New research concurrently published by Montreal’s major medical centers in the International Journal of Obesity show that kids who are surrounded by peers and family who are overweight are more likely to misperceive their own weight. “When children’s parents and schoolmates are overweight or obese, their own overweight status may seem normal by comparison. The higher the BMI of their friends and family, the more kids are likely to underestimate their weight – a trend consistent for both sexes, regardless of the socioeconomic levels of their school or family,” said lead author Katerina Maximova. This is an important issue because “Accurately perceiving oneself as overweight or obese is an important cue to take action,” says Jennifer J. McGrath, director of the Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab at Concordia University. Full story.
Tags: BMI, children, kids, mcgill, montreal, obesity, overweight, weight
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.