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 .
Weight control behaviors among overweight, normal weight and underweight adolescents in Palestine: findings from the national study of Palestinian schoolchildren (HBSC-WBG2004).
OBJECTIVE The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between  weight-control behaviors  and self-reported sociodemographic characteristics , weight status , and perception of body weight in a large , representative sample of adolescents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip territories of Palestine . METHOD Self-report measures of sociodemographic characteristics , body weight perception , height and weight , and weight-control behaviors  were completed by 8,885 male and female students aged 12 - 18 years from 405 r and omly selected schools as part of the 2003/2004 Palestinian Health Behavior in School-aged Children Study ( HBSC ) . RESULTS In both genders , dieting to lose weight was common among adolescents and significantly higher among overweight than among underweight or normal weight adolescents . Extreme weight-control behaviors ( vomiting , diet pills , or laxatives ) and smoking were more common among boys than girls , and extreme weight-control behaviors were particularly common among underweight boys . Older adolescents were less likely than younger adolescents to engage in weight-control behaviors . Perception of body weight as too fat was an influential factor in following an unhealthy diet to lose weight . DISCUSSION Practice s to control weight , particularly extreme and unhealthy weight-control behaviors , are common among adolescents in the Palestinian territories . These findings suggest the need to design appropriate prevention and early intervention programs for adolescents in Palestine
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 .