Equal weights but different weight perceptions among US adolescents.
We investigate sex and race/ethnic differences in adolescents' perceptions of the same objectively measured weight in a nationally representative US sample. At the same BMI z-score, girls perceive themselves as heavier than boys. Regardless of sex and relative to Whites, African-Americans perceive the same BMI z-score as leaner and Native Americans are more likely to perceive objectively heavier weights as 'about the right weight'. Asian boys consider a narrower weight range to be 'about the right weight' relative to White boys, and Asian girls are less likely than White girls to perceive objectively lower weights as 'about the right weight'.
Martin
Molly A
MA
Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802-6207, USA. mmartin@pop.psu.edu
May
Ashleigh L
AL
Frisco
Michelle L
ML
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014796:Visual Perception; D014892:Weight Perception
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