The Hindu : Front Page : Parents in denial over children’s weight: study

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Wednesday, Dec 26, 2007
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Parents in denial over children’s weight: study

Obese children run the risk of diabetes, high BP and cholesterol
National estimates indicate about 17 per cent of U.S. children are obese

DETROIT: A startling number of parents may be in denial about their children’s weight. A survey found that many Americans whose wards were obese did not see them that way.

That was worrisome because obese children ran the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and other ailments more commonly found in adults. And overweight children were likely to grow up to be overweight adults.

“It suggests to me that parents of younger kids believe that their children will grow out of their obesity, or something will change at older ages,” said Dr. Matthew M. Davis, a University of Michigan professor of paediatrics and internal medicine who led the study, released earlier this month.

“When I see a child that is obese at these younger ages, I take that as a sign of ways nutrition can be improved, a child’s activity level can be improved.”

Among parents with an obese, or extremely overweight, child between ages 6 and 11, 43 per cent said their child was “about the right weight,” 37 per cent responded “slightly overweight,” and 13 per cent said “very overweight.” Others said “slightly underweight.”

For those with an obese child between ages 12 snd 17, the survey found more awareness that weight was a problem.

Fifty-six per cent said their child was “slightly overweight,” 31 per cent responded “very overweight,” 11 per cent said “about the right weight” and others said “slightly underweight.”

‘Not easy to identify’

Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said obesity in children was not as easy to identify as in adults.

“Plus, because of the social stigma, it’s not something that parents are willing to admit to readily,” Dr. Rao said.

The survey of 2,060 adults, conducted over the summer by Internet research firm Knowledge Networks, collected height and weight measurements on the children from their parents, then used them to calculate body mass index.

When a child’s BMI was higher than the 95th percentile for children of the same age and gender, the child was considered obese.

Based on what the parents reported, 15 per cent of the children between ages 6 and 11, and 10 per cent of the children between ages 12 and 17, were obese.

The Michigan researchers said that this suggested parents underestimated their children’s weight. National estimates indicated that about 17 per cent of U.S. children were obese under the standard used by the researchers.

Experts said doctors needed to help parents better understand the health risks of childhood obesity. — AP

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