Objective: In a sample of fifth grade students, evaluate the prevalence of: 1) trying to lose weight, 2) perception of weight status, and compare by gender, weight status, body fatness, ethnicity, and dietary intake. Methods: A total of 519 students completed anthropometric measurements and surveys, including the questions: 1) Are you now trying to lose weight? 2) How do you feel about your body weight? Students were classified as normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), or obese (OB) and as overfat (OF) or normal fat (NF). Daily calorie intake, and a Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and fiber index (FI) (fiber g/1,000 calories) score were derived from a food frequency questionnaire. Statistics included chi-square and ANOVA, with significance set at p<0.05. Results: Overall, 22% viewed themselves as too heavy. A majority of OW/OB (64%), and OF males (59%) underestimated their body size. Forty-nine percent reported trying to lose weight, of which 86% were OW or OB. Among NW children, 28% were trying to lose weight. Caucasians had the lowest prevalence of trying to lose weight and perceiving themselves as too heavy. FI was significantly higher (p=0.007) in those trying to lose weight versus those who were not. There were no significant relationships with the HEI score or calorie intake. Conclusions: Nearly half of the sample was trying to lose weight, and of concern, 16% were NW, while about 2/3 of OW/OB and OF males underestimated their size. These two questions can identify children who may be pursuing unnecessary weight loss or misperceiving their weight status, which may affect dietary and other lifestyle behaviors, and overall health.
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