsell color space using cone sensitivity functions and opponent process weights.

PubMed

D'Andrade, Roy G; Romney, A Kimball

2003-05-13

This article presents a computational model of the process through which the human visual system transforms reflectance spectra into perceptions of color. Using physical reflectance spectra data and standard human cone sensitivity functions we describe the transformations necessary for predicting the location of colors in the Munsell color space. These transformations include quantitative estimates of the opponent process weights needed to transform cone activations into Munsell color space coordinates. Using these opponent process weights, the Munsell position of specific colors can be predicted from their physical spectra with a mean correlation of 0.989.

"It runs in my family …": The association of perceived family history with body dissatisfaction and weight bias internalization among overweight women.

PubMed

Eisenberg, Miriam H; Street, Richard L; Persky, Susan

2017-04-01

Aspects of poor body acceptance (BA), such as internalized weight bias and dissatisfaction with one's shape and size, are the strongest predictors of disordered eating and are associated with reduced engagement in healthy behaviors. Perceiving oneself as having a family history of overweight (PFH) could boost BA by increasing attributions for inherited, biological causes of weight. A community sample of 289 women who were overweight from the Washington, DC metropolitan area who were dissatisfied with their current weight (68% Black; 32% White) enrolled in this study in 2012. PFH of overweight was associated with decreased internalized weight bias among white women and marginally increased body shape satisfaction generally. The relationship between PFH and BA was not explained by biological attributions for weight. Perceptions that overweight runs in one's family can be protective with respect to BA. This is suggestive of the potential benefit of integrating family-based approaches into weight management interventions.

Paved with good intentions: Paradoxical eating responses to weight stigma.

PubMed

Nolan, Laurence J; Eshleman, Amy

2016-07-01

Because body weight is largely seen as controllable, weight stigma-the social devaluation of those who are overweight-is not subject to the social norms that condemn open expression of racism and sexism. Indeed, rejection of peers based on perceptions of excess weight is normative. Since weight stigma is internalized, popular views (and often the views of physicians) have suggested that increasing the salience of weight stigma might produce a reduction in overeating and/or an increase in physical activity. However, that perspective is not rooted in scientific evidence. Recent randomized controlled designs demonstrate that stigma may promote overeating. Correlational evidence suggests that self-reported stigma experience is associated with risk for binge eating and decreased interest in physical exercise and dieting, for children and adults. In addition to reviewing these research studies, this paper examines the potential for intersectionality of stigma across multiple social identities and considers alternatives to stigmatizing weight loss interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Weight and body composition change over a six-week holiday period.

PubMed

Wagner, D R; Larson, J N; Wengreen, H

2012-03-01

Change in weight and body composition was assessed over a six-week holiday period. Baseline testing occurred the Monday or Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving Day (November 24 or 25, 2008), and the post-holiday assessment was the Monday or Tuesday after New Year's Day (January 5 or 6, 2009). Thirteen men and 21 women ranging in age from 23-61 years completed the study. The majority of participants (24 of 34) perceived that they had gained weight, and four did gain ≥2 kg. However, despite some changes to dietary and exercise habits, on average there was no difference between pre-holiday weight (74.0±17.8 kg) and post-holiday weight (73.9±18.1 kg), nor between pre-holiday body fat percentage (25.4±9.0%) and post-holiday body fat percentage (25.4±8.9%). Despite a perception of substantial weight gain, body weight and body fat remained unchanged over a six-week holiday period.

Linear multivariate evaluation models for spatial perception of soundscape.

PubMed

Deng, Zhiyong; Kang, Jian; Wang, Daiwei; Liu, Aili; Kang, Joe Zhengyu

2015-11-01

Soundscape is a sound environment that emphasizes the awareness of auditory perception and social or cultural understandings. The case of spatial perception is significant to soundscape. However, previous studies on the auditory spatial perception of the soundscape environment have been limited. Based on 21 native binaural-recorded soundscape samples and a set of auditory experiments for subjective spatial perception (SSP), a study of the analysis among semantic parameters, the inter-aural-cross-correlation coefficient (IACC), A-weighted-equal sound-pressure-level (L(eq)), dynamic (D), and SSP is introduced to verify the independent effect of each parameter and to re-determine some of their possible relationships. The results show that the more noisiness the audience perceived, the worse spatial awareness they received, while the closer and more directional the sound source image variations, dynamics, and numbers of sound sources in the soundscape are, the better the spatial awareness would be. Thus, the sensations of roughness, sound intensity, transient dynamic, and the values of Leq and IACC have a suitable range for better spatial perception. A better spatial awareness seems to promote the preference slightly for the audience. Finally, setting SSPs as functions of the semantic parameters and Leq-D-IACC, two linear multivariate evaluation models of subjective spatial perception are proposed.

Investigation of global and local network properties of music perception with culturally different styles of music.

PubMed

Li, Yan; Rui, Xue; Li, Shuyu; Pu, Fang

2014-11-01

Graph theoretical analysis has recently become a popular research tool in neuroscience, however, there have been very few studies on brain responses to music perception, especially when culturally different styles of music are involved. Electroencephalograms were recorded from ten subjects listening to Chinese traditional music, light music and western classical music. For event-related potentials, phase coherence was calculated in the alpha band and then constructed into correlation matrices. Clustering coefficients and characteristic path lengths were evaluated for global properties, while clustering coefficients and efficiency were assessed for local network properties. Perception of light music and western classical music manifested small-world network properties, especially with a relatively low proportion of weights of correlation matrices. For local analysis, efficiency was more discernible than clustering coefficient. Nevertheless, there was no significant discrimination between Chinese traditional and western classical music perception. Perception of different styles of music introduces different network properties, both globally and locally. Research into both global and local network properties has been carried out in other areas; however, this is a preliminary investigation aimed at suggesting a possible new approach to brain network properties in music perception. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Altered perception of apparent motion in schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Tschacher, Wolfgang; Dubouloz, Priscilla; Meier, Rahel; Junghan, Uli

