OBESITY AND ACTIVITY SELF-PERCEPTIONS AND BARRIERS AMONG OLDER, LOW-INCOME HIGH FUNCTIONING WOMEN. C.S. Ritchie 1 , B.A. Stetson 1 , K. Adams 1 , E. Rucker 1 ; 1 University of Louisville, Louisville, KY PURPOSE: Obesity is increasingly recognized as a highly prevalent condition among older women and is associated with multiple comorbidities. Physical activity is an important component of weight reduction and attempts to improve function. We sought to identify perceptions regarding physical activity among older, low-income high functioning women. METHODS: We performed prompted survey completion with a group of 38 older, low-income women who volunteered as senior companions and caretakers for homebound older adults. BMI classifications are described using WHO criteria. RESULTS: Mean age: 73.81 (range 63 ± 93). Seventy percent of subjects were African American; 30% Caucasian. Nearly 65 % were overweight or obese (2.9% underweight; 32.4% normal weight; 8.8% overweight; 41.2 %obese; 14.7% morbidly obese). Of the non-obese women, 85.7% were satisfied with their activity level; compared with only 26.3% of obese women (p < .01). Despite their mobility and involvement in volunteer activities, participants cited numerous barriers to health-promoting physical activity. In contrast to common assumptions regarding social and environmental obstacles to exercise, such as family caregiving responsibilities and weather; this sample indicated that their primary barriers were cost, experiencing pain, illness or injury, safety concerns and self-consciousness. Obese women were more likely to report barriers associated with illness and injury (p < .05) and self-consciousness (p < .01). Obese women also indicated a greater dislike of solitary,``lifestyle'' exercise (p < .05). Despite a high prevalence of obesity in this group, only half of the participants reported being encouraged by their physicians to engage in physical activity. CONCLUSION: Physical limitations and obesity are significant problems even among this relatively high functioning group of older low-income women. Perceived barriers including underlying illness and self-consciousness need to be addressed when considering interventions.