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.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Many Overweight Youth See Selves as Slimmer Than They Really Are

Overweight children, particularly girls, tend to see themselves as slimmer than they are, according to a new study from University College, London.
  • Researchers asked 205 boys and 194 girls, ages 7 to 14 years old, to match their body size to one of seven images, ranging from very thin to very heavy.
  • The children were asked to describe their size as too thin, just right, or too heavy.
  • Underweight and overweight children tended to see themselves as normal.
  • Overweight girls in particular tended to match themselves to figures smaller than their own.
One problem that arises is that if individuals do not have realistic images of their body sizes, they will not try to manage their weight.

This study appeared in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Labels: self-image

Posted By: Aspen/CRC

Comments:

Patrick Kallie on 12/27/2009
Many of the youth just need guidance when it comes to loosing weight and exercise. This is something that is lacking inn society to day.