title: A study on body-weight perception, future intention and weight-management behaviour among normal-weight, overweight and obese women in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the socio-economic differential in the self-perception of body weight, future intention for weight management and actual weight-management behaviour among normal-weight, overweight and obese women in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based follow-up survey of ever-married women, systematically selected from the second round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2, 1998-99) samples, who were re-interviewed after four years in 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on women's perception about their own weight, intention of weight management and actual weight-management behaviour were collected through personal interview. Anthropometric measurements were obtained from women to compute their current BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and twenty-five ever-married women aged 20-54 years residing in the national capital territory of Delhi in India.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Discrepancy between self-perceived body weight and women's actual body weight was reported. One-quarter of overweight women and one in ten obese women perceived themselves as normal weight. Although a majority of overweight and obese women wanted to reduce their weight, a significant proportion of overweight (one in four) and 4 % of obese women also wanted to maintain their weight as it is. Only one in three overweight and one in four obese women were performing any physical activity to reduce their weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings are important for public health interventions in obesity care. Implementation of health promotion and health education in the community should use effective school education and mass-media programmes to raise awareness of appropriate body weight to combat the growing level of obesity among Indian women.
authors.affiliation: 1 Population Council, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Praween
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.affiliation: 2 International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Kamla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: 3 United Nations, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Vinod
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: 4 South Asia Network for Chronic Disease, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sutapa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy*; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Lancet. 2011 Feb 12;377(9765):557-67
references.pmid: 21295846
references.citation: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001 Jun;55(6):406-7
references.pmid: 11350998
references.citation: CMAJ. 2001 Nov 13;165(10):1339-41
references.pmid: 11760981
references.citation: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001 Mar;55(3):185-90
references.pmid: 11160173
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2011 Oct 31;11:835
references.pmid: 22039977
references.citation: Adolescence. 1997 Winter;32(128):863-80
references.pmid: 9426809
references.citation: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Aug;26(8):1144-9
references.pmid: 12119582
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2003 May;24(4):332-9
references.pmid: 12726871
references.citation: J Youth Adolesc. 1986 Dec;15(6):461-74
references.pmid: 24302000
references.citation: J Assoc Physicians India. 1994 Mar;42(3):212-5
references.pmid: 7860511
references.citation: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Nov;25(11):1722-9
references.pmid: 11753596
references.citation: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004 Apr;58(4):352-3
references.pmid: 15026454
references.citation: Obes Res. 2002 May;10(5):345-50
references.pmid: 12006633
references.citation: World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 1995;854:1-452
references.pmid: 8594834
references.citation: J Assoc Physicians India. 2000 Dec;48(12):1170-4
references.pmid: 11280222
references.citation: FAO Food Nutr Pap. 1994;56:1-57
references.pmid: 7925867
references.citation: Hong Kong Med J. 2007 Feb;13(1):16-21
references.pmid: 17277387
references.citation: Open Med. 2009 May 12;3(2):e51-3
references.pmid: 19946393
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2010 Aug 09;10:467
references.pmid: 20696072
references.citation: Obes Rev. 2008 Mar;9(2):93-9
references.pmid: 17931349
references.citation: Public Health Nutr. 2002 Feb;5(1A):205-14
references.pmid: 12027286