Parents more conscious of overweight girls than overweight boys

According to the findings of a national survey by a major health insurance company, too many Australian parents are oblivious to the fact their children are overweight.

The MBF Healthwatch survey of more than 1,200 people shows that many parents appear to be in denial regarding their children's overweight.

The results showed that only 7.9% of children were considered to be overweight by their parents and this, according to a recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report, is a gross underestimation - the AIHW report showed almost a quarter of all children (aged two to 12) are overweight or obese.

BUPA Australia's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Bennett says parents need to be extremely conscious that their failure to recognise these weight problems can be potentially damaging to their children in the long-term.

Dr. Bennett says even when recent suggestions that measures of overweight might be including some children on the border are taken into account, many parents appear to not realise the risk.

Once children become overweight, says Dr. Bennett, it is often extremely difficult for them to shed the excess kilos, particularly if their diet is incorrect and they are living a sedentary lifestyle and she says it is incumbent upon parents to help ensure their children embrace healthier lifestyles.

Dr. Bennett was also dismayed that parents' inability to recognise weight issues was markedly more pronounced with their sons as more parents believe their daughters are overweight (10.3%), compared to their male siblings (5.5%) - whereas the AIHW data showed there was little difference in the prevalence of overweight or obesity between boys and girls.

Bennett says of particular concern was parents' perceptions of infants (aged up to two years old), with not one parent recognising that their son was overweight, compared to 8% for daughters and she says it is a genuine concern that parents are more conscious of their daughters' weight than their sons, and this has to change. She believes this may mean an overwhelming number of boys experiencing weight problems will not receive timely assistance to rectify the problem as a direct result of their parents' failure to recognise and address the problem at a young age.

Dr. Bennett says overweight children have a significantly higher chance of developing long-term health problems and obesity can have a major impact on how children feel about themselves and interact with others.

The main causes of childhood obesity include a lack of physical activity, poor diet - including high fat and sugary food choices - and family eating habits and Dr. Bennett encourages parents to help overcome this by:-

• Leading by example and start eating healthier options
• Ensuring families eat meals together as often as possible
• Encouraging children to eat a healthy and balanced diet
• Allowing children to choose which activities they want to be involved in
• Restricting the time spent in front of a computer or the TV to two hours a day
• Making exercise fun and rewarding children for their efforts.

Dr Bennett says parents should consider talking to their GP if their child's BMI is outside the healthy weight range for their age and sex.