2008-06-30

Apparent motion (AM), the Gestalt perception of motion in the absence of physical motion, was used to study perceptual organization and neurocognitive binding in schizophrenia. Associations between AM perception and psychopathology as well as meaningful subgroups were sought. Circular and stroboscopic AM stimuli were presented to 68 schizophrenia spectrum patients and healthy participants. Psychopathology was measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Psychopathology was related to AM perception differentially: Positive and disorganization symptoms were linked to reduced gestalt stability; negative symptoms, excitement and depression had opposite regression weights. Dimensions of psychopathology thus have opposing effects on gestalt perception. It was generally found that AM perception was closely associated with psychopathology. No difference existed between patients and controls, but two latent classes were found. Class A members who had low levels of AM stability made up the majority of inpatients and control subjects; such participants were generally young and male, with short reaction times. Class B typically contained outpatients and some control subjects; participants in class B were older and showed longer reaction times. Hence AM perceptual dysfunctions are not specific for schizophrenia, yet AM may be a promising stage marker.

Plastic packaged microcircuits: Quality, reliability, and cost issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecht, Michael G.; Agarwal, Rakesh; Quearry, Dan

1993-12-01

Plastic encapsulated microcircuits (PEMs) find their main application in commercial and telecommunication electronics. The advantages of PEMs in cost, size, weight, performance, and market lead-time, have attracted 97% of the market share of worldwide microcircuit sales. However, PEMs have always been resisted in US Government and military applications due to the perception that PEM reliability is low. This paper surveys plastic packaging with respect to the issues of reliability, market lead-time, performance, cost, and weight as a means to guide part-selection and system-design.

The Possible Effects of Potential Key Technological Developments on the Force Structure of the Australian Army in 2040

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

time as detection abilities improve. • There is a danger of a loss of human skills in collection that becomes evident when the network connection...perceptions.”[3]. The WS elements in this area are weighted to human populations due to the nature of the operations conducted in this area and the...structures. Before too much weight is placed on the tentative conclusions that are presented in this section it would be necessary to talk with

The Joint Program Dilemma: Analyzing the Pervasive Role that Social Dilemmas Play in Undermining Acquisition Success

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

from the University of Rochester. Marchetti has worked in digital image processing at Eastman Kodak and in digital control systems at Contraves USA...which was based on a weighted sum of the gain for self and the perceived gain of other stakeholder programs. o A more recent perception of gains weighs...handled with a weighted formula. To the extent that understanding is incomplete (i.e., knowledge of other’s gain is less than 1), a stakeholder program

Effect of acute stress on taste perception: in relation with baseline anxiety level and body weight.

PubMed

Ileri-Gurel, Esin; Pehlivanoglu, Bilge; Dogan, Murat

2013-01-01

We aimed to determine the effect of acute stress on taste perception and its modulation in relation to body weight and baseline anxiety in this study. The anxiety of the participants, randomly allocated to stress (n = 35) or control (n = 16) groups, was assessed by State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Stroop color-word interference and cold pressor tests were applied as stress protocol. Glucose and salt taste detection thresholds were evaluated before and after the stress protocol in the stress group and corresponding times in the control group. Stress protocol increased heart rate and blood pressure as an indicator of stress system activation. Following stress glucose and salt thresholds decreased in the stress group, unchanged in the control group. Prestress salt thresholds were positively and decrements in salt thresholds were negatively correlated with trait anxiety scores of participants. The state anxiety levels of stress group positively correlated with the decrease in glucose thresholds. Waist-to-hip ratio was negatively correlated with prestress salt thresholds of the subjects. Our results revealed that thresholds for sweet and salty tastes are modulated during stressful conditions. Our data also demonstrated a relationship between taste perception and baseline anxiety levels of healthy individuals, which may be important to understand the appetite alterations in individuals under stressful conditions.

[Health behaviours in children and youth based on perception own's proportions of body].

PubMed

Czajka, Kamila; Kochan, Katarzyna

2011-01-01

The aim of this work is analyse perceptions, intentions and actions related with own proportions of body conections with assessment to actual weight and height proportions (BMI) children and youth from Polkowice. Material examination includes measurement from research conducted in autumn of 2008 of Polkowice (Lower Silesia). Refine material includes measurement and survey 816 pupils (362 boys and 454 girls) aged 10 - 15 of primary schools and secondary school. Body height and weight were measured and calculated on the basis of Body Mass Index (BMI). According to the international standards--cut off points for overweight and obesity by Cole et al. (2000). Estimate the frequency of overweight and obesity among the examined population. Some information about self-body proportions and activities undertaken to change them was obtained from a survey titled Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The frequency of overweight among the examined population is more common by boys (17.7%) than by girls (12.8%). Obesity was observed among 4.7% of boys and 4.4% of girls. In the group of children and youth with overweight 42.2% boys and 67.2% girls correctly describes to actual weight and height proportions. Among the children and young people classified as overweight 88.9% boys and 75% girls perceived themselves as "too fat". Among the respondents with overweight and obesity 67.9% boys and 85.9% have declared trying to lose weight. The most popular methods used to regulating body weight are physical exercises and low-calories diet. Girls in comparing to boys they more often declare for lowering the body weight. The most popular method used to accomplish this aim is physical activity. One should explain to pupils of the appropriate body mass for the health and acquaint objective methods of estimation of the weight and height proportions and safe methods of their regulation.

