Body-weight perception and related preoccupations in a large national sample of adolescents

Summary Objectives This study aimed to investigate the association between body‐weight (BW) perception, weight preoccupation and behaviour, including weight control practices and compulsive over‐eating episodes, across gender and actual BW classes. Design This study used a cross‐sectional observational study. Participants A large, nationally representative sample of 6404 ninth‐grade French adolescents was randomly selected from schools throughout France. Methods Weight and height were measured, and BW preoccupation, BW control practices and compulsive over‐eating were self‐reported using standardized questionnaires. Results Nearly one‐third of adolescents misperceived their BW. Misperception was more frequent among girls than boys (42.2% vs. 27.3%, P