Parental Perception of Child's Weight and Childhood Obesity

The increasing prevalence of metabolic diseases requires new strategies in the treatment and prevention of obesity. Children exposed to a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are especially vulnerable and may therefore be at risk of obesity at a very early stage in their lives. Recent studies have indicated a notable misperception of children's weight by parents. The main objective of this project is to study the association between parental perception of child's body weight and 1) feeding practices (permissive, restrictive or model); and 2) child's degree of overweight.