Many young women don't notice when they gain some extra weight, and self-perception of weight gain is significantly influenced by ethnicity, race and birth control methods, says a new study.
Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston surveyed 466 women, average age 25, about their weight and other health measures every six months for three years. Nearly one-third of the women did not recognize weight gains of 4.5 pounds during a six-month period, and nearly one-quarter did not recognize weight gains of 8.8 pounds.
But black women and those who used the birth control injection depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, or DMPA, were most likely to recognize weight gain.
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This information is important, researchers say, because weight gain increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other obesity-related health problems.
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