Oldham, M. and Robinson, E. (2018) Visual body size norms and the under-detection of overweight and obesity. Obesity Science and Practice, 4 (1). pp. 29-40. ISSN 2055-2238
Abstract
Objectives: The weight status of men with overweight and obesity tends to be visually underestimated, but visual recognition of female overweight and obesity has not been formally examined. The aims of the present studies were to test whether people can accurately recognize both male and female overweight and obesity and to examine a visual norm-based explanation for why weight status is underestimated. Methods: The present studies examine whether both male and female overweight and obesity are visually underestimated (Study 1), whether body size norms predict when underestimation of weight status occurs (Study 2) and whether visual exposure to heavier body weights adjusts visual body size norms and results in underestimation of weight status (Study 3). Results: The weight status of men and women with overweight and obesity was consistently visually underestimated (Study 1). Body size norms predicted underestimation of weight status (Study 2) and in part explained why visual exposure to heavier body weights caused underestimation of overweight (Study 3). Conclusions: The under-detection of overweight and obesity may have been in part caused by exposure to larger body sizes resulting in an upwards shift in the range of body sizes that are perceived as being visually 'normal'.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 The Authors. Obesity Science & Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd, World Obesity and The Obesity Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Body size norms; obesity; visual perception; weight misperceptions |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Health and Related Research (Sheffield) > ScHARR - Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 01 Jul 2019 14:03 |
Last Modified: | 01 Jul 2019 14:14 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley Open Access |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1002/osp4.143 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:147667 |
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