Improved understanding of how normal weight and moderately overweight
people manage their body weight and shape could be used to inform initiatives to
prevent and treat obesity. This literature review offers a thorough appraisal of
existing research into perceptions and management of own body size among
normal weight and moderately overweight people. The studies reported in the
47 publications reviewed here address various themes based on different
conceptualizations. The studies point out that normal weight and moderately
overweight people are much concerned about their body size, but huge discrepancies are found between their own perceptions and study categorizations. The studies also indicate that normal weight and moderately overweight people are actively engaged in managing their body size through numerous managing strategies, and dieting is widespread. Together the studies do not form a unified and coherent research field, and there is a bias towards North American study populations. Methodological problems were identified in some publications, raising questions about generalizability of the findings. Moreover, only few studies give deeper insight into the specific perceptions and actions. Repeated studies are needed in broader and more differentiated geographical, social and cultural contexts, and longitudinal studies and more in-depth explorations are especially needed.