Health & Wellness
The study by Raya Muttarak, DPhil, from the University of East Anglia and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria, published today in the journal Obesity, showed that the number of overweight people who who underestimate their weight has increased over time, from 48.4 percent to 57.9 percent in men and 24.5 percent to 30.6 percent in women between 1997 and 2015.
The past few years have seen a rise in a movement called body positivity, which seeks to end fat shaming, increase self-esteem, and generally make people feel good in their own skin. Models like Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence have been at the forefront of this movement; Graham launched a best-selling size-inclusive swimwear line.
However, this movement seems to have had a negative impact on our collective health.
"Seeing the huge potential of the fuller-sized fashion market, retailers may have contributed to the normalization of being overweight and obese," said Muttarak 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."
The researchers also learned that people with lower income were more affected by exposure to overweight bodies.
"Likewise, the higher prevalence of being overweight and obesity among individuals with lower levels of education and income may contribute to visual normalization - that is, more regular visual exposure to people with excess weight than their counterparts with higher socioeconomic status have."
The researchers suggested that the price of healthy foods was likely a contributing factor to those with lower incomes and suggested addressing those inequalities in an effort to curb the obesity crisis.
Reader Comments
Dunlop's Disease
To the airport I travelled today,
Flying to a city far, far away.
Sitting at the gate awaiting my flight,
Observing those walking within my sight.
Men and women, all sauntering around,
One characteristic did abound.
Dunlop was alive and well,
Over their belts, bellies did swell.
Many were obese, some just plain fat,
A few were skinny and wearing a hat.
One thing in common among all,
No one noticed the epidemic to befall.
Chowing on fast food, gulping it down,
Insulin spikes for all, glucose levels to drown.
More grains and sugar to quell the rush,
All turning to fat while satisfying the crush.
Fat shaming, a remnant of long ago,
Obese is the new affluence, don’t you know?
Everywhere to look, reflections do they see,
No reason to care, everyone looks just like thee!
In the recent past, overweight I recall,
Stood out in a crowd, large or small.
Not any longer, conformity is great,
Eating all things poisonous from the menu's slate.
Processed foods, the soul of SAD,
The Standard American Diet, for your health, very bad.
But no matter, Big Pharma has just the cure,
Taking more drugs will heal you for sure!
Fattening up for the winter, like our ancestors primal,
Feasting for famine to ensure survival.
Modernized fast-food beckons on each street corner,
Feeding every hunger and craving disorder.
Grains are great! Sugar’s just another legal drug,
The highs are addictive, so take another slug.
Eat more trans-fats and your arteries inflame,
No worry. More dope is the cure, so they claim.
Healthcare costs spiral through the roof,
All manner of illnesses, just ignore scientific proof.
Big Government says, someone else will pay!
You are off the hook, only eat what we say!
Dunlop’s disease, a spare tire we don't need,
Bound around our waist to store more feed.
But if I have a flat, tummy that would be,
Thin and fit is the visual of healthy me.
So there you have it, the epidemic is real,
Your personal health will they steal.
Driven by billions of profit mega-bucks,
Isn’t making people sick supposed to suck?
Alas, sitting on the airplane, into the rows stacked,
Like sardines in a can, but more tightly packed.
No room to wiggle, twist, turn or breathe,
Elbow overlapping elbow, into the seat I squeeze.
After what seems an eternity, we land at city and place,
Off the plane I run, finally some personal space.
Look around my friends, health is in your control,
Make the most of it now or pay the piper’s toll.
Comment: It's no surprise that internalizing the message that everyone is fine, just the way they are, is going to lead to a decrease in making any efforts to change, simply because the motivation to do so has been eliminated. While the study is simply observational (really, the only solid finding is that the number of people who underestimate their weight has gone up and they're hypothesizing a connection to the body positivity movement), the hypothesis probably isn't unfounded. People don't need to be told they're perfect, because feelings - they need to be encouraged towards improving themselves in any way that they're able.
See also: Social Justice Targets Personal Trainers: Check Your Thin Privilege and Anti-Fat Bias