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Discomfort Of Public Weighing May Be Detrimental To A Woman's Healthhttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/99032.php

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania points to increased

health risks for women owing to their higher level of discomfort about

being weighed in public.

The study showed that college-age females, more than their

male counterparts, experience high degrees of discomfort at the

prospect of being weighed in the presence of others.

The study's authors believe that some women may avoid

necessary tests and treatments when a doctor visit includes a step on a

public scale.

" Weighing concern may make these women, particularly those who

are overweight and already at risk for certain ailments, less likely to

visit a doctor, " said B. Geier, lead author and a doctoral

candidate in the Department of Psychology in the Penn School of Arts

and Sciences. " Hopefully, this data will show the great advantage that

can be had with just a small, inexpensive change in clinic policy:

weighing patients in private. "

The study also revealed that observers generally overestimate

women's weight while women tend to believe that people are

underestimating their weight due to slimming clothes or cosmetics. This

means that, while women in the study demonstrated they do not want

people to know their weight, their true weight was lower than others'

estimates and a public weighing would correct the misperception.

Due to the increasing cost of health care, medical clinics,

especially those serving poorer communities, constantly look for ways

to cut costs. One common practice is to designate public space in the

clinic-, often a well-trafficked hallway, , to be suitable for

weighings. Routine clinic practice has reduced the number of scales as

well. In light of this new research, it is possible, in fact the

authors believe likely, that women may skip free, potentially

life-saving tests, such as mammograms, rather than face the

embarrassment of public weighing.

The study tested a series of hypotheses designed to explain why women reported a much larger degree of discomfort than men did.

In multiple questionnaires, females showed no more sensitivity

to general embarrassment than did males, nor more sensitivity to public

displays of other personal information. Neither did the discomfort come

from the physical act of being weighed. These other possibilities were

tested to ensure that the authors' original hypothesis was correct,

that the public revealing of weight makes women so uncomfortable.

In addition, the study concludes that a partial source of

female discomfort comes from the participants' own sense that they are

overweight.

Study participants rated discomfort levels over a variety of

weight-related scenarios. The more dissatisfied a female was with her

weight, the greater the discomfort she experienced when being weighed.

But even the very concept of weight, tested by assigning some

participants to wear a badge bearing the single word, " Weight, " caused

elevated levels of discomfort because it drew unwanted attention to

what is considered an unflattering personal attribute for women.

" The real danger here is the heavier a person is, the more

discomfort they feel and thus the more likely they may find reasons to

skip appointments, " Geier said. " These may be the very people that need

access to these clinics the most. If a person knows that he or she is

going to be provided privacy during the weighing process, that could be

a major relief, thereby tipping the scales to get them to go and get

these potentially life-saving tests. "

----------------------------Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.----------------------------

The study, to be published in the upcoming issue of the journal Appetite,

included 292 females and 190 males. The research was performed by Geier

and Rozin of the Penn Department of Psychology, which supported

the study.

Source: Jordan Reese

University of Pennsylvania