If parents falsely think that their children are normal weight, when in fact they are overweight or obese, then they are unlikely to do anything to correct the situation. Now there are some data that show parents how bad the situation is.
USA Today reports, “Many heavy-set moms and children think they are slimmer than they actually are,” according to a study presented at the American Heart Association conference in Atlanta, GA., earlier this year.
For the study, “researchers at Columbia University Medical Center in New York asked 111 women and 111 children a series of questions about their age, income and body size. They also measured their height and weight.”
“Among the study participants, about 66% of the mothers were overweight or obese, and about 39% of children were overweight or obese,” the Los Angeles Times “Booster Shots” blog reported.
But, “among the women, about 82% who were obese underestimated their weight, and about 43% who were overweight low-balled their weight.” In contrast, “only about 13% of normal weight women underestimated how much they weighed.”
CNN /Health.com reports, “Likewise, 86% of overweight or obese children failed to correctly estimate their weight, compared with just 15% of normal-weight children.”
What’s more, “nearly half of the mothers who had an overweight child believed their child’s weight to be normal.
And even though more than 80% of the women were overweight, only 41% of the children thought their moms needed to lose weight.”
How can you find out if your child is overweight or obese? I recommend an on-line calculator that you can access here.
What can a family do if one or more children are overweight or obese? Consider getting a copy of my book, SuperSized Kids: How to protect your child from the obesity threat. It chock full of hundreds of simple tips to help you out.
And the really good news is that it’s on sale at my website. The softcover is on sale for $1.99 (retail $12.99), here, and the hardcover on sale for $3.99 (retail $22.99), here. However, supplies are limited.