Table 2

BMI categories and perceived weight status by country and gender (%)

Characteristics

DE, 2005

N = 739

DK, 2005

N = 530

PL, 2005

N = 564

BG, 2005

N = 692

TR, 2003

N = 1005

LT, 2000

N = 1016

ES, 1998

N = 796

BMI Categories (derived from self-reported height and weight)

Female

Underweight

9.2

6.7

16.8

30.4

20.8

11.5

11.0

Normal weight

78.8

75.3

76.1

64.9

74.2

83.4

79.4

Overweight

8.9

13.3

5.8

4.0

4.7

4.7

8.6

Obese

3.1

4.7

1.3

.6

.3

.4

1.0

Male

Underweight

1.0

1.5

2.5

5.0

4.2

3.9

1.7

Normal weight

71.7

74.2

81.9

81.2

80.1

84.2

80.6

Overweight

22.2

20.0

14.4

12.8

14.7

11.8

16.7

Obese

5.1

4.4

1.3

.9

1.0

.2

1.0

Perceived weight status

Female

Much too thin

.5

.8

1.1

1.6

.9

4.3

A little too thin

3.7

5.1

6.4

5.6

17.7

8.4

9.1

Just right

38.2

44.3

38.6

47.2

45.4

67.9

44.5

A little too fat

51.0

44.3

47.3

44.2

34.0

22.1

38.7

Much too fat

6.6

6.3

6.9

1.9

1.3

.7

3.4

Male

Much too thin

3.8

1.1

8.3

3.7

2.0

3.4

4.5

A little too thin

21.3

13.1

29.5

22.9

25.8

20.5

19.4

Just right

32.1

53.8

39.7

52.3

50.2

63.8

48.8

A little too fat

37.8

29.5

19.9

20.2

21.7

11.4

25.3

Much too fat

5.1

2.5

2.6

.9

.3

.9

2.1

Mikolajczyk et al. BMC Public Health 2010 10:40   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-40