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The effects of restraint, gender, and body mass index on the accuracy of self‐reported weight
Author(s) -
Shapiro Jennifer R.,
Anderson Drew A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.10166
Subject(s) - overweight , body mass index , psychology , body weight , obesity , demography , weight loss , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , endocrinology , sociology
Objective Previous research has shown that women, restrained eaters, and overweight/obese individuals have a tendency to underreport their weight. This study investigated gender, dietary restraint, and BMI to determine which is the best predictor of errors in self‐reported weight. Method A total of 241 college students completed questionnaires pertaining to height and weight and then were weighed in the laboratory. Results Although overall students were fairly accurate in reporting their weight, restraint status was the best predictor of weight underestimation. Discussion These results suggest that restrained eaters, regardless of gender or BMI, have a tendency to underestimate their weight. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 34: 177–180, 2003.