Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

The same healthcare professionals responsible for helping people maintain a healthy weight often struggle to visually identify if a person is overweight or obese, according to new research published earlier this month in the British Journal of General Practice.

In the study, researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Psychology, Health and Society asked participants to examine pictures of male models and then categorize them as healthy weight, overweight or obese. They found that the majority of participants were unable to do so, often underestimating the weight of the subject depicted in the photo.

Lead author Dr. Eric Robertson and his colleagues had general practitioners (GPs) and trainee GPs view 15 standardized images of healthy-weight, overweight, and obese young men. The participants were asked to estimate their body mass index (BMI) based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and to report whether or not they would be likely to schedule a brief intervention for weight loss with that person.

“This sample of predominantly trainee GPs perceived overweight and obese weights as being of lower BMI and weight status than they actually are, and this was associated with a lower intention of discussing weight management with a potential patient,” the study authors wrote. “Healthcare professionals should not rely on visual judgments when identifying patients who may benefit from weight management treatment.”

The GPs and trainee GPs “correctly classified a mean of 4.0/5.0 of the healthy weight males, a mean of 2.4/5.0 of the overweight, and a mean of 1.7/5.0 of the obese males,” the study authors wrote, adding that for every kg/m2 increase in actual BMI, participants underestimated BMI by -0.21, indicating that the healthcare providers “would underestimate the BMI of a man of 30 kg/m2 by approximately 2.5 kg/m2.”

However, the doctors were more accurate when it came to lower bodyweight men, the research team discovered. The results indicate that exposure to heavier body weights could influence what people view as a normal and healthy weight, which in turn makes them more likely to underestimate a person’s weight.

“We wanted to find out if people can identify a healthy, overweight or obese person just by looking at them,” Dr. Robinson explained. “Primarily we found that people were often very inaccurate and this included trainee doctors and qualified doctors too. Moreover, we found that participants systematically underestimated when a person was overweight or obese.”

“Our study of GPs also found a tendency to underestimate weight which has important implications as it means that overweight and obese patients could end up not being offered weight management support or advice,” he added. “Over the last 30 years we have seen changes to population body weight, so examining how this has affected how we view our own and other people’s body sizes is an interesting area of research.”

Dr. Robinson noted that recent research has indicated parents typically underestimate the weight of their overweight or obese children, and those findings combined with the new study could indicate that they are obstacles to treatment of the condition. The university noted that over half of all adults in the European Union are at least overweight, and obesity rates in the UK have more than tripled over the past three decades.

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