A population-based comparison of weight and weight perceptions among overweight and obese Mexican and Mexican-American men.

OBJECTIVE To examine actual and perceived weight in national cohorts of Mexican-origin adult men in Mexico and the United States (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS We used the 2001-06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2006 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey. RESULTS The prevalence of overweight or obesity (OO) in Mexicans was 65% and in Mexican-Americans was 72%. OO Mexican-American men were more likely than OO Mexican men (56 vs. 49%) to perceive themselves as "overweight". Among OO men from both populations, those who had been screened for OO by a health provider were almost seven times more likely to have accurate weight perceptions. Only 9% of OO men in Mexico and 25% in the US recalled having been screened for weight. CONCLUSION Weight misperceptions were common in both populations but more prevalent in Mexico; low screening by providers may contribute to poor weight control in both countries.