23% of British men underestimate their weight

When asked whether they were weight standard, overweight or extremely obese, almost one in four men would place themselves in a group that was thinner than they actually were. That means that many people have health problems but don't even know about it.

Since the survey was launched last month, more than 300,000 participants have sent their height and weight information to the interactive column. Participants will choose which group they are thin, normal, overweight, obese or morbidly obese. Nearly a quarter of 23% of participants chose a weight that was smaller than their actual weight. For example, men think they belong to the normal category, but in fact they are biased towards that category.

The finding, which comes from a very large sample but was not scientifically screened, suggests that millions of men are not aware that they are overweight and certainly not aware of the health risks that come with it: in the UK, 68% of men and 58% of women are overweight or obese.

Instead, women seem to be too conscious of their weight. Only 8% of women underestimate their weight, while 27% think they are heavier than they actually are; for men, the proportion is only 12%. This may indicate that pictures of "skinny beauties" in the media have a greater impact on women, and that women are more concerned and worried about their health or other related factors.