             !  " # $   #  %& ’(   $ ’   )!$! : Distorted perceptions of body weight pose negative influences on weight management and predispose subjects to the development of eating disorders and their complications. This study describes the prevalence of misperception of body weight, and its influencing factors.   : A cross sectional study among 225 Malaysian adults in rural area was conducted from June to August 2010. Structured self administered survey questionnaire were used to examine mispercep’ tion of body weight and the influencing factors such as socioeconomic factors, family factors, Body Mass Index (BMI) and lifestyle. : Respondents were mainly more than 45 years old (47.1%), Malay (86.2 %) and employed (45.8%). Findings showed that 52.5% of respondents had incorrect per’ ceptions of their body weight. Result implies that in rural area, underestimation, rather than overesti’ mation, of weight status is more prevalent among respondents above 45 years old and overweight or obese. $: Body weight awareness and promotional campaigns should be strategised and catered according to target groups. Public health authorities and health care professionals need to be given access to correct information pertaining to our society’s nutritional status and weight manage’ ment. ’*   + (   , !"%$! Over the past few decades, overweight and obesity become an increasingly serious public health concern globally. Obesity poses serious health consequences, heightening the risk of contracting five out of ten leading causes of death and disability including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and stroke. Globally, 2.3 billion adults are predict’   $ : Norfazilah AHMAD Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaakob Latif, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: +603’91455904/+6013’3551610 E mail: norfazilah@ppukm.ukm.edu.my         $)- -.!-.! Over the past few decades, overweight and obesity become an increasingly serious public health concern globally. Obesity poses serious health consequences, heightening the risk of contracting five out of ten leading causes of death and disability including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and stroke. Globally, 2.3 billion adults are predict’ ed to be overweight and more than 700 mil’ lion obese by 2015. 1 In Asia, there is evi’ dence that the risk of obesity related diseases among Asians increases with a lower body mass index (BMI) of 23 kg/m 2 . This new