Muttarak's Study Design Cannot Support the Link Between the Body‐Positive Movement and Overweight or Obesity

Muttarak (1) compared self-report data collected between 1997 and 2015 concerning people’s BMI, whether they perceived themselves as “about the right weight,” “too heavy,” “too light,” or “not sure,” and whether they reported “currently trying to lose weight,” “trying to gain weight,” or “not trying to change weight.” From 1997 to 2015, a larger proportion of adults classified as having overweight and/or obesity perceived themselves to be “about the right weight” rather than “too heavy.” Those who underestimated their weight were less likely to report trying to lose weight.