Even Healthcare Professionals Struggle to Identify Obesity: Study

Majority of people including healthcare professionals struggle to identify obesity, claims a new study. Research by psychologists at the University of Liverpool found that sometimes even GPs (General Practitioners) and trainee GPs are unable to visually identify whether a person is a healthy weight, overweight or obese.

The researchers also examined whether increased exposure to overweight and obese people affected a person's ability to estimate the weight of a person. Their findings suggested that exposure to heavier body weights might influence what people see as a normal and healthy weight and causes people to underestimate a person's weight.

Recent studies have found that even parents underestimate their overweight or obese child's weight and this could also act as a barrier to intervention.

Source-ANI