Size misperception among overweight and obese families.

PubMed

Paul, Tracy K; Sciacca, Robert R; Bier, Michael; Rodriguez, Juviza; Song, Sharon; Giardina, Elsa-Grace V

2015-01-01

Perception of body size is a key factor driving health behavior. Mothers directly influence children's nutritional and exercise behaviors. Mothers of ethnic minority groups and lower socioeconomic status are less likely to correctly identify young children as overweight or obese. Little evaluation has been done of the inverse--the child's perception of the mother's weight. To determine awareness of weight status among mother-child dyads (n = 506). Cross-sectional study conducted in an outpatient pediatric dental clinic of Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY. Primarily Hispanic (82.2 %) mothers (n = 253), 38.8 ± 7.5 years of age, and children (n = 253), 10.5 ± 1.4 years of age, responding to a questionnaire adapted from the validated Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Anthropometric measures-including height, weight, and waist circumference-and awareness of self-size and size of other generation were obtained. 71.4 % of obese adults and 35.1 % of overweight adults underestimated size, vs. 8.6 % of normal-weight (NW) adults (both p < 0.001). Among overweight and obese children, 86.3 % and 62.3 % underestimated their size, vs. 14.9 % NW children (both p < 0.001). Among mothers with overweight children, 80.0 % underestimated their child's weight, vs. 7.1 % of mothers with NW children (p < 0.001); 23.1 % of mothers with obese children also underestimated their child's weight (p < 0.01). Among children with obese mothers, only 13.0 % correctly classified the adult's size, vs. 76.5 % with NW mothers (p < 0.001). Among obese mothers, 20.8 % classified overweight body size as ideal, vs. 1.2 % among NW mothers (p < 0.001). Overweight/obese adults and children frequently underestimate their size. Adults misjudge overweight/obese children as being of normal weight, and children of obese mothers often underestimate the adult's size. Failure to recognize overweight/obesity status among adults and children can lead to prolonged exposure to obesity-related comorbidities.

Dimension-Based Statistical Learning Affects Both Speech Perception and Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehet, Matthew; Holt, Lori L.

2017-01-01

Multiple acoustic dimensions signal speech categories. However, dimensions vary in their informativeness; some are more diagnostic of category membership than others. Speech categorization reflects these dimensional regularities such that diagnostic dimensions carry more "perceptual weight" and more effectively signal category membership…

Differences in taste sensitivity between obese and non-obese children and adolescents.

PubMed

Overberg, Johanna; Hummel, Thomas; Krude, Heiko; Wiegand, Susanna

2012-12-01

Taste sensitivity varies between individuals. Several studies describe differences between obese and non-obese subjects concerning their taste perception. However, data are partly contradictory and insufficient. Therefore, in this study taste sensitivity of obese and non-obese children/adolescents was analysed. In a cross-sectional study gustatory sensitivity of n=99 obese subjects (body mass index (BMI) >97th percentile) and n=94 normal weight subjects (BMI <90th percentile), 6-18 years of age, was compared. Sensitivity for the taste qualities sweet, sour, salty, umami and bitter was analysed by means of impregnated 'taste strips' in different concentrations. A total score was determined for all taste qualities combined as well as for each separately. Furthermore, the possible influence of sex, age and ethnicity on taste perception was analysed. An intensity rating for sweet was performed on a 5-point rating scale. Obese subjects showed-compared to the control group-a significantly lower ability to identify the correct taste qualities regarding the total score (p<0.001). Regarding individual taste qualities there was a significantly lower detection rate for salty, umami and bitter by obese subjects. Furthermore, the determinants age and sex had a significant influence on taste perception: older age and female sex was associated with better ability to identify taste qualities. Concerning the sweet intensity rating obese children gave significantly lower intensity ratings to three of the four concentrations. Obese and non-obese children and adolescents differ in their taste perception. Obese subjects could identify taste qualities less precisely than children and adolescents of normal weight.

Life style and risk of atypical eating disorders in university students: Reality versus perception.

PubMed

Castelao-Naval, Olga; Blanco-Fernández, Ascensión; Meseguer-Barros, Carmen Marina; Thuissard-Vasallo, Israel J; Cerdá, Begoña; Larrosa, Mar

2018-05-18

The objectives of this paper were to determine weight status, eating, and alcohol drinking and smoking habits of university students, to determine the association between these variables with negative self-perception of their eating habits and to assess the risk of developing eating disorders. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 422 university students. The parameters analyzed were: nutritional status, eating habits, alcohol/ tobacco consumption, and risk of eating disorder. Logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with a negative perception of eating habits. Out of the whole population that was analyzed, 5% were underweight, 16% overweight and 4% obese. Fifty-five percent of the sample analyzed did not consume five meals a day. The recommended foods for daily consumption were consumed below recommendations, while sausages/fatty meats, industrial pastries, lean meats, and fish were over-consumed. Overall, the population perceived their eating habits as good/very good (63%). Alcohol and tobacco consumption predominated at weekends. The girls were more image-conscious (80.6% vs. 66%) and fearful of gaining weight (52.5% vs. 23.9%). Almost 30% had a distorted perception of body image. There was a 12.8% risk of atypical anorexia nervosa and 4.7% of atypical bulimia nervosa. College students led unhealthy lifestyles, mainly due to eating habits that do not conform to the establish recommendations. More than 17% are at risk of developing an atypical eating disorder. This information may be of interest in developing preventive actions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Seed size variability: from carob to carats

PubMed Central

Turnbull, Lindsay A; Santamaria, Luis; Martorell, Toni; Rallo, Joan; Hector, Andy

2006-01-01

The seeds of various plants were used as weights because their mass reputedly varies so little. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), which has given its name to the carat, is particularly famous in this regard. But are carob seeds unusually constant in weight and, if not, how did the myth arise? The variability of seeds sampled from a collection of carob trees (CV=23%) was close to the average of 63 species reviewed from the literature (CV=25%). However, in a perception experiment observers could discriminate differences in carob seed weight of around 5% by eye demonstrating the potential for humans to greatly reduce natural variation. Interestingly, the variability of pre-metrication carat weight standards is also around 5% suggesting that human rather than natural selection gave rise to the carob myth. PMID:17148413

Australian Middle Eastern parents' perceptions and practices of children's weight-related behaviours: Talking with Parents' Study.

