When it comes to seeing ourselves as we truly are, some of us are wandering around in the dark. According to a study conducted at the University of North Carolina, only 15 per cent of study participants who met the National Institutes of Health Criteria for obesity in adults, actually realized that they were obese!
According to federal guidelines, people with a Body Mass Index (known as BMI) less than 18.5 are considered underweight. Those people who are in the range of 18.5 to 24.9 are considered normal weight. BMI's from 25 to 29.9 show that a person is overweight, and people with a BMI of 30 and above are overweight.
This blind spot could be lethal when it comes to your health. Being obese carries a set of frightening health risks, including increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer, to name a few. But if an obese person doesn't even identify with being obese, all the messages in the world about reaching a healthy weight will go unnoticed.
Do you know what your BMI is? You can calculate it easily at the National Institute's of Health Body Mass Index Calculator
References: Truesdale, K.P., and J. Stevens. 2006. Do the obese know they are obese? Experimental Biology 2006. FASEB Journal 20(March 7):A1313.
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