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- Page navigation anchor for RE: “Misobesity”: Is there a need for parents to misperceive children’s obesity?RE: “Misobesity”: Is there a need for parents to misperceive children’s obesity?The study by Black et al.1 confirms that many parents misperceive their children's excess weight. Why this happens remains to be understood. Factors associated with this misperception (e.g., child's BMI)2 are more informative than explanatory, and more likely to influence misperceptions indirectly than directly. Researchers have suggested another set of factors to account for this phenomenon including new subjective thresholds for excess weight, unfavourable attitudes toward weight terminology, and lay misunderstanding of obesity3. This line of factors does not address the most fundamental determinants of weight misperception either, which are likely related to the nature and functionality of perceptions including misperceptions.In the case that reality can be measured objectively, needless to say that BMI is not an objective measure of obesity, most perceptions are likely to be misperceptions if confronted with objective data. There is nothing more inaccurate than aspiring to accuracy when it comes to perceptions that are actively constructed representations of reality.4 When classifying their children's weight status, parents are unlikely to carefully examine the necessary and sufficient conditions to be members of a given class (e.g., obese). Rather, they are more likely to compare their children with stereotypes of each class, for example extreme cases of obesity as portrayed...Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.
- Page navigation anchor for RE: childhood obesity. Why no follow up?RE: childhood obesity. Why no follow up?This article has had a lot of media attention but to the best of my knowledge no signs of policy changes from those in command. It is sad that the data (child's weight and centile) is not transmitted to the child's GP nor led to it being repeated if in a range that may give concern (or all children) on a regular basis within the school medical system. It seems that a great opportunity is wasted. Data is collected, one letter gets sent to the parents (and the wording of that was changed so as not to cause offence or alarm) and nothing else happens.How about some changes now, or TV and other media campaigns showing what a normal (thin) child should look like at various ages? It must be cheaper than treating the diseases of lifelong obesity.Competing Interests: None declared.