PubMed

Hardy, Louise L; Hector, Debra; Saleh, Shay; King, Lesley

2016-09-01

The home environment is associated with obesity-related behaviours among children, and research in Australia has shown that some of these behaviours are more prevalent among children from particular cultural backgrounds including Middle Eastern. This study presents findings from face-to-face, semi-structured interviews conducted in April 2013 with a convenience sample of Middle Eastern parents of primary school-age children at an Islamic private school in Sydney, Australia. The interviews explored parental perceptions and practices regarding state government health messages addressing children's eating, physical activity and screen time. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether the content of these generic public health messages is relevant and acceptable to Middle Eastern parents of young children, and to identify any enablers and barriers to adopting these healthy practices at home. Thematic analysis identified predominant themes. In total, 21 interviews were conducted (reference children: 12 boys/9 girls, aged 5-12 years). The content of current health messages regarding children's weight-related behaviours was familiar to respondents, and accepted as relevant for guiding their parenting practices. Parents perceived that they typically encouraged healthy behaviours, although they also reported making regular exemptions, in response to various circumstances. Overall, the perceptions and reported practices of the parents were consistent with other studies with Australian parents. There were no apparent culturally specific barriers or enablers to children's weight-related behaviours. There is however scope for health promoters to provide more precise information on health recommendations, health risks and benefits, and to provide more specific ideas for ways in which parents can act on these health messages within the home and family environment, to encourage and support healthy behaviours in their children. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Physical activity and healthy diet, weight perception and stress in adult population in Chile: analysis of the second quality of life and health survey 2006].

PubMed

Pablo Zavala, Juan; Leraç, Lydia; Vio, Fernando

2010-12-01

Chile had a rapid epidemiological and nutritional transition with an increase in risk factors for chronic diseases and obesity. Dietary changes have occurred, mostly an increase in consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, as well as a decrease in physical activity. This has led to a marked increase in obesity rates. To learn more on these risk factors for chronic diseases, obesity and physical activity, the First Quality of Life and Health Survey (ECVS) was carried out in 2000, with a second version in 2006. The objective of this paper is to analyze, from data collected by the 2006 survey, the relationship of physical activity with the consumption of fruits, vegetables and dairy products, weight perception and stress. The 2006 survey included 6.210 subjects with a 10.8% of active population and 89.2% of sedentary people. The relationship of activity was determined with the consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, weight perception and stress, by sex and socioeconomic levels. Results show that more than 50% of the active subjects consume fruits and vegetables, and 50% consume dairy products every day, with a higher probability of active persons of consuming healthy foods than the sedentary ones. Besides, sedentary people perceive themselves with more overweight and obesity than the active subjects. There was no relationship between physical activity and stress. People with a higher socioeconomic level are more active and consume more healthy products. These results permit to elaborate targeted policies and programs to improve diet and physical activity in the Chilean population.

Food insecurity, overweight and obesity among low-income African-American families in Baltimore City: associations with food-related perceptions.

PubMed

Vedovato, Gabriela M; Surkan, Pamela J; Jones-Smith, Jessica; Steeves, Elizabeth Anderson; Han, Eunkyung; Trude, Angela Cb; Kharmats, Anna Y; Gittelsohn, Joel

2016-06-01

To examine associations between food insecurity, excess body weight, psychosocial factors and food behaviours among low-income African-American families. Cross-sectional survey of participants in the baseline evaluation of the B'More Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) obesity prevention trial. We collected data on socio-economic factors, food source destinations, acquiring food, preparation methods, psychosocial factors, beliefs and attitudes, participation in food assistance programmes, anthropometry and food security. We used principal component analysis to identify patterns of food source destinations and logistic regression to examine associations. Fourteen low-income, predominantly African-American neighbourhoods in Baltimore City, MD, USA. Two hundred and ninety-eight adult caregiver-child (10-14 years old) dyads. Of households, 41·6 % had some level of food insecurity and 12·4 % experienced some level of hunger. Food-insecure participants with hunger were significantly more likely to be unemployed and to have lower incomes. We found high rates of excess body weight (overweight and obesity) among adults and children (82·8 % and 37·9 % among food insecure without hunger, 89·2 % and 45·9 % among food insecure with hunger, respectively), although there were no significant differences by food security status. Food source usage patterns, food acquisition, preparation, knowledge, self-efficacy and intentions did not differ by food security. Food security was associated with perceptions that healthy foods are affordable and convenient. Greater caregiver body satisfaction was associated with food insecurity and excess body weight. In this setting, obesity and food insecurity are major problems. For many food-insecure families, perceptions of healthy foods may serve as additional barriers to their purchase and consumption.

Work hours, weight status, and weight-related behaviors: a study of metro transit workers.

