title: Prevalence and determinants of weight misperception in an urban Swiss population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Weight misperception precludes effective management of pre-obesity and obesity, but little is known regarding its status in the Swiss population. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of weight over- and underestimation in an adult urban Swiss population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study conducted between 2009 and 2012 in the city of Lausanne. Height and weight were measured using standardised procedures. Weight perception and other socio-demographic variables were collected through questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 4284 participants (2261 women, 57.5 ± 10.4 years) were analysed. Overall, almost one-fifth (18%) of participants underestimated their weight, while only 7% overestimated it. One quarter of women and half of men with overweight underestimated their weight; the corresponding values for obese subjects were 7% and 10%. Multivariate analysis showed male gender (odds ratio [OR] 3.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.54-3.76), increasing age or body mass index (p-value for trend <0.001), being born in Portugal (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.42-3.10), low education (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.47-2.47), and absence of diagnosis of pre-obesity or obesity by the doctor (OR 5.61, 95% CI 4.51-7.00) to be associated with weight underestimation. Overestimation was significantly higher in women (19.6%) than in men (8.5%). Weight overestimation was negatively associated with male gender (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.22-0.39), increasing age (p-value for trend <0.001), being born in Portugal (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.16-0.87) and positively associated with absence of diagnosis (OR 3.11, 95% CI 2.23-4.34).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost one quarter of the Swiss population aged 40 to 80 has weight misperception, underestimation being over twice as frequent as overestimation. Adequate diagnosis of overweight or obesity might be the best deterrent against weight misperception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Service of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolism, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rouiller
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marques-Vidal
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D014505:Urban Population