Objective:

To document the perception of body weight, the variables that are associated with a correct perception of it and with the perception about the probability of developing obesity at short-term in Mexican adult population.

Materials and methods:

We used data from the Perception of obsesity, eating behavior and physical activity questionnaire (POCAA, by its Spanish acronym), as well as household and anthropometric measurements obtained at Ensanut MC during May and October of 2016.

Results:

More than 90% of the population tend to underestimate their weight; 32% of the population said that they would be very likely to develop obesity at short-term; more than 90% considered that suffering from obesity is very serious. Having a correct perception of body weight and being overweight or obese by BMI, were positively related to the perception of developing obesity at short-term.

Conclusion:

It is very relevant that individuals, regardless of the state of their weight, have an accurate perception of their body and the consequences to their health.