Poll Finds 70% of Obese People Think They’re Just Overweight

Thirty percent of overweight Americans simply do not see themselves that way… and 11 million live with some form of eating disorder.

Perhaps beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but when it comes to weight, a lot of us are downright confused about what we are beholding.

Weight Perception and Health
According to a Harris Interactive/HealthDay poll, 30 percent of people who are overweight think they are actually of “normal” size. Seventy percent of obese people say they are merely overweight and 39 percent of morbidly obese people think they are overweight, but not obese.

Of those polled who did feel they were heavier than they should be cited lack of adequate exercise as the main cause, followed by food consumption.

As for fixing the problem, respondents answered that surgery is the most effective method of weight-loss, followed by prescription drugs and over-the-counter diet-food supplements.

We are much less likely to do something about a problem that we don’t recognize. Apparently, if we do recognize it, we look first toward the quick fix rather than toward personal responsibility for lifestyle.

From a health perspective this is a huge problem. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the health consequences of carrying too much weight include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, high blood pressure, stroke, and respiratory problems. The cost of health care associated with these diseases is substantial.

In an effort to bring attention to the problem, First Lady Michelle Obama has taken on the childhood obesity crisis, saying, “Medical experts have warned that our children are on track to be less healthy than we are.”

Jake Richardson recently reported that obesity has increased in 28 states, noting that “a variety of government programs at the federal and state levels have been put into place. However, the effectiveness of those efforts is still being debated.”

Eating Disorders
We’re not only having difficulty with perception, we are awash in a sea of eating disorders. Americans’ relationship with food and weight is a complicated one.

Becky Striepe writes about an eating disorder on the rise characterized by a focus on “pure” food. “Orthorexia nervosa sufferers have such strict rules about what they will and won’t eat that they can become malnourished and experience severe stress about their food choices. These rules can also strain relationships with friends and family.”

“End the Fat Talk: Friends Don’t Let Friends Talk Fat,” says Care2′s Ximena Ramirez. “We hear women in dressing rooms, locker rooms, and bedrooms around the world complain about one thing over and over again – their bodies… Well, it’s high time that women break the thin ideal and start embracing a wider (no pun intended) definition of what it means to be beautiful.”

In another article Ximena takes on W Magazine for poking fun at eating disorders, a “serious issue that affects thousands of young women every year. In fact, 95 percent of those who have an eating disorder are between the ages of 12 and 25.”

Care2′s Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux wrote in a post, “As far as I can remember, I have always had a complicated relationship with food… I go through periods where I wonder if I’ll ever really love my body — feelings that are often followed by waves of feminist guilt.”

Some startling statistics from The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA):

“In the United States, as many as 10 million females and one million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder. Because of the secretiveness and shame associated with eating disorders, many cases are probably not reported. In addition, many individuals struggle with body dissatisfaction and sub-clinical disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. For example, it has been shown that 80 percent of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance.”

Clearly, we’ve got a dysfunctional relationship with food all the way around. Obviously, if we focus less on physical beauty and more on good health, it would be a step in the right direction.

For more about healthy lifestyles, visit Care2′s Healthy & Green Living and Real Food.

photo courtesy of photoxpress.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Cheryl W.

8:51AM PDT on Sep 12, 2010

Food can be an addiction for some just like drugs or alcohol. I think most overweight people know they are overweight. They might not know the definition of obesity but they know they are overweight. It does cost more to eat healthy & then on top of that, we are eating foods these days that have who knows what in them instead of eating the way we used to when we grew our own foods. Then you need will power & commitment & I think a lot of people are too lazy for that, myself included.

send a green star

jane r.

5:38PM PDT on Sep 10, 2010

Obese = death sentence.
Losing the weight = Life

janet f.

12:07AM PDT on Sep 9, 2010

Well, if everyone you know is overweight/obese then you could, I guess, convince yourself that your "normal" weight. When I look at my grade school pictures from years ago, there was maybe one fat kid in the class. Now, when I see kids going to school, they're all overweight. It's like a complete 180 degree turn around from when I went to school. These parents are killing their own kids with food. They are too fat to run and play like kids did when I was growing up. Writing articles about "fat acceptance" isn't the answer. People need to take responsibility for their own actions and change their habits. It's not a matter of accepting fat people, it's literally a matter of life and death. The fatter you are at a younger age, the shorter and more unhappy you life will be. that's a fact.

Trish K.

6:19PM PDT on Sep 8, 2010

Denial of obesity is not an option if you want to live.

Lidia F.

1:06PM PDT on Sep 8, 2010

Sugar and salt may be a factor to weight gain for some,but not for all.My older brother can eat like no tomorrow and never gains weight.It does depend on one's metabolism and other genetic factors.I currently am losing the last of my er,16 lbs after getting fact during my pregnancy.yet I still eat cookies once in awhile and a coke.Some of my pants and one shirt are big on me.I was surprised to see the shirt hang and the pants baggy.

Holley C.

9:28AM PDT on Sep 8, 2010

Interesting. I wish more people cared about being Healthy. I know its hard to be fit an keep weight off but its so important to our health.

Lee J.

6:42AM PDT on Sep 8, 2010

This topic is fascinating. Agree that quick fix sugar and salt in foods are a contributing factor to weight gain.

Garret M.

8:47PM PDT on Sep 7, 2010

so true

Laura S.

8:07PM PDT on Sep 7, 2010

..I see myself as much heavier than I am..I am a confused person..food? who eats? between adult onset diabetes and major food guilt...I eat so little, getting dizzy is normal now.

Carol H.

11:29AM PDT on Sep 7, 2010

Not only is eating healthy more expensive, our earning potential is down and unemployment is up. Many who actually still have jobs, are being squeezed. Costs of food and everything else is going up, while our wages have stagnated. It is getting harder to afford healthy foods. Also, we are being sent mixed messages; on the one hand, lose weight because we're too fat, but on the other, quit trying to hit that unrealistic ideal. Which is it, are we too fat or are we trying to live up to the airbrushed, alien-looking models we are bombarded with?