Recent studies in the field of diabetes treatments have shown that many parents - a little over half, in fact - are in denial about their child's or children's weight problems. The children themselves failed to recognize their weight issues as well.
The girls in the study were more likely than the boys to underestimate their weight, and as a whole, the parents underestimated their children's weight more often than the children did themselves.
It also turned out that those who failed to see the weight problems were the same ones who reported poor diet and exercise, while those who seemed more aware of their bodies reported better health regimens and more frequent exercise.
This denial syndrome isn't limited to just a few studies; when researched, anyone can see that it's a serious and alarming pattern. By refusing to admit that their children have a weight problem, parents are putting them in very dangerous territory.
Health care providers are now discussing ways to better guide parents and children to understand weight status, lifestyle changes, and health improvement. One of their biggest challenges will be setting realistic goals so that the parents and children can see results before they give up and return to bad eating and exercise habits.
Many family health insurance programs are now offering an extra level of help in this area by providing free monthly medical checkups to rate the progress of children and keep them on track with their eating habits.
For more information on family health insurance, contact us today! We're Altman Insurance, an independent insurance agency based in Olympia, Washington.
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