As the new school year begins, many parents with overweight and obese children are worried about how their kids will be treated by other students on the playground and in the classroom.
Bullying is a major concern among such parents, and they are much more likely than parents with healthy weight children to rate bullying as a top health issue for kids, according to a report released by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health (NPCH).
“We found that parents with overweight or obese children actually view bullying as a greater problem than childhood obesity,” says Dr. Matthew M. Davis, director of NPCH. “Since bullying is known to be a problem for children with increased weight, bullying prevention programs will need to be mindful of obesity as a potential trigger for bullying behavior and of parents’ concerns surrounding this issue.”
And parents aren’t taking childhood obesity lightly. The NPCH recently reported that parents across the country now rank childhood obesity as the No. 1 health concern for kids.
While parents are having discussions with their children about limiting junk food, time spent watching TV and videos, and playing computer games, the latest report reveals that only about two-thirds of parents with overweight or obese children actually enforce such limits. Davis says talking with your child about making healthier diets and increased physical activity is a very important first step in setting the stage for a healthier lifestyle.
In addition to providing insight about health concerns and behaviors reported by parents with obese and overweight children, the National Poll on Children’s Health report also offers a closer look at the connection between parents’ weight and their children’s weight.
The poll shows that children who are obese or overweight are almost twice as likely to have an obese parent than healthy weight children.
“In many families, obesity is a two-generation phenomenon among parents and their children. This trend could be the result of genetics, or behaviors such as eating habits and physical activity that are shared among parents and their children,” says Davis, associate professor of general pediatrics and internal medicine at the Medical School, and associate professor of public policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week is Oct. 5-11. To learn more go to www.pacer.org/bullying/bpaw/index.asp.
