People who think of themselves as being overweight are at a greater risk to add even more weight than are people who don't see themselves as overweight or who aren't aware they're heavier than they should be, researchers say.
That proved to be true whether their perceptions about their weight were correct or not, the researchers note.
In the past, they say, it has been assumed that an awareness of being overweight is a good thing, providing motivation for people to improve their diet or begin exercising.
However, some recent studies have shown that feeling overweight can present a risk of people feeling discriminated against because of their weight, which can lead them to eat even more and gain weight.
In three studies analyzed by researchers at the University of Liverpool in Britain, people who identified themselves as overweight were more likely to admit to overeating in response to such stress and gaining more weight.
"Realizing you are an overweight individual is in itself likely to be quite stressful and make making healthy choices in your lifestyle more difficult," says Dr. Eric Robinson from the University's Institute of Psychology, Health and Society. "It is a tricky finding for public health intervention work."
That's because most public strategies meant to help reduce the incidence of excess weight have been based on the assumption that it's important to make overweight people aware of their condition.
"You would hope that making a person aware they are overweight would result in them being more likely to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose some weight," says Robinson.
That appears not to be the case, he says, citing a number of factors that may be in play, particularly the stigma that society attaches to being overweight.
"People with a heavier body weight have body image challenges," he says. "That is not surprising given the way we talk about weight as a society."
The way society portrays overweight or obese people is something that should be thought about and reconsidered, he says, and there are means by which overweight people can be encouraged to make healthy lifestyle decisions without portraying their condition "as a terrible thing."
In the study, the Liverpool researchers worked in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Stirling, also in Britain, and the University of California.
