Why Do So Many Parents Miss To See Their Child's Obesity?

One of the health concerns in children which is increasing day by day is childhood obesity. We all know that obesity leads to a lot of health issues, especially when developed at a very young age. Every parent is concerned about their children's health, but researchers have found that most often they are unable to recognise their child's obesity. In a recent study published in The British Journal of General Practice, it has highlighted that parents are unlikely to recognise childhood obesity in their kids.

About The Study

A study showed that parents are less likely to recognise childhood obesity in their kids. Obesity is one of the major lifestyle diseases in today's time, causing large number of deaths globally. Not only just adults, overweight children are at increased risk of mortality and disease too.

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Parents ignore their kid's obesity 

The study result showed that 31 percent of parents have underestimated their child's weight and 1 percent overestimated this. In terms of acknowledging the extent of a child's obesity, only four parents out of 396 kids with clinical obesity described their child "as being very overweight." Also, the researchers said that parents with a higher body mass index (BMI) were more likely to struggle with the reality of a child's weight.

Understanding parents' perceptions, beliefs and attitudes are important in the prevention and intervention of childhood obesity. Researchers also said that parents turn a blind eye to the issue since it's somewhat acceptable in society.

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