A recent research has shown that Australian parents seem to be ignoring the expanding waistlines of their kids. The last ten years has seen a 100% increase in obesity levels among pre-schoolers, and many parents appear not to be recognising the signs which can be indicative of health problems later in life. In a study of parental attitudes to childhood obesity, 324 mothers of four year olds were interviewed.
A research team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, reported that only a quarter of mothers of overweight or obese children (as defined by Body Mass Index) actually rated them as such, and 70% of these mothers thought that their children weighed about the same as their classmates. Only 17% of all mothers interviewed were concerned about their children facing future overweight or obesity problems. The results mirror those reported in other western countries, indicate that the ramifications of overweight and obesity are not being absorbed by Australian parents, who appear not to notice their child’s expanding girth as being out of the ordinary due to the prevalence of overweight kids in society.
Parents who do recognise the seriousness of the issue have to address it carefully, encouraging healthy eating whilst avoiding making their children overly weight and image conscious. Children need to follow a good eating and exercising example set by parents in the home. Parents can't lead an unhealthy or sedentary lifestyle but tell their kids to do as they say and not as they do. Without adopting a more active lifestyle and a healthier eating regime, children could be setting themselves up for a future of health problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment