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Study shows overweight moms don't view their kids as overweight
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Photo: Bill Branson, National Cancer Institute
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Parents can help combat childhood obesity through exercise
Reuters reported on a German study earlier this week that shows moms who are overweight have more difficulty recognizing that their children are overweight. Overweight mothers, it seems, tend to underestimate their own children’s weight. According to the article, the researchers suggest this is not due to a “universal misperception of overweight children”, as most mothers in the study were able to correctly identify overweight and obese silhouettes, but rather emotional factors that make it hard for mothers to view their children with weight problems.
Though the rate of childhood obesity appears to have plateaued, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services still estimates that adolescents who are overweight have a 70% chance of becoming overweight adults. And while the causes of childhood obesity are primarily linked to a poor diet and insufficient exercise (with genetics playing some role, as well), a mother’s inability to see a problem with her child’s weight can be a contributing factor, too.
So how can a mother be sure that her child is a healthy weight and size? Your pediatrician should be the first person asked about your child’s health. At each check up, your child’s doctor will measure his height and weight to calculate his body mass index (BMI) and use the BMI as a basis of comparison to other children of the same age and gender. It’s important to be honest with your pediatrician about your child’s diet, including how much juice and soda she drinks each day, and level of exercise. It’s also important to listen without defensiveness to modifications your child’s doctor may suggest.
But most importantly, mothers (and fathers) can help their children by engaging in healthy habits, and when one or both parents are overweight, exercising as a family is critical. In an interview with Scholastic’s Parent & Child magazine, Dr. William Dietz of the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stresses that diet should not be the primary focus when looking to control weight gain. “Common sense tells us that if you eat a lot of meals at fast-food restaurants, or drink soda every day, you’ll gain weight,” he says in the interview. “But there’s no data yet that proves food choices affect the likelihood of being overweight.”
Rather, parents need to engage their children in physical activity to give them an opportunity to burn off the excess calories they consume. Programs like Baby Boot Camp (which offers classes in Sanford and Lake Mary), Stroller Fit (with classes in Celebration), and Stroller Strides (classes throughout Orlando) offer moms (and dads) with young children an opportunity to exercise with their kids in tow, but Dr. Dietz says structured classes are not needed for kids younger than eight years old. “Look for opportunities for physical activity after school and on the weekends,” he suggests. “It’s not necessary for kids to do sit-ups or push-ups or run laps. Just the chance to play and be children in a game of tag or hide-and-seek can do the trick.”
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