More than one in three children in the United States is obese or overweight, but researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine suggest that many parents don’t actually consider their child’s weight problem to be a health issue.



In a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kyung Rhee, M.D., an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatrics, and colleagues surveyed parents of more than 200 children who had been admitted to an obesity clinic in Providence, R.I.



Although most of the children had metabolic markers of obesity and had been referred by a doctor for treatment, 31 percent of parents ranked their child's health as excellent or very good, while 28 percent did not perceive their child's weight to be a health concern.



Both diet and exercise are cornerstones of good health and weight management, but only 41 percent of parents indicated they were trying to increase their child’s physical activity levels, while just 61 percent said they were improving their child’s diet (more fruits and vegetables, less junk food). Notably, parents who viewed their own battle with weight as a health concern were even less likely to be addressing their child’s eating habits.



“Parents have a hard time changing their child’s dietary and physical activity behaviors,” says Rhee. “Our study tells us what factors may be associated with a parent’s motivation to help their child become more healthy.”



—Christina Johnson





