Weighty Issues
Guess your weight — It's a carnival game many of us have seen, some of us have played, and more than a few of us have lost.
Guessing your child's weight, however, is another matter. It's not a game and getting it wrong could have significant consequences if left unattended.
Most parents — especially those who are overweight themselves — fail to recognize their children's weight problem and may be contributing to the growing childhood obesity problem, according to a UNLV study. One in three U.S. children are either overweight or at risk of being so.
UNLV researchers investigated the apparent disconnect between how parents perceive their children's weight and their actual weight.
Education Matters
Researchers summarized data and identified trends from 20 research studies in the United States, Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom over the past 10 years on parental perceptions of childhood obesity.
Researchers noted several key findings:
- Parents, especially mothers, are more likely to classify daughters as overweight than sons
- Overweight parents were more likely to have an at-risk or overweight child
- Parents' education level often corresponded to their ability to accurately perceive their children's weight
- Cultural influences are potential reasons for parental misperception
- Parents more accurately identified the weight of their average children than their overweight children
"If parents fail to recognize when their child is overweight, it is nearly impossible for parents and medical professionals to properly intervene to diminish the risk factors for obesity," said Patricia Alpert, nursing professor. "We know that childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate; we need to begin to address why this phenomenon is occurring. Only then can we develop appropriate interventions."
Researchers stressed that parents, as the most influential individuals in an at-risk or overweight child's life, need to be aware of the health consequences of obesity. They called for new research to explore parental misperceptions across ethnic groups, age groups, and among parents of females versus males.
Participating in the study with Alpert were Jessica Doolen, nursing instructor, and Sally Miller, nursing professor. The study appeared in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
Related Information
Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
Patricia Alpert
School of Nursing
