Most children and teens who are overweight perceive themselves to be much thinner than they actually are, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study found that 76 percent of overweight boys and girls believe they are "about the right weight," while about 42 percent of obese kids consider themselves about right.
"Being overweight or obese is associated with adverse health outcomes, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes," said lead researcher Neda Sarafrazi, a nutritional epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.
"Children who have a misperception of their weight are not going to take steps to control their weight or reduce their weight, and reduce the risk of future health complications," she said. "If people perceive their weight accurately, they can start weight-control behavior."
According to the CDC report, 34 percent of Hispanic-American children and teens believe they are thinner than they are, as do 34 percent of black kids and 28 percent of white kids.
Neda Sarafrazi, a nutritional epidemiologist with NCHS and the report's lead author,told NPR that a child's proper perception of his or her weight is important for inspiring behavioral changes -- like eating healthier and getting more exercise. "Children who don't have a correct perception of their weight don't take steps to lose weight," she said.
But Marlene Schwartz, a psychologist and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, warns against the dangers of labeling. "Shame is a terrible motivator," she said. Schwartz thinks education and encouragement are more effective at inspiring healthy change than ensuring kids' weight issues are properly categorized and labeled.
