Did You Know? Parents Oblivious to Overweight Kids

Parents Oblivious to Overweight Kids: A new report, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010," has found that along with high-fat foods, lack of exercise, and too much screen time, another obesity issue may be misperceptions about weight. The report included a poll that found the majority of Americans believe that childhood obesity is a "significant and growing challenge for the country," but 84% said their children are at a healthy weight. National statistics show that nearly one-third of children and teens are overweight or obese, with body-mass indexes that fall above the 85th percentile for their age and sex. In one study, only one-third of parents of overweight kids identified their child's weight status accurately, while in another, 60% of parents of overweight children inaccurately listed their child as healthy weight or even underweight. Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation