Overweight Misperception among Adolescents in the United States

• We assessed overweight misperception in a large sample of high school students.
• Data from 2001 to 2009 were used to reach a sample of more than 70,000 students.
• BMI and GPA are significant predictors of weight perception in high school students.
• Overweight misperception is associated with psychosocial and health risk factors.
• Weight misperceptions in high school students may vary by gender and race.

The purpose of this study was to examine the discrepancies between perceived and reported overweight status among U.S. adolescents (n > 70,000), and to identify factors contributing to such discrepancies. We used the YRBSS data (years 2001–2009) and found statistically significant, gender and race specific discrepancies between perceived and reported overweight status. Factors such as BMI, school performance, and being sexually active are additional predictors of overweight misperception. The findings suggest that evidence based strategies should be employed to help adolescents establish correct weight perception. These strategies should also be tailored based on gender, race, and weight perception of target audience.