Parents' denial: Most don't recognize child's obesity

Childhood Education, Summer 2003

Parents' Denial: Most Don't Recognize Child's Obesity

According to a report in Pediatric Nursing Journal, parents' perceptions of their children's weight problems may not be dependable or accurate. In an article on childhood obesity, author Eric A. Hodges, MSN, RN, RNP, found that among 99 mothers of overweight children, 79% failed to identify their children as overweight. This is troublesome, Hodges said, because parents' ability to recognize and accept that their child is overweight is vital if interventions are to be successful.

Although clinicians can readily identify infants and children who are overweight, this identification is just the first step. Helping families understand obesity and recognize the problem, while working effectively with them to treat and prevent the problem, is key, Hodges writes. It is also crucial to examine eating behaviors, genetic predispositions, and environmental and familial influences on childhood obesity.