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Obesity Discussion · 03-20-06, 02:11 PM

The World Today - Child obesity rates continue to climb

The World Today - Monday, 20 March , 2006 12:50:00
Reporter: Toni Hassan

ELEANOR HALL: Despite numerous public health campaigns warning Australian parents about the dangers of obesity in their children, new evidence in today's Medical Journal of Australia suggests that many parents are unlikely to recognise early signs of the problem.

Obesity rates in the nation's pre-school aged children have doubled in the last decade. And medical experts warn that young children who are overweight are far more susceptible to severe health problems in future.

Toni Hassan has more.

TONI HASSAN: Dr Michele Campbell and a team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne investigated how mothers of pre-school children perceived their children's weight.

MICHELE CAMPBELL: Our study looked at the attitudes of some 324 mothers who had four-year-old children.

TONI HASSAN: So what did you ask them?

MICHELE CAMPBELL: We actually asked them to rate on a five-point scale from whether they disagreed a lot to agreed a lot, whether they were worried that their children were overweight right now, and whether they were worried that they might become overweight in the future, and also whether they were worried their child was underweight.

TONI HASSAN: And what did you find?

MICHELE CAMPBELL: Uh, basically 19 per cent of our children were either in the overweight or obese category, but only 5 per cent of mothers actually reported any concern about their current weight, and about 17 per cent about future overweight.

TONI HASSAN: In fact, the study found that among mothers whose children were overweight or obese, over 70 per cent thought their kids were of similar weight to their peers.

The results published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia used standard medical definitions of overweight and obesity based on Body Mass Index, which is weight over height squared.

Dr Campbell says the results reflect similar studies overseas and suggest two important things are at work.

One, the messages behind publicity about obesity in Australia are not getting through, and that the growing number of overweight children in the community may well have 'normalised' the condition and contributed to the inability of parents to recognise a problem in their own kids.

MICHELE CAMPBELL: A good example is that if you actually look at school photos from the 70s compared to nowadays you can actually see that the overall size of the children has increased.

But because parents actually don't have many opportunities to have an objective measure of their children's height and weight, especially on a Body Mass Index, all they have to compare with is other children around them, and obviously if the level of overweight is higher in the community, then overweight children actually don't stand out from the crowd.

TONI HASSAN: Why this all matters is that being overweight or obese in early life is often an indicator of health in adulthood. The trick for parents, Dr Campbell says, is finding a balance between encouraging a nutritious died, while not making children super conscious of their weight.

MICHELE CAMPBELL: Often, especially with very young children, a lot of this learning comes from what the family actually does in terms of their own eating and their activity and their attitudes towards that.

TONI HASSAN: What are the implications of such significant percentage of parents asked about their kids' weights, discovering that they're more overweight than they first thought?

MICHELE CAMPBELL: Yeah, um, I think there will be some mixed responses. Some parents will acknowledge that their child might be a bit chubby, but will hope that they will actually become a more normal weight once they become more active at school.

TONI HASSAN: Is that more likely?

MICHELE CAMPBELL: That happens in some cases, but actually it's more the exception than the rule. So this whole myth about puppy fat - I think we need to make sure that parents are actually actively thinking about making sure that their children are eating their fruits and veggies, and also exercising more, because we can't rely on things to naturally just assume a normal… a healthy pattern.

ELEANOR HALL: And that's researcher and paediatrician with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Dr Michele Campbell, speaking to Toni Hassan.

Article

03-20-06, 02:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Obesity Discussion Administrator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 7,851 Weight Statistics 8/1/2006 Start Date: 185 lb Start Weight: 152 lb Current Weight: 155 lb Goal Weight: -33 lb Weight Loss: 5/1/2007 Goal Date:	Child obesity rates continue to climb The World Today - Child obesity rates continue to climb The World Today - Monday, 20 March , 2006 12:50:00 Reporter: Toni Hassan ELEANOR HALL: Despite numerous public health campaigns warning Australian parents about the dangers of obesity in their children, new evidence in today's Medical Journal of Australia suggests that many parents are unlikely to recognise early signs of the problem. Obesity rates in the nation's pre-school aged children have doubled in the last decade. And medical experts warn that young children who are overweight are far more susceptible to severe health problems in future. Toni Hassan has more. TONI HASSAN: Dr Michele Campbell and a team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne investigated how mothers of pre-school children perceived their children's weight. MICHELE CAMPBELL: Our study looked at the attitudes of some 324 mothers who had four-year-old children. TONI HASSAN: So what did you ask them? MICHELE CAMPBELL: We actually asked them to rate on a five-point scale from whether they disagreed a lot to agreed a lot, whether they were worried that their children were overweight right now, and whether they were worried that they might become overweight in the future, and also whether they were worried their child was underweight. TONI HASSAN: And what did you find? MICHELE CAMPBELL: Uh, basically 19 per cent of our children were either in the overweight or obese category, but only 5 per cent of mothers actually reported any concern about their current weight, and about 17 per cent about future overweight. TONI HASSAN: In fact, the study found that among mothers whose children were overweight or obese, over 70 per cent thought their kids were of similar weight to their peers. The results published in the latest Medical Journal of Australia used standard medical definitions of overweight and obesity based on Body Mass Index, which is weight over height squared. Dr Campbell says the results reflect similar studies overseas and suggest two important things are at work. One, the messages behind publicity about obesity in Australia are not getting through, and that the growing number of overweight children in the community may well have 'normalised' the condition and contributed to the inability of parents to recognise a problem in their own kids. MICHELE CAMPBELL: A good example is that if you actually look at school photos from the 70s compared to nowadays you can actually see that the overall size of the children has increased. But because parents actually don't have many opportunities to have an objective measure of their children's height and weight, especially on a Body Mass Index, all they have to compare with is other children around them, and obviously if the level of overweight is higher in the community, then overweight children actually don't stand out from the crowd. TONI HASSAN: Why this all matters is that being overweight or obese in early life is often an indicator of health in adulthood. The trick for parents, Dr Campbell says, is finding a balance between encouraging a nutritious died, while not making children super conscious of their weight. MICHELE CAMPBELL: Often, especially with very young children, a lot of this learning comes from what the family actually does in terms of their own eating and their activity and their attitudes towards that. TONI HASSAN: What are the implications of such significant percentage of parents asked about their kids' weights, discovering that they're more overweight than they first thought? MICHELE CAMPBELL: Yeah, um, I think there will be some mixed responses. Some parents will acknowledge that their child might be a bit chubby, but will hope that they will actually become a more normal weight once they become more active at school. TONI HASSAN: Is that more likely? MICHELE CAMPBELL: That happens in some cases, but actually it's more the exception than the rule. So this whole myth about puppy fat - I think we need to make sure that parents are actually actively thinking about making sure that their children are eating their fruits and veggies, and also exercising more, because we can't rely on things to naturally just assume a normal… a healthy pattern. ELEANOR HALL: And that's researcher and paediatrician with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Dr Michele Campbell, speaking to Toni Hassan. Article __________________