PubMed

Escoto, Kamisha H; French, Simone A; Harnack, Lisa J; Toomey, Traci L; Hannan, Peter J; Mitchell, Nathan R

2010-12-20

Associations between hours worked per week and Body Mass Index (BMI), food intake, physical activity, and perceptions of eating healthy at work were examined in a sample of transit workers. Survey data were collected from 1086 transit workers. Participants reported hours worked per week, food choices, leisure-time physical activity and perceptions of the work environment with regard to healthy eating. Height and weight were measured for each participant. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were conducted to examine associations between work hours and behavioral variables. Associations were examined in the full sample and stratified by gender. Transit workers working in the highest work hour categories had higher BMI and poorer dietary habits, with results differing by gender. Working 50 or more hours per week was associated with higher BMI among men but not women. Additionally, working 50 or more hours per week was significantly associated with higher frequency of accessing cold beverage, cold food, and snack vending machines among men. Working 40 or more hours per week was associated with higher frequency of accessing cold food vending machines among women. Reported frequency of fruit and vegetable intake was highest among women working 50 or more hours per week. Intake of sweets, sugar sweetened beverages, and fast food did not vary with work hours in men or women. Physical activity and perception of ease of eating healthy at work were not associated with work hours in men or women. Long work hours were associated with more frequent use of garage vending machines and higher BMI in transit workers, with associations found primarily among men. Long work hours may increase dependence upon food availability at the worksite, which highlights the importance of availability of healthy food choices.

Work hours, weight status, and weight-related behaviors: a study of metro transit workers

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Associations between hours worked per week and Body Mass Index (BMI), food intake, physical activity, and perceptions of eating healthy at work were examined in a sample of transit workers. Methods Survey data were collected from 1086 transit workers. Participants reported hours worked per week, food choices, leisure-time physical activity and perceptions of the work environment with regard to healthy eating. Height and weight were measured for each participant. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were conducted to examine associations between work hours and behavioral variables. Associations were examined in the full sample and stratified by gender. Results Transit workers working in the highest work hour categories had higher BMI and poorer dietary habits, with results differing by gender. Working 50 or more hours per week was associated with higher BMI among men but not women. Additionally, working 50 or more hours per week was significantly associated with higher frequency of accessing cold beverage, cold food, and snack vending machines among men. Working 40 or more hours per week was associated with higher frequency of accessing cold food vending machines among women. Reported frequency of fruit and vegetable intake was highest among women working 50 or more hours per week. Intake of sweets, sugar sweetened beverages, and fast food did not vary with work hours in men or women. Physical activity and perception of ease of eating healthy at work were not associated with work hours in men or women. Conclusions Long work hours were associated with more frequent use of garage vending machines and higher BMI in transit workers, with associations found primarily among men. Long work hours may increase dependence upon food availability at the worksite, which highlights the importance of availability of healthy food choices. PMID:21172014

Food insecurity, overweight and obesity among low-income African-American families in Baltimore City: Associations with food-related perceptions

PubMed Central

Vedovato, Gabriela M.; Surkan, Pamela J.; Jones-Smith, Jessica; Steeves, Elizabeth Anderson; Han, Eunkyung; Trude, Angela C.B.; Kharmats, Anna Y.; Gittelsohn, Joel

2016-01-01

Objective To examine associations between food insecurity, excess body weight, psychosocial factors and food behaviors among low-income African-American (AA) families. Design Cross-sectional survey of participants in the baseline evaluation of the B’More Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) obesity prevention trial. We collected data on socioeconomic factors, food source destinations, acquiring food, preparation methods, psychosocial factors, beliefs and attitudes, participation in food assistance programs, anthropometry and food security. We used principal component analysis to identify patterns of food source destinations and logistic regression to examine associations. Setting Fourteen low-income, predominantly AA neighborhoods in Baltimore City. Subjects 298 adult caregiver-child (10–14 years old) dyads. Results 41.6% of households had some level of food insecurity, and 12.4% experienced some level of hunger. Food insecure participants with hunger were significantly more likely to be unemployed and to have lower incomes. We found high rates of excess body weight (overweight and obese) among adults and children (82.8% and 37.9% food insecure without hunger; 89.2% and 45.9% with hunger, respectively), although there were no significant differences by security status. Food source usage patterns, food acquisition, preparation, knowledge, self-efficacy and intentions did not differ by food security. Food security was associated with perceptions that healthy foods are affordable and convenient. Greater caregiver body satisfaction was associated with food insecurity and excess body weight. Conclusions In this setting, obesity and food insecurity are major problems. For many food insecure families, perceptions of healthy foods may serve as additional barriers to their purchase and consumption. PMID:26441159

Factors associated with dietary supplement use by people who exercise at gyms

PubMed Central

Lacerda, Francisca Mirian Moura; Carvalho, Wellington Roberto Gomes; Hortegal, Elane Viana; Cabral, Nayra Anielly Lima; Veloso, Helma Jane Ferreira

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To assess the factors associated with the use of dietary supplements by people who exercise at gyms. METHODS A cross-sectional study with a sample defined by convenience, considering the number of gyms registered in the Conselho Regional de Educação Física (Regional Council of Physical Education) of Sao Luis, MA, Northeastern Brazil, from July 2011 to July 2012. The final sample comprised 723 individuals who exercise at gyms. The dependent variable was supplement use, and the explanatory variables were length of time and motivation of the physical exercises, duration, goal and self-perception of training, weekly frequency of gym attendance, sex, age, educational attainment, self-perception of body weight, smoking and self-perception of diet. The association between variables was analysed by hierarchical Poisson regression based on a theoretical model. RESULTS Supplement use was reported by 64.7% of the participants. Most of the sample was male (52.6%). The most frequent age group was 20 to 39 years (74.4%). Most participants (46.1%) had been exercising for over a year. The following variables were associated with supplement use: self-perceiving body weight as below ideal (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), exercising for 7 to 12 months (p = 0.028) or more than one year (p < 0.001), spending more than two hours at the gym (p = 0.051), and perceiving training as moderate (p = 0.024) or intense (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements lacks proper professional guidance, being motivated by individuals unsatisfied with their low body weight and who perceive their workout as intense, which raises the need for monitoring this population. PMID:26465665

