Health

Study: Men & women exaggerate height, underestimate weight

By WEEK Producer

Study: Men & women exaggerate height, underestimate weight

February 2, 2012 Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 3:19 PM CDT

A new study shows a majority of Americans lie about their height and weight when filling out health surveys.

The study surveyed over 5,000 men and women and looked at self-reported BMI and measurement of height and weight and then compared them with their real measurement.

They found both men and women overestimated their height and women were more likely to underestimate their weight, especially white women.

Experts say the under-reporting was relatively small, but it should be taken into account when analyzing study results.

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