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 .
Perceived weight in youths and risk of overweight or obesity six years later.
OBJECTIVE To examine the association between perceived overweight in adolescents and the development of overweight or obesity later in life . METHODS This paper uses data from a prospect i ve , two-wave cohort study . Participants are 2445 adolescents 11 - 17years of age who reported perceived weight at baseline and also had height and weight measured at baseline and at follow-up six years later sample d from managed care groups in a large metropolitan area . RESULTS Youths who perceived themselves as overweight at baseline were approximately 2.5 times as likely to be overweight or obese six years later compared to youths who perceived themselves as average weight ( OR=2.45 , 95 % CI=1.77 - 3.39 ) , after adjusting for weight status at baseline , demographic characteristics , major depression , physical activity and dieting behaviors . Those who perceived themselves as skinny were less likely to be overweight or obese later ( OR=0.36 , 95 % CI=0.27 - 0.49 ) . CONCLUSIONS Perceived overweight was associated with overweight or obesity later in life . This relationship was not fully explained by extreme weight control behaviors or major depression . Further research is needed to explore the mechanism involved
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 .