Survey: Parents loath to discuss weight issues with kids

By Joel Provano

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The list of topics that parents dread to discuss with their kids has grown over the years: from sex, to sex and alcohol to sex, alcohol and drugs. Now there's an even worse topic for parents to tackle, according to a new national survey: weight.

The survey, conducted by WebMD and the nonprofit Sanford Health, found that nearly one-fourth of parents were hesitant to discuss the weight issue with their children. Only 10 percent said they were uncomfortable talking to their kids about sex and even fewer -- one in 20 -- said they were reluctant to discuss issues such as alcohol, drugs and smoking.

"Maintaining a healthy weight has become a cultural – and now clearly a conversational – lightning rod," said Dr. Hansa Bhargava. "The irony is that, in a culture almost obsessed with finding solutions to surging childhood obesity rates, something as simple as talking to your kids about healthy habits and, thus, healthy weight, poses perhaps the greatest challenge to parents."

What's more, the survey found that 20 percent of parents didn't even think it was their job to discuss weight issues with their kids; it should be handled by the family doctor, they said.

"Weight has become such an emotionally charged and pervasive subject, especially in a culture that is highly image-driven," Susan Bartell, a child obesity specialist. "Broaching this subject can be extremely intimidating for parents, especially given that parents themselves may be struggling with weight."

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the number of children and adolescents who are overweight has tripled -- to 17 percent -- since 1980.

Among adults, obesity has more than doubled  -- from 15 percent to 34 percent -- during the same period, HHS figures show.

Reducing childhood obesity has become a focus for the White House with President Barack Obama establishing the Task Force on Childhood Obesity in 2010 and first lady Michelle Obama leading a "Let's Move" campaign to promote exercise and healthy eating among children.