We Think We're Skinnier Than We Are

30% of overweight Americans ... say they're 'normal'
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 10, 2010 9:15 AM CDT
We Think We're Skinnier Than We Are
Overweight workers cost their bosses more in injury claims than their lean colleagues, suggests a study finding the heaviest employees had twice the rate of workers' comp claims as fit co-workers.   (AP GRAPHIC)

What weight problem? According to a new poll, a hunk chunk (ahem) of Americans think they're much slimmer than they are. The poll used nearly 2,500 respondents' height and weight to calculate their BMIs, then asked them which weight category they fell into. Of those who were overweight, 30% thought they were actually in the normal class; and the disparity grows from there.

Some 70% of those classified as obese believed they were just overweight, while a whopping 39% of those who were morbidly obese felt they were just overweight, reports USA Today. And this skewed perception could be part of what's fueling our rise in obesity rates. "I think too many people are unsure of what they should actually weigh," says one dietitian. "For many, they have grown up in a culture where most people are overweight and that is the norm." (More overweight stories.)

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