Increasing obesity rates linked to normalisation of ‘plus-size’ persons

The pendulum has swung the other way, as attempts to normalise ‘plus-size’ persons has led to the unintended side-effect of people underestimating their own weight.

A newly released study published in the journal Obesity has raised questions as to the benefits of the body-positivity movement, concluding that the normalisation of larger body types is leading to increasing numbers of people to underestimate their own weight. Consequently, rising numbers of individuals are not taking the necessary steps to lose weight, stay healthy, or indeed, consider themselves unhealthy at all.

Conducted by Dr Raya Muttarak, from the University of East Anglia and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, analysis of data from almost 23,460 people who are overweight or obese has shown that the number of these individuals who underestimate their own weight has increased over time; overweight persons’ data shows from 48.4% to 57.9% in men, and 24.5% to 30.6% in women between 1997 and 2015. Similarly, obese persons’ data shows a rise in this trend; from 37% to 40% in men, and 17% and 19% in women.

There were socioeconomic disparities in the misperception of weight status, with lower-educated individuals from poorer-income households and members of minority ethnic groups being more likely to underestimate their weight. Those underestimating their overweight and obesity status were 85% less likely to try to lose weight compared with people who accurately identified their weight status.

Socioeconomic disparities also attributed to this phenomenon, with lower-educated, low-income households, and members of minority ethnic groups being less likely to correctly estimate their weight. Those underestimating their overweight and obesity situation were 85% less likely to try to lose weight compared with people who accurately identified their weight status.

“Seeing the huge potential of the fuller-sized fashion market, retailers may have contributed to the normalization of being overweight and obese,” Muttarak stated in a release. “While this type of body-positive movement helps reduce stigmatization of larger-sized bodies, it can potentially undermine the recognition of being overweight and its health consequences.”

Obesity has been a big issue for Malta as the island is regularly placed at the top of weight-related lists. Eurostat published data in 2014 which put overweight Maltese adults at 61% of the population. Well above the EU average of 51.6% for persons aged 18 and over, with Maltese men and women showing overweight figures of 66.8% and 55.2% respectively.