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Half of parents with heavy children don't view their kids as overweight. Parents of young kids are more likely to underestimate the weight of heavy kids. Parents are less accurate in judging the size of their sons. Here are some reasons why parents perceive that way.
About 14% of parents see their normal-weight children as underweight, the study shows.
Parents may be in denial when it comes to their kids' weight.
About half of parents with overweight or obese children don't think their kids are too heavy, a new study shows.
This is true in the U.S. and around the world, the researchers found.
“Parents who underestimate their kids' weight may not take action to encourage healthy behaviors that would improve their child's weight and reduce their risk of future health conditions,” says lead author Alyssa Lundahl, a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
These findings come after a study out last week showed that kids who are overweight in kindergarten are four times more likely to be obese by eighth grade compared with their normal-weight peers.
About a third of the nation's young people are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control …
Making parents aware that obesity is a health problem might be the first step in promoting a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body weight among school-aged children. Although there is no direct evidence that increasing parents’ awareness of children’s weight problems would prevent overweight and obesity in children, there is evidence that parents’ awareness and monitoring can prevent risky behaviour among children and adolescents. Parents who do not recognize weight problems in their children are less likely to take steps to change their children’s unhealthy lifestyles and to prevent obesity. Studies from other countries have shown that parents are neither concerned about nor sensitive to their children’s overweight or obese status. Little on childhood obesity has been reported in a Canadian context. As part of a multi-pronged study, this paper reports on parents’ awareness of their children’s overweight and obese status.
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