from American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Obesity has more than doubled in teens during the last twenty years, and socially accepted normal weight may have shifted as a result. Using data from a nationwide health survey, overweight or obese teens, categorized because of their body mass index, tended not to think of themselves as fat. In fact, the percentage of such teens who consider themselves as overweight declined by nearly one-third over nearly two decades. It may be that with more overweight friends, teens may have a more positive image of their own weight and, therefore, making overweight teens less motivated to actively try effective weight loss behaviors. Researchers, writing in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, say becoming aware of a weight problem may be the first step in correcting it.