Parents of fat children in denial about weight problem, study says
DETROIT (AP) — A startling number of parents may be in denial about their youngsters’ weight.
A survey found that many Americans whose children are obese do not see them that way.
That is worrisome because obese children run the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and other ailments more commonly found in adults. And overweight children are 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 pediatrics 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 ages 6 to 11, 43 percent said their child was “about the right weight,” 37 percent responded “slightly overweight,” and 13 percent said “very overweight.” Others said “slightly underweight.”
For those with an obese child ages 12 to 17, the survey found more awareness that weight was a problem. Fifty-six percent said their child was “slightly overweight,” 31 percent responded “very overweight,” 11 percent said “about the right weight” and others said “slightly underweight.”