The Downsides of Feeling Fat

Is feeling fat just as detrimental to your quality of life as actually being fat? According to NewBeauty Magazine, people who merely think they are fat suffer a lower quality of life as compared to people who think they are a healthy weight.

The study, which was administered in Germany, asked 7,000 adolescents to assess their bodies on a scale ranging from “far too thin” to “far too fat”. The subjects were also questioned about their quality of life in conjunction with their body image.

Although only 18% of the subjects were technically overweight, 36% of males and 55% of females considered themselves to be overweight. Not only did those who were truly overweight disclose an inferior quality of life, the subjects who only thought they were overweight did as well.

The researchers correlate these findings with societal pressure to be thin. In my last blog posting, I discussed the study done at University College London that reported that healthy people consistently judge their bodies to be shorter and wider than they actually are. Perhaps these two studies are the tip of the iceberg in uncovering the root of many eating and body image disorders.

To Your Health & Beauty,
Dr. Kent Hasen

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