Body size perceptions among parents of 3-5 year old normal and overweight children and the associations with children's body perception

The primary objective of this study was to further our understanding of the development of overweight and obesity in children by measuring body image perception and satisfaction in parent-child dyads, using an interview method developed for pre-school aged children.;In children, body image perception accuracy and satisfaction were measured using questions combined with concrete representations of the concepts (i.e. figure silhouette pictures representing underweight, normal weight and overweight children). The questions included 'Which of these children looks most like you?' and 'Which of these children would you most like to look like?'. Parents completed self-report questionnaires, including questions about current body size (themselves and their child), desired body size and basic sociodemographic questions. Parents and children had their height and weight measured by a researcher and used to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Body image perception was computed as the correspondence between perceived body size and actual body size, categorized as 'underweight' 'normal weight' and 'overweight/at risk of overweight', using Body Mass Index (BMI) according to the North American Growth Chart and the adult guidelines from the Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2006). Body satisfaction was measured as the correspondence between perceived body size and desired body size.;Results show a significant relationship between weight status and parents' perception accuracy of both themselves and their children, with greater accuracy found in parents of normal weight children and in normal weight parents. We did not find a correspondence between parents' accuracy of perception of their own and their child's body size. Parents' accuracy of their own body size was related to marital status, education level, socioeconomic status, and parent's age. Parent's accuracy of their child's body size was only related to parents' marital status. No relationship was found between parents and children's body dissatisfaction. Parent's body satisfaction was significantly related to their weight status, but not accuracy of their perceived weight status. A majority of parents were not satisfied with their body size regardless of weight status. Children's body satisfaction was not related to their weight status, or accuracy of their perceived weight status. A greater proportion of advantageously inaccurate (perceiving themselves as thinner) and accurate normal weight parents were satisfied with their body size than disadvantageously inaccurate (perceiving themselves as larger) or overweight parents. Similarly, a greater proportion of advantageously inaccurate and accurate normal weight children were satisfied with their body size than disadvantageously inaccurate or at risk of overweight children.;In conclusion, many parents are not accurately perceiving their own or their child's weight status, and these perceptual inaccuracies are found to be related to weight status. These perceptual inaccuracies may lead to the adoption of inappropriate eating or feeding behaviors, both of which have been associated with the development of eating pathologies and obesity. Examination of the correspondence between parent's and children's body satisfaction and body perceptions, did not find evidence of a modeling effect. That is, children do not appear to be modeling parent's body satisfaction or body perceptions. This may indicate that very young children are associating weight with growth, with dissatisfaction stemming from a desire to 'be grown up' as opposed to North American society's thin body size idealization. Enhanced education regarding what normal weight is in adults and children, how it is measured (using BMI) and variances throughout development is suggested, as well as directions for further research.;106 parent-child dyads were recruited from daycare centers in Northern Ontario. The sample consisted of 56 (52.8%) boys and 50 (47.2%) girls between the ages of 3 to 5 years, 102 (96.2%) mothers and 4 (3.8%) fathers. Over 72% (n=74) children lived in a two-parent home, with half of the families having an annual income of greater than...