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 .
Ethnic and sex variations in overweight self-perception: relationship to sedentariness.
OBJECTIVE With increasing frequency , health promotion messages advocating physical activity are cl aim ing weight loss as a benefit . However , messages promoting physical activity as a weight loss strategy may have limited effectiveness and cross-cultural relevance . We recently found self-perceived overweight to be a more robust correlate of sedentary behavior than BMI in Los Angeles County adults . In this study , we examined ethnic and sex differences in overweight self-perception and their association with sedentariness in this sample . RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES We conducted bivariate and multivariate analyses of cross-sectional survey data  from a representative sample of Los Angeles County adults . RESULTS Women were more likely to perceive themselves to be overweight than men overall ( 73.2 % of overweight/non-obese and 24.1 % of average weight women vs. 44.5 % of overweight/non-obese and 5.6 % of average weight men ) and within each ethnic group . African-Americans were least likely ( 41.3 % of overweight/non-obese African-Americans self-identified as overweight ) and whites were most likely to consider themselves overweight ( 60.6 % of overweight/non-obese whites self-identified as overweight ) . Overweight ( vs. average weight ) self-perception was correlated with sedentariness among average weight adults ( 45.3 % vs. 33.0 % , p < 0.001 ) , overweight adults ( 43.4 % vs. 33.6 % , p < 0.001 ) , men ( average and overweight : 38.4 % vs. 27.8 % , p < 0.001 ) , overweight whites ( 41.9 % vs. 29.7 % , p = 0.0012 ) , and African-Americans and Latinos ( 41.6 % vs. 33.9 % , p = 0.005 ) . DISCUSSION These data suggest that our society 's emphasis on weight loss rather than lifestyle change may inadvertently discourage physical activity adoption/maintenance among non-obese individuals . However , further research is needed , particularly from prospect i ve cohort and intervention studies , to eluci date the relationship between overweight self-perception and healthy lifestyle change
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 .