Teenagers who perceive themselves as fat when they are really of normal weight are more likely to eventually become overweight as adults, indicates a study from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

The study, headed up by Koenraad Cuypers and colleagues from Department of Public Health and General Practice in NTNU’s Faculty of Medicine, specifically looked at the relationship between perceived weight and actual weight among 1,196 normal-weight teenagers.

“Perceiving themselves as fat even though they are not may actually cause normal-weight children to become overweight as adults,” said Cuypers, who added that psychological stress may be partially to blame for the weight gain correlation.

In addition to adding pounds around the midsection, NTNU researchers believe teens who see themselves as overweight tend to adjust their eating habits in a negative manner. Teens will often skip meals, Cuypers explained, and skipping breakfast has been linked with obesity and is often counterproductive.

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