Parents slow to notice weight gain - survey

IRISH PARENTS’ perceptions of their children’s weight tend to underestimate or poorly recognise obesity, a new study has found.

Data on 101 parents and their children aged four to 14 who attended a group GP practice showed some 15 per cent of children were either overweight or obese based on measurements of their body mass index (BMI).

However, when asked to estimate their child’s weight status, parents were poor at recognising their children’s increased weight.

More than 80 per cent of overweight children were perceived as being of normal weight by their parents, while none of the obese children had their correct weight category identified.

Parents’ recognition of those children who were underweight was also poor. And over half of parents who participated in the study were themselves either overweight or obese.

The research is published in the current issue of the Irish Medical Journal.

Lead author Dr Afric White and her colleagues note that previous research has shown that the majority of children who are overweight before puberty will be overweight in adulthood and that parents who are unaware that their child is overweight are unlikely to instigate lifestyle changes that may halt progression of the problem.

There is also evidence that parents are more likely to both recognise and have concerns regarding increased weight in female children.

The Irish Medical Journalalso published the results of a survey which confirms that a significant majority of Irish non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) are dissatisfied practising medicine here.

Major sources of dissatisfaction included the state of the healthcare system, staffing cover for leave and illness, the dearth of consultant posts and the need to move around Ireland to maintain employment.

Some 40 per cent felt that the training they received in the Republic was poor.

Almost half considered that their chance of getting a consultant post was slim.