This finding
is supported by the OR indicating that parents
who accurately perceived their child as overweight/
obese were 3.24 times as likely to make
more lifestyle changes for their child than parents with inaccurate perceptions about their child’s overweight/ obese status. Previous literature suggests that many parents downplay potential health risks of child obesity34 or feel their child will grow out
of their current weight status.35 Additionally, several studies have found that parents can more accurately identify ‘other children’ as being an unhealthy weight than they can their own child.19,36 Perhaps due in part to this phenomenon, those parents that can accurately identify their child’s weight status are most likely to report making positive health changes for their child.