Australian GPs' perceptions about child and adolescent overweight and obesity the Weight of Opinion study

PubMed Central

King, Lesley A; Loss, Julika HM; Wilkenfeld, Rachel L; Pagnini, Deanna L; Booth, Michael L; Booth, Susan L

2007-01-01

Background GPs can potentially play a significant role in assessing weight status, providing advice, and making referrals to address overweight and obesity and its consequences among children and adolescents. Aim To investigate the perceptions of GPs about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, including the extent to which they perceive it as a concern, the factors they see as causal, what actions they consider might be needed, and their sense of responsibility and self-efficacy. Design of study A cross-sectional qualitative study of GPs' perceptions. Setting General practice and primary health care services in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Method Focus groups using a structured protocol were conducted with samples of GPs. Groups comprised a mix of male and female GPs from a range of cultural backgrounds and working in practices in low, medium and high socioeconomic areas. Data were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used to identify key themes. Results Many GPs are concerned about the increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. They are committed to dealing with the medical consequences, but are aware of the broad range of social causes. GPs perceived that parents are sensitive about this topic, making it difficult for them to raise the issue directly in clinical practice, unless they use lateral strategies. GPs were confident about providing advice, with some managing the problem independently, while others preferred to refer to specialised services. GPs perceived that there were significant barriers to patient compliance with advice. Conclusion Whereas some GPs manage patients' lifestyle change directly, including children's weight management, others prefer to refer. Programmes, service delivery systems, and resources to support both approaches are required. PMID:17263929

From local perception to global perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehner, Flavio; Stocker, Thomas F.

2015-08-01

Recent sociological studies show that over short time periods the large day-to-day, month-to-month or year-to-year variations in weather at a specific location can influence and potentially bias our perception of climate change, a more long-term and global phenomenon. By weighting local temperature anomalies with the number of people that experience them and considering longer time periods, we illustrate that the share of the world population exposed to warmer-than-normal temperatures has steadily increased during the past few decades. Therefore, warming is experienced by an increasing number of individuals, counter to what might be simply inferred from global mean temperature anomalies. This behaviour is well-captured by current climate models, offering an opportunity to increase confidence in future projections of climate change irrespective of the personal local perception of weather.

Understanding weight management perceptions in first-year college students using the health belief model.

PubMed

Das, Bhibha M; Evans, Ellen M

2014-01-01

To examine weight management barriers, using the Health Belief Model, in first-year college students. First-year college students (n = 45), with data collected in April, May, and November 2013. Nominal group technique sessions (n = 8) were conducted. First-year students recognize benefits to weight management beyond physical attractiveness to quality-of-life domains, including social (eg, bonding opportunities and energy to socially engage) and mental health (eg, stress management). Men believe that weight management is important for career/financial reasons, whereas women voiced that it will allow them to live a full, independent life with a high level of multitasking. Men believed that their barriers were external (eg, campus resources/programs), whereas females perceived their barriers to be internal (eg, poor time management). College students are challenged by weight management and want the institution to provide resources, including curriculum, to help them manage their physical activity and nutrition behaviors.

Body weight perception, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Sik; Cho, Youngtae; Cho, Sung-Il; Lim, In-Sook

2009-12-01

This study examined the mediating function of body weight perception (BWP) in the relation between body mass index (BMI) and unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs; eg, fasting, using diet pills, or laxatives), and between BMI and suicidal ideation. It also explored the correlation between exposure to multiple UWCBs and suicidal ideation among Korean adolescents. Data on BMI, BWP, UWCBs, and suicidal ideation were obtained from the 2006 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, a school-based survey conducted on a nationally representative sample of students in grades 7-12 (36,463 boys and 33,433 girls). Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. BMI was significantly associated with both UWCB and suicidal ideation among boys and girls, even after controlling for covariates. However, the significance and magnitude of the association between BMI and UWCB were considerably attenuated when BWP was added to the model. When BWP was included, the association between overweight BMI status and suicidal ideation became nonsignificant in both sexes, whereas the association between underweight BMI status and suicidal ideation remained significant among boys. Adolescent boys and girls engaging in multiple UWCBs were at greater risk for experiencing suicidal thoughts. This study suggests that BWP represents a potential mediator between BMI and UWCB, and between BMI and suicidal ideation among both boys and girls. Thus, school programs addressing issues related to BWP should be developed and targeted at adolescents to reduce the potential risks for both UWCB and suicidal behavior.

Developmental weighting shifts for noise components of fricative-vowel syllables.

PubMed

Nittrouer, S; Miller, M E

1997-07-01

Previous studies have convincingly shown that the weight assigned to vocalic formant transitions in decisions of fricative identity for fricative-vowel syllables decreases with development. Although these same studies suggested a developmental increase in the weight assigned to the noise spectrum, the role of the aperiodic-noise portions of the signals in these fricative decisions have not been as well-studied. The purpose of these experiments was to examine more closely developmental shifts in the weight assigned to the aperiodic-noise components of the signals in decisions of syllable-initial fricative identity. Two experiments used noises varying along continua from a clear /s/ percept to a clear /[symbol: see text]/ percept. In experiment 1, these noises were created by combining /s/ and /[symbol: see text]/ noises produced by a human vocal tract at different amplitude ratios, a process that resulted in stimuli differing primarily in the amplitude of a relatively low-frequency (roughly 2.2-kHz) peak. In experiment 2, noises that varied only in the amplitude of a similar low-frequency peak were created with a software synthesizer. Both experiments used synthetic /a/ and /u/ portions, and efforts were made to minimize possible contributions of vocalic formant transitions to fricative labeling. Children and adults labeled the resulting stimuli as /s/ vowel or /[symbol: see text]/ vowel. Combined results of the two experiments showed that children's responses were less influenced than those of adults by the amplitude of the low-frequency peak of fricative noises.

