Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe self-reported weight change and beliefs about the causes of weight change and to examine whether these vary by sex and weight status.
DESIGN: This cross-sectional population study examined data from the 1995 Australian National Health and Nutrition Surveys.
SUBJECTS: A total of 10 624 randomly-selected adults provided data.
MEASURES: Objectively measured height and weight, perceptions of current weight status, self-reported weight change over the past year, and reasons for weight change.
RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of participants reported a weight gain in the last 12 months, with females, and those already overweight more likely to report a recent increase in weight. Approximately one in five participants reported a recent weight loss. Those who had recently gained weight were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight regardless of actual weight status. Commonly reported reasons for weight gain included a change in physical activity level (52% males and 35% females) and a change in the amount of food/drink consumed (30% males, 27% females). Similar reasons were given for weight loss.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings of widespread reported weight gain, particularly among those already overweight, suggest Australia's obesity epidemic may be worsening. Strategies are urgently required to better inform individuals about the factors impacting on their weight in order to prevent further weight gain.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
World Health Organization . Obesity, preventing and managing the global epidemic: report of the WHO consultation on obesity World Health Organization: Geneva 1997
Bennett SA, Magnus P . Trends in cardiovascular risk factors in Australia: results from the National Heart Foundation Prevalence Study, 1980–1989 Med J Aust 1994 161: 519–527.
Australian Bureau of Statistics . National Nutrition Survey: User's Guide, Australia, 1995 catalogue no. 4801.0. ABS: Canberra 1998
Hill JO, Peters JB . Environmental contributions to the obesity epidemic Science 1998 280: 1371–1374.
National Health and Medical Research Council . Acting on Australia's weight: a strategic plan for the prevention of overweight and obesity Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra 1997
Blokstra A, Burns CM, Seidell JC . Perception of weight status and dieting behaviour in Dutch men and women Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 7–17.
Crawford D, Campbell K . Lay definitions of ideal weight and overweight Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 23: 738–745.
Crawford D, Worsley A . Present and desired body weight of Australian adults: a cause for concern? Community Health Stud 1987 11: 62–67.
Donath S . Who's overweight? Comparison of the medical definition and community views Med J Aust 2000 172: 375–377.
Horm J, Anderson K . Who in America is trying to lose weight? Ann Intern Med 1993 119: 672–676.
Paxton SJ, Sculthorpe A, Gibbons K . Weight-loss strategies and beliefs in high and low socioeconomic areas of Melbourne Aust J Public Health 1994 18: 412–417.
White LL, Ballew C, Gilbert T, Mendlein JM et al. Weight, body image and weight control practices of Navajo Indians: findings from the Navajo Health and Nutrition Survey J Nutr 1997 127: 2094S–2098S.
Zeibland S, Thorogood M, Fuller A, Muir J . Desire for the body normal: body image and discrepancies between self reported and measured height and weight in a British population J Epidemiol Comunity Health 1996 50: 105–106.
Martinez-Gonzalez MA, Martin-Almendros MIS, Gibney MJ, Kearney JM et al. Perceptions about body weight and weight reduction in Spain Public Health Nutr 1999 2: 557–563.
Cachelin FM, Striegel-Moore RH, Brownell KD . Beliefs about weight gain and attitudes toward relapse in a sample of women and men with obesity Obes Res 1998 6: 231–237.
Bradley PJ . Conditions recalled to have been associated with weight gain in adulthood Appetite 1985 6: 235–241.
Australian Bureau of Statistics . National Health Survey: Users' Guide, Australia, 1995 catalogue no. 4363.0. ABS: Canberra 1996
Timperio A, Cameron-Smith D, Burns C, Crawford D . The public's response to the obesity epidemic in Australia: weight concerns and weight-control practices of men and women Public Health Nutr 2000 3: 417–424.
Crawford D, Owen N, Broom D, Worcester M, Oliver G . Weight-control practices of adults in a rural community Aust NZ J Public Health 1998 22: 73–79.
Acknowledgements
Kylie Ball is supported by a Public Health Fellowship from the National Health and Medical Research Council. David Crawford is supported by Nutrition Research Fellowship from the National Heart Foundation. The authors would also like to thank Mr Carl Gibbons for his assistance with data analysis.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jackson, M., Ball, K. & Crawford, D. Beliefs about the causes of weight change in the Australian population. Int J Obes 25, 1512–1516 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801728
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801728
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
Association between the use of weight management strategies and weight change among Australian adults over 12 months: an observational study
BMC Public Health (2023)
-
The SHED-IT Community Trial: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Internet- and Paper-Based Weight Loss Programs Tailored for Overweight and Obese Men
Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2013)
-
Low Income, Mexican Mothers’ Perception of Their Infants’ Weight Status and Beliefs About Their Foods and Physical Activity
Child Psychiatry & Human Development (2010)
-
Predictors of drop-out in overweight and obese outpatients
International Journal of Obesity (2005)
-
Who does not gain weight? Prevalence and predictors of weight maintenance in young women
International Journal of Obesity (2002)