Even healthcare professionals struggle to identify obesity like common people

A new study has revealed that majority of people including healthcare professionals struggle to identify obesity.

Research by psychologists at the University of Liverpool found that sometimes even GPs (General Practitioners) and trainee GPs are unable to visually identify whether a person is a healthy weight, overweight or obese.

The researchers also examined whether increased exposure to overweight and obese people affected a person's ability to estimate the weight of a person. Their findings suggested that exposure to heavier body weights might influence what people see as a normal and healthy weight and causes people to underestimate a person's weight.

Recent studies have found that even parents underestimate their overweight or obese child's weight and this could also act as a barrier to intervention.