The prevalence of obesity and influence of early life and behavioral factors on obesity in Chinese children in Guangzhou.

PubMed

Zhang, Ting; Cai, Li; Ma, Lu; Jing, Jin; Chen, Yajun; Ma, Jun

2016-09-09

Childhood obesity has become a public health concern in many countries. In Southern China, the prevalence of childhood obesity increased from 6.2 to 7.5 % between 2007 and 2011. This study aimed to report the current prevalence of overweight and obesity, analyzed the early life and behavioral determinants of obesity, and investigated the weight-loss practices among Chinese children in Guangzhou. Three thousand seven hundred sixty-six primary school students aged 7-12 years were recruited in Guangzhou, China in 2013. Questionnaires were used to assess (1) early life factors: birth weight, delivery mode, gestational age and feeding patterns; (2) behavioral factors: dietary intake, eating speed, sedentary time, physical activities and sleep duration; and (3) weight-loss practices: improving diet, increasing exercise, taking weight-loss drugs and undergoing a diet. The criteria of Working Group of Obesity in China were applied to classify overweight and obesity based on measured weight and height. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the determinants of overweight/obesity and adoption of weight-loss practices. The prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity were 11.2 and 10.0 %, respectively. High birth weight (≥4.0 kg versus 2.5 ~ 4.0 kg, odd ratio [OR]: 2.34; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-3.58), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) intake (OR: 1.39; 95 % CI: 1.05-1.85), vegetable intake (OR: 1.12; 95 % CI: 1.01-1.24), and doing homework (OR: 1.24; 95 % CI: 1.08-1.43) were positively associated with obesity. Eating speed faster than peers was positively associated with obesity and yielded the highest OR (versus "as fast as peers", OR: 3.18; 95 % CI: 2.28-4.44). Approximately 57, 81 and 87 % of normal-weight, overweight and obese children, respectively, reported weight-loss practices. Self-perception of weight status presented as the strongest determinant for weight-loss practices. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were high in Chinese children in Guangzhou, and both were higher than previous level in 2011. Further research should address the unhealthy dietary (e.g. SSBs intake, fast eating speed) and sedentary behaviors (e.g. doing homework) of these children. Moreover, an accurate perception of body weight can help promote the adoption of weight-loss practices in overweight and obese children.

Faculty Careers: Maturation, Demographic, and Historical Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawrence, Janet H.; Blackburn, Robert T.

1985-01-01

University of Michigan faculty members were interviewed on matters related to their careers. The data were analyzed with regard to productivity, promotion rate, and perceptions and values of faculty with respect to the weight that research, teaching, and service are given in promotion decisions. (Author/MLW)

Urban and Suburban Residents' Perceptions of Farmers and Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molnar, Joseph J.; Duffy, Patricia A.

Attitudes about farming and government agricultural policies differed among residential categories ranging from urban to rural. A mail survey gathered 3,232 completed questionnaires from a national random sample of 9,250 households. Statistical weighting made respondent categories representative of national proportions. Although respondents…

Reciprocal effects of exercise and nutrition treatment-induced weight loss with improved body image and physical self-concept.

PubMed

Annesi, James J; Porter, Kandice J

2015-01-01

Improvements in self-image and mood are often reported as outcomes of obesity interventions. However, they may also concurrently influence weight loss, suggesting a reciprocal effect. Although previously reported for overweight women, such relationships were untested in morbidly obese women whose psychosocial responses to treatment may be different, and health-risks greater. Women (N = 161, Meanage = 42 years) with morbid obesity (MeanBMI = 45.1 kg/m(2)) participated in a 6-month, behaviorally based physical activity and nutrition treatment. Significant within-group improvements in weight-loss behaviors (physical activity and eating), weight, body satisfaction, physical self-concept, and depression were found. After controlling for age, mediation analyses indicated that, as a result of the treatment, weight loss was both an outcome and mediator of improvements in body-areas satisfaction and physical self-concept (reciprocal effects), but not depression. Results replicated findings from women with lower degrees of overweight, and suggested that weight-loss treatments emphasize changes in self-perception.

Does this book make me look fat? The effect of protagonist body weight and body esteem on female readers' body esteem.

PubMed

Kaminski, Melissa J; Magee, Robert G

2013-03-01

Effects of visual representations of the thin ideal in the media have been widely explored, but textual representations of the thin ideal in novels have received scant attention. The chick literature genre has been criticized for depicting characters who worry about their body weight and who have poor body esteem. Excerpts from two chick lit novels were used to examine the effect of a protagonist's body weight and body esteem on college women's (N=159) perceptions of their sexual attractiveness and weight concern. Two narratives were used to minimize the possibility that idiosyncratic characteristics of one excerpt might influence the study's results. Underweight (vs. healthy weight) protagonists predicted readers' lower perceived sexual attractiveness. Protagonists with low body esteem (vs. control) predicted readers' increased weight concern. Scholars and health officials should be concerned about the effect chick lit novels might have on women's body image. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Intentions to Prevent Weight Gain in Older and Younger Adults; The Importance of Perceived Health and Appearance Consequences.

