Some of society might indeed see her as too fat, which could lead to a mishandling of human services. Alternatively, others could dismiss her weight worries as inconsequential, and therefore never get to the lack of self-confidence at the root of her concerns. There is much confusion and mis-identification regarding weight; according to a recent study of women, while only "55% were overweight, though two-thirds said they thought they were overweight" (Kaiser, 2007). Jazmin is, in fact, somewhat overweight, but not to the extremity that she thinks she is, and not enough to cause her immediate or permanent medical damage. Her misperceptions about herself, however, as well as society's misperceptions about weight in general, can cause for a misdirection of human services. If I were to encounter Jazmin Biltmore in real life in a professional capacity, I would recommend that she seek help from a licensed counselor and a nutritionist. This combination would be most effective, I believe, because Jazmin's self-confidence would be boosted if counseling led her to a better and more realistic image of herself. In addition, there is most often an underlying psychological cause for weight problems and feelings about weight, which can be countered with internal examination of these causes and an external re-evaluation of eating practices and habits (Edlin & Golanty, 2007). Nutrition can also play a significant role in depression and other emotional issues. The benefits of both counseling and nutritional information, then, are two-fold: through counseling, Jazmin would...

Even without any supplemental nutritional work, "psychological counseling is generally effective in facilitating weight loss of about a pound a week and a significant percentage of the initial body weight" (Eldin & Golanty, 2007). Adding nutritional information and guidance to such a program can only increase its efficacy. If Jazmin's problems are addressed fairly, without misperceptions based on her gender, ethnicity, weight, or her own misperceptions of herself, she could easily be on the road to a better and happier life.
References

Edlin, G. & Golanty, E. (2007). Health and Wellness. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.

Kaiser. (2001). "Study examines weight misperceptions by race, gender." Kaiser Network, 10 may 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2009. http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=44841

(2002). "How misperceptions can create havoc in the workplace." Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 28 August 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2009. http://knowledge.emory.edu/article.cfm?articleid=560

Morin, R. (2001). "Misperceptions cloud whites' view of blacks." Washington Post, 11 July. Retrieved from the center for individual rights 6 February 2009. http://www.cir-usa.org/articles/177.html