Study Finds That Young Women Often Don’t Realize They’ve Gained Weight

Researchers at the University of Texas have found that significant numbers of young women do not realize that they have gained several pounds over six months. Nearly one-third of women in the study did not recognize weight gain of 4.5 pounds, and nearly one-quarter of women did not recognize gains of 8.8 pounds during a six month interval. Black women and DMPA users (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, commonly known as the birth control shot) were more likely to recognize weight gain than their counterparts. Failure to recognize recent significant weight gain puts women at risk for cardiovascular disease and other obesity-related conditions. Researchers said self-perception of weight gain appears to be significantly influenced by race, ethnicity and contraceptive methods.