Health news Moms need to know.

We all know childhood obesity is a problem, right? When we were scanning our The New York Times we were shocked to learn that large numbers of parents fail to recognize their children are overweight or obese, and therefore may be less inclined to modify their children’s diet and activity levels. Huh?

According to a new report by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, more than 40% of parents with obese children ages 6 to 11 describe their child not as obese, but as “about the right weight.” In fact, the report finds only 13% of parents with obese children ages 6 to 11 rate their child as being very overweight, compared with 31% of parents with obese children ages 12 to 17. And, less than 10% of parents with obese children ages 6 to 11 say they are “very concerned” about their child’s weight. Shocking.

Pediatrician and friend of Mom•Logic Dr. Gwenn says this is something that many pediatricians, including herself, have noticed. "Some obese kids have obese parents, and they don't want to recognize there's a problem," she says. "Others just think kids will grow out of it, and don't want to listen to the studies that say childhood obesity leads to a multitude of health problems later in life." She says some parents simply don't want to label their kids or put them down. "But parents need to wake up and acknowledge there's a problem," Dr. Gwenn stresses.

She says you can talk to your kids about obesity in a way that's empowering, not demoralizing. "In my practice, I always say, 'Look, if you're overweight, your body is simply telling you that you're not feeding it the right way or moving it the right way. We can change that,'" she explains. Dr. Gwenn says motivated families can change their diets at home, start exercising together, or—in extreme cases—even sign a kid up for a program at a children's weight loss center. But the best thing you can do for you and your child is to stop being in denial and deal with the matter at hand. After all, what's more important than your child's health?

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