Facing Fat

“Some obese individuals don’t realize they have a weight problem, a new study finds. That could be an unhealthy attitude as these same people tend not to exercise and have many risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The study, based on survey data collected in Dallas, found that one in 10 participants — all of whom were classified as obese — were satisfied with their body size and didn’t think they needed to lose a few. ‘That is a sizeable percentage who don’t understand they are overweight and believe they are healthy,’ said lead researcher Tiffany Powell, a cardiology fellow at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Either way, obesity packs many negative health effects, including increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.”