PubMed

Beeken, Rebecca J; Mahdi, Sundus; Johnson, Fiona; Meisel, Susanne F

2018-01-01

This study investigates whether health and appearance consequences predict intentions to prevent weight gain and whether these relationships differ in younger versus older adults and in men versus women. UK adults aged 18-26 years (younger adults; n = 584) or >45 years (older adults; n = 107) participated in an online survey. Logistic regression assessed associations between intentions to avoid gaining weight and age, gender as well as perceived negative consequences of weight gain for health and appearance. Co-variates were ethnicity, education, weight perception and perceived weight gain vulnerability. Interactions between age, gender and perceived health and appearance consequences of weight gain were also tested. Perceived negative appearance consequences of weight gain predicted weight gain prevention intentions (OR = 9.3, p < 0.001). Health concerns were not a significant predictor of intentions overall but were a strong predictor for older adults (age × health concern interaction: OR = 13.6, p > 0.01). Concerns about feeling unattractive predict intentions to prevent weight gain. However, health consequences of weight gain are only important motivators for older adults. Future research should identify ways to shift the focus of young people from appearance concerns towards the health benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Information needs of cancer patients and survivors regarding diet, exercise and weight management: a qualitative study.

PubMed

James-Martin, G; Koczwara, B; Smith, E L; Miller, M D

2014-05-01

While advanced cancer is often associated with weight loss, curative cancer treatment is often associated with weight gain. Weight gain during treatment may be associated with greater risk of cancer recurrence and development of lifestyle diseases. Currently, limited resources are available to cancer patients focussed on weight control. This study assessed the information needs of patients undergoing curative chemotherapy regarding diet, exercise and weight management for the purpose of developing weight management resources. Focus groups were held with oncology practitioners, patients and survivors to determine current information provision and needs. Focus groups highlighted a perception that information provision regarding diet, exercise and weight management is insufficient and no routine assessment of weight occurs during chemotherapy. Barriers to information provision described included lack of resources and time, and practitioners' uncertainty regarding appropriate messages to provide. Patients wanted more information regarding diet, exercise and weight during treatment time. The findings of this study suggest an increase in provision of diet, exercise and weight management information is needed. This information should be evidence-based and delivered at an appropriate time by the preferred health care professional. It would also be beneficial to implement protocols regarding assessment of weight during treatment. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A qualitative study exploring midwives' perceptions and knowledge of maternal obesity: Reflecting on their experiences of providing healthy eating and weight management advice to pregnant women.

PubMed

McCann, Mary T; Newson, Lisa; Burden, Catriona; Rooney, Jane S; Charnley, Margaret S; Abayomi, Julie C

2018-04-01

Midwives are responsible for providing advice regarding the complex issues of healthy eating and weight management during pregnancy. This study utilised an inductive data-driven thematic approach in order to determine midwives' perceptions, knowledge, and experiences of providing healthy eating and weight management advice to pregnant women. Semistructured interviews with 17 midwives were transcribed verbatim and data subjected to thematic analysis. The findings offer insight into the challenges facing midwives in their role trying to promote healthy eating and appropriate weight management to pregnant women. Three core themes were identified: (a) "If they eat healthily it will bring their weight down": Midwives Misunderstood; (b) "I don't think we are experienced enough": Midwives Lack Resources and Expertise; and (c) "BMI of 32 wouldn't bother me": Midwives Normalised Obesity. The midwives recognised the importance of providing healthy eating advice to pregnant women and the health risks associated with poor diet and obesity. However, they reported the normalisation of obesity in pregnant women and suggested that this, together with their high workload and lack of expertise, explained the reasons why systematic advice was not in standard antenatal care. In addition, the current lack of UK clinical guidance, and thus, possibly lack of clinical leadership are also preventing delivery of tailored advice. Implementation literature on understanding the barriers to optimal health care delivery and informing clinical practice through research evidence needs to be further investigated in this field. This study has recommendations for policy makers, commissioners, service providers, and midwives. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Short-term memory affects color perception in context.

PubMed

Olkkonen, Maria; Allred, Sarah R

2014-01-01

Color-based object selection - for instance, looking for ripe tomatoes in the market - places demands on both perceptual and memory processes: it is necessary to form a stable perceptual estimate of surface color from a variable visual signal, as well as to retain multiple perceptual estimates in memory while comparing objects. Nevertheless, perceptual and memory processes in the color domain are generally studied in separate research programs with the assumption that they are independent. Here, we demonstrate a strong failure of independence between color perception and memory: the effect of context on color appearance is substantially weakened by a short retention interval between a reference and test stimulus. This somewhat counterintuitive result is consistent with Bayesian estimation: as the precision of the representation of the reference surface and its context decays in memory, prior information gains more weight, causing the retained percepts to be drawn toward prior information about surface and context color. This interaction implies that to fully understand information processing in real-world color tasks, perception and memory need to be considered jointly.

Nobody's perfect: a qualitative examination of African American maternal caregivers' and their adolescent girls' perceptions of body image.

PubMed

Pope, Michell; Corona, Rosalie; Belgrave, Faye Z

2014-06-01

Using semi-structured interviews, we explored African American maternal caregivers' and their adolescent girls' (N=25 dyads) perceptions about the adolescent's body using Grounded Theory. Caregivers and adolescent girls (Mage=13.42) were asked what the adolescent girls liked most/least about their bodies and how peers and media may affect adolescent girls' perceptions. While some adolescent girls reported overall body satisfaction, others described features they would like to change. Belief in God, body acceptance, and appreciation for average/moderate features helped the adolescent girls maintain their positive body image. The body-related messages that adolescent girls received from caregivers and peers included compliments, pressure to lose weight, teasing, and advice. Adolescent girls also reported being either influenced by or skeptical of the images presented in the media. Programs that promote caregiver-adolescent communication about body perceptions and that build on the adolescent girls' media skepticism may prove useful for their health-related attitudes and behaviors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.