European Parents Don't Recognize Their Children's Obesity

Half of parents with overweight children believe their child is of normal weight, and almost as many of these parents worry that their child will get too thin, according to a new study which suggests parents of overweight and obese children are out of touch with the reality of their children's condition.

The research took place in Europe as part of a study that encompassed more than 16,000 children aged 2-9 years old.

University of Gothenburg doctoral researcher Susann Regbe, who is trained as a pediatric nurse, worked with Swedish children included in the study as part of her dissertation work.

She found that 40 percent of parents with overweight or obese children were worried that their child would become underweight, and one out of two parents with an overweight child in Central and Northern Europe perceived their child's weight as normal. This figure shot to 75 percent for Southern Europe.

"How parents perceive their child's weight status is of major significance to being able to promote a healthy weight development," Regbe said in a statement from University of Gothenburg. "Our studies show that the parents' insight into obesity in their children indeed grows in pace with the child's age and higher BMI in the child, but also that a weight development at preschool age can go from overweight to obesity without necessary lifestyle changes being made."

"Many parents simply do not see the increase in growth, and are dependent on objective information from, for instance, child welfare centers and school health care to act," she said.

A possible way to mediate this, she said, would be to always show a child's BMI curve on reports provided by pediatric and school health care providers.

Regbe defended her dissertation at the University of Gothenburg last month. The full text can be read here.