Fat chance

Carrying extra weight has become the new "normal". Who are you calling fat?Some people 'too obese to help'Virus 'link' to childhood obesity When a woman asks: "Does my bum look big in this?" she has some insight that her derriere may appear larger than desirable.

But ask a woman if she thinks she is overweight and you may be surprised by the answer you get.

When US researchers asked 2,000 women this question, many were unable to give a correct answer.

A quarter of those who were overweight were unaware that they had a weight problem and perceived their size to be "average", even though they clearly were not.

In fact 1,000 of the women in the survey were found to be clinically obese or overweight.

Like this latest work in Obstetrics and Gynecology journal, UK researchers have also found many Brits have a skewed perception of what is fat.

Continue reading the main story“Start QuoteEverybody is getting heavier and, as a result, people think 'I'm not so heavy - look at her' and then fail to realise they themselves have a problem”

End QuoteTam FryNational Obesity ForumObese the new "norm" A YouGov poll of 2,000, carried out last year with Slimming World, found three in four obese people in the UK were unaware of their weight problem.

This survey found only 7% of people believed their weight was significant enough for them to be classified as obese, despite over a quarter of those interviewed fitting into this category.

Experts say part of the problem is that obesity is becoming normalised by society.

With two-thirds of UK adults now overweight or obese, the average size is no longer average.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum says obesity is now so common-placed that we no longer see it.

"Everybody is getting heavier and, as a result, people think 'I'm not so heavy - look at her' and then fail to realise they themselves have a problem."