Self-Perceived Weight

Adolescents’ perceived weight associated with depression in young adulthood: a longitudinal study. Obesity. 2007;15: 3097–3105.
Objective: The objective of this study is to examine whether adolescents’ measured BMI and self- or mother’s percep- tion of weight status at age 14 are associated with depres- sion at age 21.
Research Methods and Procedures: The study participants were a subsample of 2017 participants of the Mater–Uni- versity of Queensland Study of Pregnancy and Its Out- comes, a population-based birth cohort study, which com- menced in 1981 in Brisbane, Australia, for whom measured BMI at ages 14 and 21 and information on self-reported mental health problems were available at the age 21 follow- up. A total of 1802 individuals had measured BMI and reported weight perception in a supplementary question- naire at 14 years, and their self-reported mental health problems were reported at 21 years. Mental health was measured using Center for Epidemiology Studies Depres- sion Scale and Young Adults Self-Reported depression/ anxiety at 21 years of age.
Results: We found that both young adult males and females who perceived themselves as overweight at age 14 had more
Received for review January 7, 2007.
Accepted in final form April 12, 2007.
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed, in part, by the payment of page charges. This article must, therefore, be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
*Longitudinal Studies Unit, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Bris- bane, Australia; †Mater Centre for Service Research in Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, and ‡Child Development and Rehabilitation Services, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.
Address correspondence to Abdullah Al Mamun, Longitudinal Studies Unit, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Rd, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. E-mail: mamun@sph.uq.edu.au
Copyright © 2007 NAASO
mental health problems compared with those who perceived themselves as the right weight. When we combined adoles- cents’ weight perception with their measured BMI catego- ries, weight perception but not measured overweight was associated with mental health problems for males and fe- males at age 21. This association remained after adjusting for potential confounders, including adolescents’ behavioral problems, family meals, diet, physical activity, and televi- sion watching.
Conclusions: This study suggests that the perception of being overweight during adolescence is a significant risk factor for depression in young adult men and women. The perception of being overweight during adolescence should be considered a possible target for a prevention intervention.

Self-perceived weight status among adolescents has been associated with weight-control behaviors. However, this relationship varies across weight status. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of self-perceived weight status on dieting and unhealthy weight-control behaviors among Spanish male adolescents, across weight status. Participants were 597 Spanish male adolescents (M = 13.94 years old, SD = 0.60). Body weight and height were measured in situ. Self-perceived weight status, dieting, and unhealthy weight-control behaviors were evaluated. The adolescents were inaccurate on estimating their weight status. Those who were overweight or obese, or who perceived themselves to be so, were more likely to report dieting and unhealthy weight-control behaviors. There is a need to promote healthier eating behaviors among adolescents, and to take into account the fact that self-perceived weight status may hinder the adoption of such behaviors.