The discrepancy between body image and “body reality” is one of the enduring dilemmas facing women who are struggling either with being overweight or being anorexic. A recent study at Temple University in Philadelphia was the first to look at the weight issues of inner-city women–and what it found wasn’t simple.
Researchers studied the body image perceptions of 81 underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese women in the North Philadelphia area and found that as their body mass index (BMI) increased, two-thirds of the women still felt they were at an ideal body size.
“So the question for doctors then becomes, ‘How can we effectively treat our overweight and obese patients, when they don’t feel they’re in harm’s way?’” said study researcher Marisa Rose, M.D., assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences in the Temple University School of Medicine. “It stresses a need for culturally sensitive education for this population.”
Potti, S., Milli, M., Jeronis, S., Gaughan, J., & Rose, M. (2009). Self-perceptions of body size in women at an inner-city family-planning clinic American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 200 (5) DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2008.11.027
Paul Statt Communications 