How do Obese Children Really See Themselves? Survey Reveals Unrealistic Image of Health

The obesity epidemic continues to escalate, with close to one-third of the adult U.S. population dealing with weight issues. For many children, the issue is also astronomical. In the past 30 years, it's estimated that the number of obese children has doubled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Yet a recent government survey found that many children who are overweight or obese do not even know it. In order to better treat weight-related health issues, researchers hope to help children with weight issues first acknowledge this problem.

Researchers found that overall, 30 percent of children and teens grouped themselves in the wrong weight status. Furthermore, close to 81 percent of overweight boys and 71 percent of overweight girls said that their weights fit in the normal category for their age and height. Another 48 percent of obese boys and 36 percent of obese girls thought that their weights were normal.

"When overweight kids underestimate their weight, they are less likely to take steps to reduce their weight or do additional things to control their weight, like adopt healthier eating habits or exercise regularly," said lead study author of the report, Neda Sarafrazi, a nutritional epidemiologist at NCHS, via USA Today. "On the other hand, when normal weight or underweight kids overestimate their weight, they might have unhealthy weight-control behaviors."

Researchers found that some obese children even believed that they were underweight; a misconception that was more common in children of non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American boys and children from low-income families.

Overall, the study's findings suggest that there may not be proper education about fitness, diet and proper weight at educational institutions throughout the country. With the survey results, researchers said they hope to prompt further investigation and possible restructuring of such topics.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the study "Perception of Weight Status in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-15 Years, 2005-2012."