Does maternal concern about children's weight affect children's body size perception at the age of 6.5? A community-based study

Abstract

ObjectiveThough overweight is often established by school entry, not all mothers of such children report weight concerns. Enhancing concern might assist lifestyle change, but could lead to child body dissatisfaction. We investigated (i) perceived/desired body size and body dissatisfaction in mothers and their 6.5-year-old children, and (ii) the impact of earlier maternal concern about overweight on children's body mass index (BMI) status and body dissatisfaction.DesignProspective community study.SettingMelbourne, Australia.Subjects317 mother-child dyads.Main exposuresChild and maternal BMI (kg m-2) at 4.0 and 6.5 years; maternal concern about child overweight at 4.0 years.Outcome measuresPai..