August 2014
Featured in this insight: Medical & healthcare
Study shows parents’ views on their child’s health: Despite the ever-growing levels of obesity in America, almost three in 10 (28%) parents do not see their child’s weight as a concern, according to recent research.
The study, which was conducted by a group of San Diego School of Medicine scientists, questioned around 200 families in 2008 and 2009 with children aged between 5 and 20 – an average age of 14.
Over two thirds of the sample’s children were female and, with a Body Mass Index over 30, 94% of those could be diagnosed as clinically obese.
However, of the 200+ families surveyed, almost one third thought their child was in very good or excellent health – a worrying contrast to the study’s findings.
Just over six in ten (62%) of the parents questioned said they were trying to improve their child’s diet by avoiding sweets and snacking, and encouraging greater fruit and vegetable intake instead.
Only two fifths (41%), however, were promoting physical activity, such as dancing, playing sports and walking, as a method to better their child’s health.
Furthermore, the research also discovered that parents with younger children were more likely to be prepared to make changes to their diet, while parents who believed their own weight was a health problem were less likely to make changes to their child’s diet.
According to previous research studies, half of parents with overweight or obese children believe their children are actually underweight or at a healthy weight, raising concerns over parents’ readiness to make beneficial changes to their child’s diet and physical activity regime.
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