Parents: Admit you have a problem

The first step to solving a problem is...to admit you have a problem.

But parents of obese children can't do that. Combine that with the fact most people don't know how many calories are in a happy meal and you have the perfect storm for a future obese generation.

The New York Times reports that in a 2,000-parent study, more than 40 percent of parents could not admit their 6-to-11-year-olds were obese.

Parents need to face reality in the mirror and in their children. Admit there is a problem. Then start solving it by no more happy meals, no more fast foods. Sit down with your kids at supper time and start the long journey to good nutrition.

Obesity - Children - Parents - Medicine and Health - New York Times:

When researchers from the University of Michigan surveyed more than 2,000 parents about their children’s health, they heard some good news. Despite the growing obesity problem, many of these parents could report that their sons and daughters, at least, were “about the right weight.”

The numbers, alas, told another story. The parents were also asked to provide information about the children’s height and weight — and many of the 6-to-11- year-olds turned out to be obese. Yet more than 40 percent of their parents appeared unaware of this.

Dr. Matthew M. Davis, a pediatrician and internist who directed the poll, said he and other doctors wondered why parents who brought overweight children in for appointments so often did not seem concerned.

But, Dr. Davis said, “If they don’t actually perceive their children to have excess weight, then how can we realistically expect them to make changes?”