Average Of 50 Percent Of Women Enter Weight Loss Clinics And Prove Underweight

Recent studies report that 50 percent of women with average weight enter weight loss clinics. In such cases, these women suffer an equal or higher level of psychological stress as actual overweight women.

These findings come from research conducted by medical student, Park Saet Byul (37, Women’s University family medicine) for her dissertation, titled ``The Psychological Condition of Women Entering Weight Loss Clinics.``

According to this study, out of the 116 women selected for the study, 58 women who viewed themselves as overweight turned out to be around 25.0 kg/㎡ and under, actually falling into the average weight category.

Specifically, 31.9 percent of the sample - 37 women - turned out to be 23.0 kg/㎡ below the normal weight, but still sought out clinics for weight loss. Women in their twenties who make up 48.6 percent of the sample displayed an obsessive concern over their weight.

Medical professionals measure normal weight in relation to height, with 25.0kg/㎡ and over being obese, 23.0 ~ 25.0kg/㎡ being overweight, and 23.0kg/㎡ and under being the average weight. Women weighing around 64kg and under at 160cm in height fall in the health category.

Yet women of average weight feel a level of psychological stress that is actually equal to or higher than women who are overweight.

According to the study, women in average weight categories feel a level of stress and low moods measured at an average of 44.6 points - 0.5 points higher than overweight women who score an average of 44.1 points. Women of average weight also report obsessive worry over their weight, measuring at 44.5 points, exceeding the 45.4 points for overweight women only by a very slight margin.

``Since compulsive worry and stress over one’s weight may incur greater harm to one’s health than actual obesity, it is important to nurture a healthy sense of satisfaction with one’s weight,`` advised Park.

changkim@donga.com