Adolescents who think they are too fat seem to be worse off than their counterparts who are really obese, according to an extensive survey. The Robert Koch Institute in Germany surveyed nearly 7,000 boys and girls between 11 and 17. They were asked about self-assessment, ranging from "far too thin" to "far too fat". The survey, published in the German journal Deutsches Aerzteblatt International, established that about three quarters of adolescents were of normal weight. Yet, 55 per cent of girls and under 36 per cent of boys thought they were "too fat".