Results indicated that perceived overweight was associated with an increased likelihood of attempting weight loss and with healthy and unhealthy weight control strategies in some participant groups .
However , perceived overweight was not reliably associated with physical activity or healthy eating and was associated with greater disordered eating in some groups .
Rather than being associated with improved weight management , there was consistent evidence that perceived overweight was predictive of increased weight gain over time .
Individuals who perceive their weight status as overweight are more likely to report attempting weight loss but over time gain more weight
It is commonly assumed that a person identifying that they are ' overweight ' is an important prerequisite to successful weight management .
However , there has been no systematic evaluation of evidence supporting this proposition .
The aim of the present research was to systematic ally review evidence on the relationship between perceived overweight and ( i ) weight loss attempts , ( ii )  weight control strategies ( healthy and unhealthy )  , ( iii ) weight-related behaviours ( physical activity and eating habits ) , ( iv ) disordered eating and ( v ) weight change .
Adolescent risk factors for purging in young women: findings from the national longitudinal study of adolescent health
Background There exists a dearth of prospect i ve adolescent eating disorder studies with sample s that are large enough to detect small or medium sized effects for risk factors , that are generalizable to the broader population , and that follow adolescents long enough to fully capture the period of development when the risk of eating disorder symptoms occurring is highest . As a result , the purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial risk factors for purging for weight control in a nationally representative sample of adolescents . Data were extracted from the restricted-use data sets of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health ( Waves I-III ) , selecting females with valid demographic and purging information ( N = 5,670 ) . Results The prevalence of purging was 0.88 % at Wave II and 0.56 % at Wave III . In multivariable multinomial logistic regressions , purging at Wave II was predicted by parental poverty and low levels of self-esteem at Wave I ; purging at Wave III was predicted by body mass index and the frequency of delinquent behaviors at Wave I. Conclusions Individuals with high body mass index , individuals with low self-esteem , and individuals in families experiencing economic hardship appear specifically at risk for the development of purging behaviors in later years and may benefit from more targeted prevention efforts
Results indicated that perceived overweight was associated with an increased likelihood of attempting weight loss and with healthy and unhealthy weight control strategies in some participant groups .
However , perceived overweight was not reliably associated with physical activity or healthy eating and was associated with greater disordered eating in some groups .
Rather than being associated with improved weight management , there was consistent evidence that perceived overweight was predictive of increased weight gain over time .
Individuals who perceive their weight status as overweight are more likely to report attempting weight loss but over time gain more weight
It is commonly assumed that a person identifying that they are ' overweight ' is an important prerequisite to successful weight management .
However , there has been no systematic evaluation of evidence supporting this proposition .
The aim of the present research was to systematic ally review evidence on the relationship between perceived overweight and ( i ) weight loss attempts , ( ii )  weight control strategies ( healthy and unhealthy )  , ( iii ) weight-related behaviours ( physical activity and eating habits ) , ( iv ) disordered eating and ( v ) weight change .