It’s not the case that overweight
parents always bring up overweight children, but it’s also not uncommon. And
it’s now been proven that overweight mothers don’t often consider their
children to be similarly overweight - even when they are.
According to a new study by the
Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, overweight mothers
underestimate the weight of their obese children. The researchers studied 230
mothers of preschool children (aged between three and five) in the US, and 41
per cent of the mothers considered their overweight or obese children “about
the right weight.” Only 20 per cent of overweight mothers correctly identified
their children as overweight. And a mere three per cent of mothers
overestimated their child’s weight.
In order to reach their
conclusions, the researchers asked the mothers to fill out a questionnaire
about how they feed their child (including questions such as “Did he/she watch
TV at meals?” and “Did you feed him/her yourself if he/she did not eat enough?”)
and reveal their perception of the child’s weight. Both mother and child then
had their height and weight measured.
But the researchers suggest
healthy weight mothers may not have underestimated their children's weights in
the same way. “This study included only mothers who were overweight or obese,
which may, in part, explain the high rate of underestimation,” lead author
Rachel Tabak said. “This is also
concerning in the light of recent research showing children of obese mothers
were less likely to recognize their own weight as well as that of their mother
and therefore may be related to shifting attitudes toward weight status, where
overweight is less recognized because of its prevalence.” The researchers
revealed they were inclined to undertake the study because little research has
been done into how a parent’s perception of their child’s weight affects the
healthy behavior they promote.
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