Many Americans with diabetes are mistaken
in their belief about a "healthy" body weight,
a new study shows, with nearly half thinking that being
overweight is still within a healthy range.
"These findings are concerning
given the importance of body weight in managing diabetes,"
study first author Dr. Kathleen McTigue, assistant professor
of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, said in a
prepared statement.
She said getting these patients to understand weight-related
health risks could help them set healthy lifestyle goals
and achieve effective weight management.
McTigue and her colleagues surveyed close to 2,500 diabetic
patients and found that many had incorrect ideas about
healthy body weight.
"Among respondents, 41 percent reported a 'healthiest'
weight for their height that actually measured in the
overweight body mass index (BMI) range," she said,
"and 6 percent reported a 'healthiest' weight that
was obese."
Among obese respondents, 66 percent identified an overweight
or obese body weight as ideal for health, while 41 percent
of overweight patients selected a higher-than-optimal
weight as healthy. Only 4 percent of normal-weight patients
overestimated healthy body weight.
Women were more likely than men to correctly identify
a health body weight.
