Levels and Associations of Weight Misperception with Healthy Lifestyle among Adults in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Obesity affects more than one-quarter of adults in Saudi Arabia and is on the rise. A significant proportion of overweight and obese individuals misperceive their weight, and this misperception can affect their likelihood to exercise, consume healthy foods, or change unhealthy dietary habits. This study examines the prevalence of weight misperceptions in a national sample of Saudi adults and explores weight misperception association with sociodemographic factors, behavioral factors, and health status. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via phone interviews. A proportional quota sampling technique was used to obtain equal distributions of participants, stratified by age and gender, across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. Weight and height were self-reported, and obesity was determined as a BMI ≥30. Participants were asked to describe their current weight as ideal, underweight, overweight, or obese. Misclassification was then compared across groups according to a range of sociodemographic factors, behavioral risk factors, and health indicators. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the 6,239 participants contacted, 4,709 (75.5%) responded and completed the interview. Of them, 50.1% were female, and the mean age was 36.4 (SD ± 13.55) years. The majority (70.1%) of participants indicated having weighed themselves within the past 30 days. The prevalence of weight misperception in general was 42.0%, and in obese participants, it was 67.6%. In addition, a significant association was observed between weight misperception and obesity, age-group, educational level, diagnosed chronic condition, self-rated health, and sedentary lifestyle. There was no significant association between weight misperception and gender, physical activity, or a nutritional knowledge. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Weight misperception could be used as an indicator of a poor health routine that may lead to negative health outcomes.

Weight self-perception and weight loss attempts in Chinese cardiovascular patients and non-cardiovascular patients: evidence from a population-based study

“…BMI is an important factor associated with self-weight perception. In accordance with other research among adults in Saudi Arabian, Malaysia, and adolescents in Wuhan, China [ 17 – 19 ], our findings indicated that obese populations were more likely to misperceive their weight than respondents with normal BMI levels. This indicates that obese populations may generate a new criterion for weight status besides the actual standard, while obesity is considered as “overweight” or even “normal” in their opinion, which made a vicious circle and a barrier to maintaining weight that should be a social concern.…”

“…The above conclusions suggest that implementing health education and improving cognitive levels can effectively avoid weight misperception. The results also revealed that males were less likely to misperceive their weight than females [ 17 , 23 ]. In the internet age, females are more likely to be influenced by appearance and weight anxiety from the internet and persuaded to lose weight though they are normal even underweight.…”

Perception of a need to change weight in individuals living with and beyond breast, prostate and colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional survey

“…The finding that individuals with comorbidities are more likely to perceive a need to lose weight is at odds with previous findings that weight misperception was more common in those with a diagnosed chronic condition [36], though it is again important to make the distinction between weight perception and perceived need to lose weight. Neither the present nor afore mentioned studies collected data on the date of development of comorbid diseases in relation to weight status, therefore interpreting these findings is problematic.…”

“…These were older age, being male, non-white, and not married or cohabiting, having no formal qualifications (compared to having a degree), having cancer that had spread, having no comorbidities (compared to having 3 or more comorbidities), and having received chemotherapy. Previous studies have identified associations between older age [25,36], being male [25], being non-white [25], and having lower levels of education [36] in misperception, particularly underestimation, of weight status, but few studies have investigated perceived need to change weight. These factors may describe a subset of the population who are at risk of health inequalities, which may be prevented through increased awareness of own weight status, and risks associated with overweight and obesity, as well as tailored support in achieving weight loss.…”

Exploring Weight Stigma in Saudi Arabia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

“…However, exposure to mass media has been associated with changing the idea of a perfect body shape in various Arab region countries [10][11][12]. Furthermore, a recent study in Saudi Arabia showed that 42% of participants did not have an accurate perception of their weight; 67.6% of obese participants misclassified their weight, compared to 33.9% in normal weight participants [13]. Another study in 2014 revealed that Saudi women believe that obesity attracts stigma and morally compromising activities [14].…”