On the heels of my anniversary in the National Weight Control Registry, a McClatchy poll tells us that 66% of Americans think they are at a “healthy weight,” 30% thought they were overweight, and only 4% thought they were “seriously overweight” (a kind word for obese). The facts are quite different. Only 35% of Americans are at a healthy weight, and 65% are overweight or obese. Oops. Sort of reminds me of the line from Eddie Murphy’s “Nutty Professor”–I know what healthy is!
The Klumps Are Starting to Look Normal
Why the discrepancy? Well, we need to ask ourselves how we figure we’re at a healthy weight. One of the obvious things we do is look around ourselves. If everybody looks like us, well, that must be okay. Fat is statistically “normal” these days. You’re asking people to compare themselves with the 35% of the population who actually do maintain a healthy weight, and they’re unlikely to do that. A case in point is a study that shows that friends and family members get fat (or not) together. Clearly, the comparison thing is important to people.
In spite of the survey data, I think people are getting the message. Within the past year, I’ve lost track of how many people have started conversations with Mr. F and me about our walking and weight loss. People have even stopped their cars on the busy street near our house to ask us about our walking. So my guess is that the message is getting through that we can’t keep eating the way we have been doing, and people are trying to figure out what to do about it.
2 Comments
NikkiNoroian · October 15, 2009 at 6:52 pm
I definitely can understand how people could make false conclusions about their own weight when comparing themselves to “obese” America. Although this is obviously a factor in how people evaluate their own size, I also wonder how accurate we are at actually “sizing ourselves up.” I know from my own experience that my friends and I have often asked for reassurance that our “jeans don’t make us look fat.” I think that perhaps these comparisons to the population as a whole are more subconscious and could be one of many factors contributing to Americans and their concerns about obesity.
Laura’s Psychology Blog » Fired for Telling the Truth · August 14, 2009 at 11:11 am
[…] job was described as educational. The public definitely needs an education about obesity, as 2/3 of the American public believe they maintain a “healthy” weight. Given the fact that only 35% or so of the population actually maintain a healthy weight, half of […]
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