Women ‘underestimating their weight’

I've never been one for weighing myself constantly. I'm a nurse and I know it's not a healthy way to live to keep monitoring yourself and this can easily lead to obsessive behaviour.

However, saying this, I'd like to think I have a rough idea of how much I weigh.

This is unlike the majority of British women, apparently, as a new study shows that the average woman is actually five pounds heavier than she thinks she is.

Research released in the government's annual health survey show that those aged 35 to 59 were the least likely to guess the correct weight, underestimating by eight whole pounds!

I don't understand how you can be this much heavier than you think, surely you must have some idea?

Men, on the other hand, were a little more clued up about their weight, underestimating by a more modest three pounds.

Commenting on the results, Andrina McCormack, a chartered psychologist in Dundee, told MailOnline that she was not surprised at Brits' wishful thinking.

"What is probably happening is that there is so much social pressure to be slim that everyone wants to be thinner," she said.

"So a woman may weigh 150 pound, but she thinks that if she puts on a nice black dress and screws her eyes up she is closer to 140 pound."

But what really worries me about these stats is the fact that nearly half of parents whose child was classed as obese were convinced that they were "about the right weight".

This is why occasionally standing on the scales is a good idea, just so you can get an idea whether you're at a healthy weight for your age and height.

Of course the easiest way to ascertain this, if you're not sure, is to make a trip to your local GP who'll happily discuss any worries you have and offer advice on maintaining a healthy weight.

Do you know how much you actually weigh?

Posted by Margo Hunter