David A. White, Bethany Barone Gibbs, Jere D. Gallagher, John M. Jakicic, Dana L. Rofey, Elizabeth M. Venditti, Andrea M. Kriska
Objective: Parents of overweight and obese children often underestimate the severity of their child’s weight problem, which may influence the parent’s anticipated need for weight loss treatment and parent’s concern for future weight problems in their child. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of individuals who have expressed concern for their child’s weight on: 1) parental perception of their child’s weight; 2) parental concern for future weight problems in their child (C-FWP).
Methods: Forty-eight parent-child dyads completed questionnaires reporting individuals who have expressed concern for their child’s weight, parental perception of their child’s weight, and parental C-FWP. Child subjects were 6-12 years old and were overweight or obese (≥85th percentile for BMI).
Results: Parents were more likely to accurately perceive their child as overweight if concern was expressed by a primary care pediatrician (PCP) (p=0.0001), family member (p=0.013), grandparent (p=0.042), or spouse/other parent (p=0.013). There was no influence on parent perception of child weight if weight concern was expressed by a school nurse (p=0.302), teacher (p=0.165), or the child’s coach (p=0.392). Expressed concern had no influence C-FWP.
Conclusion: PCP’s, family members, grandparents, or spouse/other parents have a significant impact on parent perception of child weight. Accurate parent perception of child weight may help parents recognize the need for lifestyle modifications and to promote healthy weight in their child. PCP’s should anchor parents to the child’s weight status and express concern to the parent when a child is overweight or obese.
