FROM A WOMAN’S VIEWPOINT WHO’S MORE OVERWEIGHT,WOMEN OR MEN?

      Women are not in wonderland when they’re in front of the looking glass. Researchers have confirmed that compared with men,women are more accurate in assessing the status of their weight.They seem to be able to quickly pinpoint when and where they are accumulating body fat and are faster to acknowledge a need to lose weight. And if a woman is actively gaining weight or is already overweight or obese, that finely
tuned ability to see body fat is good news. But it can have a dark side, too. It’s no secret that our society values thinness in women.

     Underweight women routinely grace the covers of popular women’s magazines and star in the latest Hollywood films. But the reality is that being underweight also carries health risks. The constant exposure to toothin women may create an environment in which a woman who is already at a healthy weight may feel the need to lose weight and a woman who is overweight may overestimate the amount of weight she needs to lose. Indeed, in a woman’s mind, there tends to be a mix-up between the body weight that is desirable for good health and the one that is deemed desirable for appearance.

     Surveys have found that this is particularly true for young and middle-aged women, who are often more likely to consider themselves overweight even when their weight is within the recommended range.