Parents underestimate weight problems of children

Weight problems in children: parents react too late

05/07/2012

The number of overweight children has risen steadily in recent years. But many parents are apparently lacking awareness of their children's weight problems. This is the result of a joint study by the Integrated Research and Treatment Center (IFB) Obesity Diseases, the Pediatric Nursing Network CrescNet and the Department of Paediatrics at the University Hospital Leipzig.

As part of the cooperation project, the researchers had Susann Blüher from the University of Leipzig examined the attitude of parents towards obesity prevention programs and found that many parents only become aware of their pupils' weight problems when they are already suffering from obesity. Often the parents recognize the problem clearly too late, so that preventive measures here can offer no help, the scientists reported in early April in the journal „PLoS One“.

My child is not too fat!
According to the researchers of the University of Leipzig, the general rule is that the sooner weight loss problems are tackled, the higher the chances of success. It was also much easier to counteract the build-up of obesity, as with existing weight problems to get rid of the excess pounds again, explained the experts. However, many parents do not seem to realize these aspects, or they are willfully ignored, according to the motto: „My child is not too fat!“ In the evaluation of the motives that cause parents to send their child into a prevention course against obesity or to refrain from doing so, the scientists asked Dr. med. Susann Blüher notes that many parents react significantly too late. In fact, the prevention programs are aimed primarily at families whose children are overweight but not yet obese. A combination of nutritional and exercise therapy is intended to prevent further weight gain and the associated threat of obesity, explained Blüher and colleagues.

Childhood obesity is often not recognized as a problem
As part of the cooperation project of the Polyclinic for Children and Adolescents, the Integrated Research and Treatment Center (IFB) Obesity Diseases and the pediatric network CrescNet at the University Hospital Leipzig, the researchers surveyed a total of 433 families with 241 overweight children between the ages of four and seventeen Prevention program against obesity and 192 children who were not in an appropriate prevention program. It turned out that the parents, their children „just“ were overweight, decided much more against participation in the prevention program, as parents whose children were already obese, so the announcement of the Integrated Research and Treatment Center (IFB) obesity diseases. Obviously, childhood obesity is often not recognized as a problem.

Participation in prevention programs often too late
The survey has clearly shown that prevention programs for obesity are often perceived far too late, the researchers report. The study leader Dr. Susann Blüher stressed that „Families, their children just are overweight, apparently have less problem awareness than parents of already obese children.“ The parents tend to become active only when their offspring is already obese. Not infrequently, sentences are like „My child is not fat“ or „That's just baby bacon“ to hear from parents with overweight or even obese children. In addition to the lack of insight into the weight problems of adolescents played in the rejection of the prevention program, the supposedly high cost of a change in diet and the lack of time in the arguments of parents more often roles. Many of the parents with overweight children also emphasized that their offspring already eat healthily and therefore participation in the prevention program is superfluous.

Create awareness of the negative consequences of being overweight
Particularly problematic is the lack of insight of the parents, according to Dr.. Susann Blüher, because the program is actually intended as an obesity prevention project, which should address especially families with overweight children to prevent further weight gain and thus the development of obesity. However, according to current study results, this is unlikely to succeed. Therefore, Dr. Blühher prevention programs are being developed, „who really reach those affected.“ In the families must „first an awareness of the negative consequences of being overweight can be created“, said the head of the cooperation project. According to Dr. More recently, such programs are more important than ever, as around 80 percent of overweight children remain fat as adults. In addition, due to the overweight diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular complaints occur more often in children and adolescents, explained the expert. (Fp)

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Picture: Picture: Steffi Pelz