| ■ Many Parents Misjudge Children's Weight: Study | 2008.10.29 |
| Many parents overlook their children's weight problems because they think their kids' weight is healthy, says an Australian study that looked at 2,100 children and their parents. The University of Melbourne researchers found that 43 percent of parents with overweight or underweight children believed their children had an average weight. Among overweight children, that percentage was nearly half, BBC News reported. "Parents are more likely to take the necessary preventative actions if the perception of their child's weight -- whether underweight or overweight -- is correct," noted study leader Dr. Pene Schmidt. The results aren't surprising, said Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum in Australia. "There was recent research in this country which showed that a similar proportion of health professionals were unable to make the distinction," Fry told BBC New. "We live in a society were being big is becoming far more common, and is seen as normal." |