Is Fat the New Normal?

Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research

A recently published study raises an interesting question: Is fat the new normal? With roughly two-thirds of the American population overweight or obese, have our cultural ideals of what we consider “normal weight” changed?

The study, published in the July issue of Economic Inquiry, looked at economic and social factors affecting obesity rates. One element explored was the impact of societal norms or standards. According to the study’s authors, standards for acceptable body weight relax as the average weight of the population increases; in turn, people’s weights continue to rise in response to the lessening of social standards.

The public responses to the issues raised in this study range from support to outrage. While some have recognized the danger in “normalizing” unhealthy weights, others are angered at the insinuation that people are unable to differentiate between “average” and “healthy.”

This discussion echoes the misunderstanding that surrounded earlier research published in 2000. The latter study, which ran in the journal Obesity Research, focused on body-size acceptance. In the study, subjects were presented with nine line drawings portraying various body shapes that ranged from very thin to obese. Participants were asked to identify those body sizes that “looked okay” as well as the one they “liked best.”

In the end, 86 percent of overweight study subjects and 48 percent of obese subjects said their own shape fell within the “acceptable” range (it is important to note that study subjects did not identify overweight and obese figures as healthy or desirable, but as acceptable). Furthermore, 80 percent of overweight subjects and 93 percent of obese subjects identified their actual shape as different from the shape they would most like to have.

Of course, the waters get muddied a bit when we attempt to differentiate normal weight from desirable weight without offending people. Although weight is an extremely sensitive subject, the separation between normal and desirable has been successfully defined in other areas. For example, evaluation of blood cholesterol was previously based on average levels. After research showed that typical levels in the U.S. were associated with increased heart disease, a “healthy” blood cholesterol level was identified and differentiated from average blood cholesterol.

Acknowledging that you’re overweight is the first step in recognizing the health risks associated with obesity. A 2002 study, also published in Obesity Research, found that self perceptions of overweight were influenced by sex, race and socioeconomic status. According to the study, Caucasian females were most likely to accurately identify themselves as overweight, while black and Hispanic men were least likely to correctly assess their overweight status. In summary, the study noted that only about half of all participating men correctly identified their overweight status as compared to more than three quarters of the women. These findings are consistent with other research that suggests that failure to recognize you’re overweight is more of a problem in men.

Whether it is viewed as acceptable or not, overweight and obese are clearly becoming the norm in America. This new “normal” is simply not healthy. In a culture that promotes overeating, making life changes to promote a healthier weight can often seem overwhelming. While we may not be able to change the culture overnight, each of us can take small steps to ensure that our standard reference is also the healthiest reference.

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AICR’s Nutrition Hotline is a free service that allows you to ask a registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer.  Access it online at www.aicr.org/hotline or by phone (1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday-Friday.  AICR is the only major cancer charity focused exclusively on the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. It provides education programs that help Americans learn to make changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers.  It has provided more than $78 million for research in diet, nutrition and cancer.  AICR’s Web address is www.aicr.org