Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
Volume 24, Issue 5, Pages 663-665Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0801233
Keywords
self-reported weight; body weight; social desirability; height
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Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [5 MO1 RR00044] Funding Source: Medline
- NIMH NIH HHS [MH18822] Funding Source: Medline
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The present study examines the relationship between the desire to conform to perceived societal norms and the misreporting of weight and height. Self-reported and measured weights and heights for 56 young, healthy non-obese volunteers were assessed and compared to scores on the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS). Discrepancies between actual and self-reported weights for females were directly related to actual weight (r = 0.66, P < 0.0001). The same was not true for males (r = 0.03). Height was significantly overreported, regardless of gender (P < 0.004). Most importantly, for females, MCSDS scores were significantly correlated with the discrepancy between actual and self-reported weights after statistically adjusting for differences in actual weight (r = 0.51, P < 0.0001). Results suggest that the misreporting of weight among young, non-obese women may be directly influenced by the desire to conform to perceived societal norms.
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