Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Diet, Weight Attitudes Vary Among Social Classes

Social class is a factor in attitudes toward children's diets and weight, according to a new British study from the University of Hertfordshire.

According to a Sept. 28 PsychCentral article by senior news editor Rick Nauert, Professor Wendy Wills and her colleagues found that attitudes of middle-class parents were significantly different from those of working-class parents:
  • Middle-class parents are more oriented toward planning and the future.
  • They are more concerned that obesity is linked to poor health in adulthood and lower self-esteem in childhood.
  • Middle-class parents took more control over their children's eating on a daily basis.
  • Some of their attitudes were based on moral teachings such as the idea that obesity reflects laziness and a lack of self-control.
  • Working-class parents were more concerned about the present and less concerned about their children's ideal body shape.
Given the complex, embedded nature of familiar practices and beliefs, policy and practice targets need to be realistic in terms of the time scale needed for achieving change, Dr. Wills said.

Labels: research, attitudes

Posted By: Aspen/CRC